Washington › Pierce County › Washington House Position 2, Legislative District 31
2 candidates are tracked for Washington House Position 2, Legislative District 31 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Joshua Penner and John Bielka. Candidate information follows official Pierce County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
Joshua Penner (prefers Republican Party) and John Bielka (prefers Democratic Party) meet on the November 3 ballot; Joshua Penner is the sitting member, per the Legislature's roster. August 4 top-two primary: Joshua Penner 56.0 percent, John Bielka 43.9 percent, per the Secretary of State's official results. Washington's top-two primary sends the two leading candidates to November regardless of party; party labels are the candidates' stated preferences. The field is the VoteWA GENERAL 2026 candidate list (read September 7, 2026). This seat is elected by legislative district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Joshua Penner is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served as a radio operator in Iraq and later served as Mayor of Orting, per his official legislative website. He co-chairs the King County Veterans Consortium and represents the 31st District, focusing on fiscal discipline, veterans' services and disability advocacy, per the same source. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 7, 2026.
2026 priorities (per the official legislative website)
- Fiscal discipline and efficient government spending
- Veterans' services and disability advocacy
- Public safety
John Bielka is a civil engineer and retired public works leader who spent his career on roads, utilities, water and sewer systems, and flood-protection projects, per his campaign site. He also farms cattle.
2026 priorities (per the campaign site)
- Lowering costs and reducing unnecessary regulation
- A responsible budget with no unfunded mandates on cities and towns
- Faster delivery of transportation, housing and flood-protection projects
Source: candidate campaign site, roster verified 2026-09-07.
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