The recent statement by 48th LD Republican candidate Lynn Trinh regarding Initiative 1000 (I-1000) is dangerous and directly insults voters who worked hard to defeat I-1000 in 2019. I-200 PAC is calling for its supporters and affiliated groups and organizations to NOT vote for Lynn Trinh in the November 2024 general election.
In 2019, Lynn Trinh not only supported I-1000 but also organized the public to attend a biased informational meeting, where only politicians who supported I-1000 were invited to speak. In 2024, after her past support for I-1000 was questioned, Lynn bluntly stated, “My stance on I-1000 was a personal involvement and has nothing to do with this organization. It was based on my understanding at the time, and I won’t apologize for it.”
Lynn Trinh has long been a Democrat, but this year, she is running as a Republican. In 2019, every Republican legislator in Olympia voted to reject I-1000. To court Republican voters, Lynn recently recorded a video expressing disappointment that I-1000 and similar policies “have not produced the desired outcomes”, while still praising the good intentions of I-1000.
In her distorting video, Lynn blatantly claims that I-1000 is “allowing for minority groups to be considered in public and government employment, education, and contracting. It sought to promote diversity and inclusion by supporting historically underrepresented groups such as race, gender, age, sexuality, and disability. ”
Lynn’s statement is unacceptable and very dangerous. The proponents of I-1000 could easily use her video to attack us for opposing what they portray as a “well-meaning” initiative. In California, legislators have never ceased their attempts to overturn Prop. 209, which is the California version of I-200. As recently as this year, ACA7 has emerged as a new effort to dismantle Prop. 209. We cannot afford to let Lynn provide the other side with an excuse to revive I-1000. Lynn’s statement must be denounced, and we cannot support sending Lynn Trinh to Olympia to represent their agenda.
Lynn’s video can be broken down into several parts:
Step 1: Glorifying I-1000;
Step 2: Justifying her past support for I-1000 by falsely portraying its supposedly good intentions;
Step 3: Shifting the focus of the discussion — Lynn does not oppose I-1000 itself; instead, she shifts the focus by criticizing that it did not achieve the “desired outcomes.” In other words, Lynn reframes the argument, suggesting that the issue lies in the results of I-1000 rather than its underlying principles;
Let’s not forget what I-1000 really is:
I-1000 can be summed up in one sentence: It would abolish the standard of equality for all, regardless of races, sex, color, age, ethnicity, or national origin, as required by Washington Civil Rights Act, and replace it with a system that uses different rules for people of different races.
- I-1000 would allow government-sponsored discrimination.
- I-1000 would damage progress already made on diversity.
- I-1000 would also harm veterans and their families.
- I-1000 would divide us.
Lynn Trinh’s views on I-1000, along with her support for the initiative, are a direct insult to those who worked hard to reject it.
Lynn Trinh cannot be trusted.