Contacting elected officials is one of the most powerful actions we can take. Hearing from or meeting with even a handful of voting constituents can have a significant impact on our leaders, particularly if we follow these guidelines.

• Be prepared. Consult the ACLU for expert tips on writing/faxing, meeting with or calling (including hotline numbers) political representatives.
• Be ready. Telephone calls are the most impactful way to communicate with elected officials, so  consider entering their telephone numbers in your cell phone for quick and easy access. .
• Call the Washington DC number for federal and congressional representatives, rather than their state number, if possible. The Washington DC offices are typically more fully staffed and can better handle receiving and logging a multitude of calls.
• Explicitly state you are a constituent. Being a member of your elected official’s district—as well as a registered voter—carries significantly more weight. When you call your state legislature or congressional representative, let them know at the start that you are their constituent. Similarly, let your Senators know you are a Washington state resident.

Listed below is contact information for key elected officials of the Seattle Eastside community, where the links take you to their official website contact page.

Federal

Federal offices include Senators (two, each serving the entire state) and Representatives (several, each serving a congressional district). The US Congress website will direct you to your Senators and your district’s Representatives where you can find contact information. (This non-partisan resource includes the same information as well as voting histories.)

State Legislature

Washington residents are served by two state legislators and one state senator per district: right now, the Senate has 48 members and the House of Representatives has 98 members.

You can find the names and contact information for your district’s legislatures and senator through the district finder. If you prefer to leave a message to all three of your elected officials with just one phone call you can use the legislative hotline 1-800-562-6000 (open during regular business hours).