About P3 PAC
Our city. Our future.
Progressive People Power (P3) PAC exists for a single purpose: to make sure big business interests aren’t the only bidders for Seattle elections. Whether we like it or not, our local elections are for sale.
Right now, only corporate interests are buying, and that’s a huge problem for anyone who wants Seattle to be an affordable, safe, and thriving place to live. We are dedicated to championing progressive values by asking the wealthiest among us to pay their fair share and with grassroots organizing we will win.
The Team
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Ry Armstrong
they/them
Chair
Ry is a trans/non-binary artist and activist focused on pushing the overton window of our society toward an equitable and sustainable future. With a Master of Arts in International Relations, as a progressive and democratic socialist they fight for radical policy changes in the face of a looming climate crisis. Within labor organizing, they serve as a SAG-AFTRA Delegate to MLK Labor and on the National Council of Equity.
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Aretha Basu
she/her
Board Member
Aretha is the Political Director of Puget Sound Sage and Sage Leaders. She spent many years as a legislative aide for City Councilmember Mosqueda focusing on issues affecting working people in our great city and has spent just about a decade in grassroots organizing with coalitions like No New Youth Jail, Block the Bunker, and Decriminalize Seattle.
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Maren Costa
she/her
Board Member
Maren is currently the US Advisor at WorkForClimate.org, where she she leads efforts to mobilize tech employees in championing climate justice causes. She leverages her extensive experience and leadership skills to make a positive impact, believing that transformative change is essential for addressing the root causes of the climate crisis.
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Danielle Franco-Malone
she/her
General Counsel
Danielle is a partner in the Firm of Barnard Iglitzin & Lavitt LLP. She considers herself inestimably lucky to fight every day to improve the lives of working people.
Ex-officio non-voting member
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Efrain Hudnell
he/him
Board Member
Efrain first came to the Puget Sound region just as the Sound Transit 3 ballot measure from the other Washington. He currently sits on the board of The Urbanist after years of advocacy culminating in him serving as the Executive Director of the Seattle Subway. He aims to center communities of color in the urbanist movement so as to undo the harms current policy and land use.
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Jeanne Legault
she/her
Ministerial Secretary-Treasurer
Born and raised in DC, Jeanne has got politics in her blood. She has worked for progressive causes since she was 11 years old and doorbelled for JFK! She lives in Seattle with her husband and four cats.
Ex-officio non-voting member
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Aleksa Manila
she/they
Board Member
Social activist by day, socialite by night. Aleksa is a celebrated and respected drag personality. Originally from Manila, Philippines, she calls Seattle home. Completing her Master of Social Work at the UW, Aleksa now provides consultation and clinical services through her private practice at AM Clinical Services focused on LGBTQI2+ and BIPOC services in the heart of Seattle's International District.
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Alexis Mansanarez
she/her
Board Member
Alexis has a decade of communication experience across journalism, non-profit sector, and campaign management. Her professional and personal work center liberation for all. As a campaign manager, Alexis worked to elect Teresa Mosqueda to King County Council as the first Latina to ever hold the position and, most recently, on State Senator Rebecca Saldaña’s campaign at the intersections of Environmental Justice and decolonizing conservation.
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Kyler Parris
he/him
Board Member
Born and raised in the Seattle area, Kyler has five years of experience in local progressive organizing, messaging, and fundraising, including managing multiple campaigns. He graduated from Pitzer College with a B.A. in Urban Studies, works on expanding affordable housing, and lives in Capitol Hill.
History of PACs
The origins of Political Action Committees ("PACs") can be traced back to the labor movement of 1943.
In Washington State, these entities are referred to as Political Committees. Their prominence grew following a Congressional ban on unions making direct contributions to political candidates, a restriction initially applied to corporations by the Tillman Act of 1907 and later extended to labor unions under the Smith–Connally Act of 1943. The expansion of PACs was facilitated by a series of campaign reform laws enacted during the 1970s, which permitted corporations, trade associations, and labor unions to establish PACs. Additionally, the Supreme Court has invalidated legislative restrictions on PACs on First Amendment grounds in numerous cases, notably with Buckley v. Valeo.
From there, the 2010 Supreme Court case Citizens United v. FEC allowed corporations, unions, and other groups to spend unlimited money on political campaigns, as long as they didn't coordinate directly with candidates. This ruling was based on the idea that spending money to influence elections is a form of free speech protected by the First Amendment. Critics argue that Citizens United has led to a surge of money in politics, giving wealthy individuals and corporations too much influence over elections and policy, which undermines democracy. They are concerned that this could lead to corruption and policies favoring the wealthy. We are among those critics, but have to compete.
Washington State Political Committees play a significant role in the electoral process by raising funds, mobilizing supporters, and influencing public opinion on political matters. They are required to comply with state laws regarding campaign finance, including reporting contributions and expenditures to the appropriate regulatory agencies.
These processes are audited and enforced by The Public Disclosure Commission (PDC), which was created in 1972 with the passing of Initiative 276. The Commission sets PDC policy and interprets and enforces the campaign finance and disclosure laws found in RCW 42.17A and WAC 390.