Daria Ilgen (D)

Daria Ilgen’s mother’s family fled Iran during the revolution and rebuilt their lives in America, and that story of starting over runs through everything he does. He spent nearly twenty years building global partnerships and helping large organizations solve complex problems, then made a different choice: when his wife launched a small business, he stepped back from his career to raise their two kids in Poulsbo as a full-time dad, tending the family’s small farm between school drop-offs and barn chores.

That’s the vantage point he brings to this race. Ilgen knows the squeeze on Kitsap families firsthand, from childcare and healthcare to ferries and housing, because he’s been living it. He serves on the board of the Kitsap Economic Development Alliance, holds elected leadership roles in the local and state Democratic Party, and was one of just ten members statewide chosen to help redraft the party’s 2026 platform.

Ilgen isn’t a career politician, and that’s the point. He’s practical, steady, and focused on making everyday life more livable for working families. He’s the right choice for Position 1 in the 23rd.

Endorsements include Washingtonians for a Brighter Future, Washington Council of Police & Sheriffs, former State Senator Phil Rockefeller, Poulsbo Mayor Ed Stern, Poulsbo City Councilmembers Doug Newell and Doug Taber, former Kitsap County Sheriff Gary Simpson, and Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney James Kennedy.