-Quincy, WA
A new politician is stepping up tot he stage hoping to replace republican incumbent Tom Dent. Eduardo Castañeda-Díaz, who is challenging Tom Dent for Dent’s seat in the Washington House of Representatives, is concerned about Dent’s approach to reopening after the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an April 18th Facebook post, Dent asked his followers to weigh in on how the state should proceed. At the time, there were about 12,000 confirmed cases in Washington, and nearly 750,000 nationally. There will soon be over a million cases nationally. Grant County, where Dent and Castañeda-Díaz live, currently has about 158 cases; last week a resident died of COVID-19, in Mattawa bringing the county’s death toll to 3 and Washington’s to 738.
“I couldn't believe it,” says Castañeda-Díaz.
“What’s even more surprising is scrolling back through his posts from the past couple of months. Not a single positive post. No thank-yous, no thoughts and prayers, just complaints and sniping at the Governor’s plans. The 13th Legislative District deserves someone that calls on the expertise of our state and nation’s medical experts and scientists, not Facebook polls, in their decision-making process... So let me be the first to thank everyone who is staying home if they can, and especially the people who would like to stay home but have to go to work to keep our society working smoothly—from our medical professionals and sanitation workers to our farm workers and law enforcement,” Castañeda-Díaz added.
“Every person lost had a family, was a father, mother, son, daughter. Every person lost was an essential person.”
Castañeda-Díaz was born in California to immigrant parents, U.S. Army Specialist Eduardo Castañeda-Díaz was raised in Quincy, Washington.
After graduating from Quincy High School, he was accepted to Washington State University and graduated with a degree in Foreign Languages and Cultures with a minor in Criminal Justice.
While in college, Eduardo enlisted and served for five years in the Washington, California, and Idaho Army National Guards and currently serves as a Combat Engineer. After graduating, Eduardo continued his education—attending graduate school for two years and law school for one.
Eduardo is currently resident of Quincy and member of the Army National Guard.