Carmen Goers, a commercial banker and past recipient of the Kent Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year Award and the King County Council MLK Medal of Distinguished Service Award, announced this week that she is running for the Washington State Senate in the 47th Legislative District.
The 47th District includes Covington as well as parts of Kent and Auburn, along with nearby unincorporated areas of south King County, and is among the most diverse regions in Washington state.
Goers was the unsuccessful Republican candidate for the 8th Congressional District in 2024, when she lost to Democratic incumbent Rep. Kim Schrier. She is listed as a Republican candidate for this race.
This position is currently held by Sen. Claudia Kauffman, a Democrat from Kent who was sworn in in January 2023, and who announced her reelection campaign in November, 2025.
Goers said her campaign will focus on a community centered approach and long term involvement in local issues, emphasizing that she has been actively engaged in the district for years by working with families, small businesses and local leaders.
“I’m running because this community deserves a Senator who listens, shows up, and fights for the people who live here,” Goers said. “The 47th District is my home. These are my neighbors, my friends, and my family. I want to be a strong, steady voice for them in Olympia.”
According to Goers, her campaign priorities include affordability, education and protecting local jobs, which she said are challenges facing working families across the district. She said her approach will focus on practical solutions that put people ahead of politics.
“As a community, we don’t need more headlines, we need results,” Goers said. “I will bring our values to the Washington State Senate and stand up for the people who make this district strong.”
She said her campaign will emphasize listening tours, neighborhood conversations and meeting voters in their own communities.
“I’m not running to be someone important,” Goers said. “I’m running to do important work for my neighbors.”
State Senate seats are elected on a rotating four year cycle, and the 47th District will be on the ballot in 2026.
For more information, visit CarmenForWashington.com.
