By Staff
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Mona Das
Joe Fain conceded the race for the 47th District State Senate to challenger Mona Das on Nov. 9.
As of the afternoon of Nov. 13, Das’ lead over the two-term incumbent had grown to 667 votes.
“I want to congratulate Senator-elect Das on her new opportunity to serve South King County in the Washington State Senate,” Fain posted on his Facebook page. “I look forward to supporting her during the transition in any way I can.”
In September, Seattle resident Candace Faber tweeted that Fain raped her in 2007 in Washington, D.C. Faber said she was inspired to speak publicly as she watched the televised hearing on allegations against U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
Fain wasn’t in office at the time of the alleged assault.
A state Senate committee last week approved an outside investigation into the rape allegation. Senate leaders said then that they may re-evaluate their decision if Fain loses his election. It wasn’t immediately known if Senate leaders would reconsider.
According to her campaign website, Das was born to Indian parents who immigrated to America when she was 8 months old. They had only $6 in their pocket.
Her father was a materials science engineer. Her mother was the foundation of the Das family and over the years taught many fellow immigrants how to get by in America. Das credits her parents for her determination and strong work ethic.
In an email to supporters, Das wrote, “To the thousands of people who donated, endorsed, volunteered, and helped us win this race — thank you!
We have a full blown affordability crisis in South King County, and I am going to do everything I can to work towards affordable health care and housing and higher wage jobs.
I am so proud of this campaign. We placed a diverse set of people and ideas at the forefront of our message. Our ad that showcased the people of the 47th is exactly why I ran for office, and the fact that that was a piece of a winning campaign shows that we can run the campaign we want and people will respond.”
Das moved to the Pacific Northwest in 1996. She launched a mortgage business in 2004 focused on educating and empowering first-time homebuyers, and she serves on the board of the Women’s Business Exchange.
Das earned a BA in Psychology from the University of Cincinnati, and an MBA in sustainable business from Pinchot University (now Presidio Graduate School).