CLAY: Coming down the stretch run here on the Monday edition of the program, trying to make sure that you’re aware of all the big races that are going on throughout the country and one that has not gotten as much attention as it should is taking place out in Washington State where our next guest, Tiffany Smiley, is running for the Senate against Patty Murray, long-time senator from Washington.

And, Tiffany, we appreciate you calling in and joining us here ’cause we want to give you a big aid to the best of our ability. Big audience listening to us right now in Seattle, all over the state of Washington. You’re in a really tight race. A lot of people out there are like, “Wait, Washington’s a tight Senate race.” Can you tell us about yourself and about your race to introduce it for people who might not be aware of what’s taking place out where you’re running?

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— Tiffany Smiley (@SmileyForWA) September 19, 2022

SMILEY: Yes. Well, thank you so much for having me on. This is a very, very important election. You know, I’m a nurse, and my life changed when I walked it into my husband’s trauma care unit at Walter Reed Army Medical Center after he had been blown up by a suicide car bomb in Iraq.

I resigned from my nursing job, took a one-way flight out to Walter Reed and, you know, that began my fight. I had to stand up and fight for my husband when he didn’t have a voice. He was in a coma. One thing was certain. The suicide bomber that detonated his car, the shrapnel from that car obliterated both of his eyes so my husband would never, ever see again.

I took on the Army. I refused to sign his paperwork to retire him and transition him into the VA. I believed in a better path and I had this crazy idea, this wild idea that perhaps a blind officer could continue on active duty.

The doctors looked at me like you’re crazy, Mrs. Smiley, like there’s no way. But there are coalitions who believed in that vision as well. My husband went on and became the first blind active-duty officer to ever serve our country.

We served for over a decade with him completely blind and the nurse in me knew, once he was well, I went back and I made it right. Still a lot of work to do, but I took on the VA, took on Big Government. So, I have a track record of taking on Big Government and winning. And that’s exactly what I will do when I win from all of Washington State this November.

BUCK: Tiffany, it’s Buck. Thanks for joining us. What are you hoping to accomplish, if you do get to represent the state of Washington in the Senate? And what has been going on…I mean, one thing we talk about a lot on this show is I live in a bluest here in New York.

I grew up here, I was born and raised here, and there’s been a major deterioration that has occurred here over the last three years, particularly the last two years of the Biden administration. What are you seeing in Washington State that people need to know about, and what do you want to do to change it?

SMILEY: Yes. I mean, Washington State is such a beautiful, amazing state. We are just underrepresented. And it’s clear Patty Murray and Joe Biden’s policies are destroying our livelihoods here. Just take crime, for example. The highest crime that we’ve had in 30 years. Patty Murray went on Senate floor June of 2020 called for funds to be diverted away from our police force and then she went into hiding.

What I’m hearing all over Washington State is, “We haven’t seen her. She hasn’t been around until she came out attacking you, Tiffany, two months prior to the primary in June”, spending millions painting me as an extremist and trying to say that I’m a threat to democracy, a family that has served and sacrificed for their country, it just doesn’t make any sense when we have real problems on the ground.

You know, what we need to do — and I know we can get to work right away on just the basics of law and order, right? If our federal government does anything, it’s protection of the American people. So, we need to prevent Title 42 from being lifted until we have real border security.

I’ve actually been to the border. I don’t know that Patty Murray ever has. Granted I was 11 years old when she was first elected; so, I’m not sure how they kept records back then. But as of recent, I don’t think she’s ever been to the border. I was down there, I saw it with my own eyes, Buck. There were people crossing the river.

We had cartel members yelling at us. I took a boat ride down the Rio Grande. I saw the wristbands with the different colors, you know, depending what cartel these immigrants are paying money to. I saw the boats that they fill full of drugs and it’s too easy to push it right across into stash houses that are in the United States of America.

So, we have real issues. We need to secure the border. We need to hold repeat offenders accountable. And something that I can do at the federal level is also allow law enforcement agencies to use federal grant dollars; to offer $5,000 in hiring and retention bonuses.

We need good officers. We need them now, especially in Washington State. And it’s not just… you know, crime’s not just having a public safety effect. Having a massive economic effect here on our small businesses.

We’ve seen Starbucks shutter doors here in Washington State. Amazon moved their offices. Smaller, you know, mom-and-pop shops are moving out because there’s no accountability. Patty Murray’s soft-on-crime agenda is destroying our beautiful state. I will stand up and fight and be a voice for all of Washington.

CLAY: We’re talking to Tiffany Smiley. A poll came out for people out there nationwide, certainly in Washington as well, at the very beginning of this month from the Trafalgar Group. Had Patty Murray at 49, you at 46.

I think as you mentioned she’s starting to get a little bit nervous. She’s been attacking you more aggressively. That’s a three-point margin right now. We got a monster audience listening to us right now in Seattle, also in Spokane, Washington, our affiliate, by the way, in Spokane, KQNT. Appreciate everybody out there who’s listening.

You’re gonna have one debate against Murray right I believe it’s scheduled because I don’t think she’ll debate you any more. You can tell us about that. But also, Buck and I talk a little about Seattle and how beautiful of a city it is.

SMILEY: Yes.

CLAY: And how Democrat policies have really attacked the vibrancy and vitality of what should be a jewel of the Pacific Northwest. What are you hearing from people in the Seattle area who may have been traditional Democrats about why they’re listening to you and what do you expect to see in that debate? Do you think she’s gonna still try and run and hide from her record?

SMILEY: Yeah. You know, you are so right on Seattle. It’s a shame of what has happened. Patty Murray is destroying our city and our state. And you know what I hear is, you know, the infrastructure bill, people are talking about that. It’s a big deal here in Washington State.

And, you know, suburban moms are saying, “That’s great that we got the infrastructure bill so I, you know, could go through the tunnel and that know I’ll be safe.” But they say, “What’s the point if I don’t even feel safe getting out of my car in Seattle or letting my kids run around?”

What’s the point? Like I said, the bare minimum the federal government could do for us is protect our citizens. Law and order. And Patty Murray’s soft on crime. She’s nonexistent. She doesn’t even talk about these issues.

We haven’t even gotten into the cost of living and the rising grocery prices in Washington State either. So, this is what’s on the ballot this November. These aren’t Democrat or Republican issues. These are American issues. These are livelihood issues.

And when we talk about debates, she has — Patty Murray’s drug her feet. It’s almost like she’s annoyed that I am forcing her to be accountable to the voters. You know, she’s been here for 30 years. She hasn’t really had a real race.

And that’s why I know that we can win because I’ve been listening to voters in all 39 counties. I have been all over Washington State and back again. And we will continue to do that all the way through November. She has drug her feet on the debate.

She finally agreed to one debate, but I want to be clear that that is after ballots drop, which I think is an insult to the voters here in Washington State.

BUCK: It’s actually a pattern, too. In Pennsylvania, Fetterman wants people to start voting before they actually hear him on the debate stage. Clay, you’ve got something, though.

CLAY: Yeah. No, I was just gonna say you mentioned suburban moms. There’s a lot of swing voters out there. I’ve got a 14-year-old, a 12-year-old, and 8-year-old. I believe you have multiple kids yourself.

SMILEY: Yes.

CLAY: What are you hearing from moms, and what do you want for your own kids? You talked about the work that you did for your husband. What are you seeing for your kids and their schools and hearing from Washington parents?

SMILEY: You know, we are winning the messaging war here with Patty Murray. We are the campaign for the parents. Most recently, you know, Patty Murray doubled down. She was asked, “Given what we know now with the plummeting test scores, the childhood anxiety and self-harm that’s on the rise, you know, do you have any regrets about how you handled the pandemic?”

And she doubled down and pretty much said, no, that they followed the science and they did what was right. Well, you’re talking about a state here in Washington where our kids were shuttered out of school for over a year and a half, my three boys included. I saw the effects.

I talked to the parents about this. This is wrong. And Patty Murray supported it and doubled down on it. So, I have an agenda for education reform here in Washington State. We need to expand school choice, promote curriculum transparency, and we also need to create and expand K through 12 STEM education programs.

College is not for everyone. You know, I mentioned the infrastructure bill. Talking to contractors all over Washington State. Their apprentice programs are empty. And, you know, Patty Murray she ran as the mom in tennis shoes, she was going to fight for our education and fight for our kids.

She’s done nothing to that core. I mean, look at where we are now. So, that’s how I know we’ll win because these parents who have watched their kids suffer here in Washington State, they know that there has to be leadership. This isn’t about political.

This is about being a leader, someone who will go do what’s right and fight for their kids. And we’re on the right side of the message for it. Patty Murray, you know, again doubled down with her D.C. — she’s doing what’s right for D.C. She’s doing what’s right for Joe Biden.

BUCK: Yeah. Sounds like she’s focused on the other Washington. Tiffany —

SMILEY: That’s right. She is.

BUCK: — you know, we got people listening all across your state right now, including on our Seattle affiliate KPTR 1090 and Spokane, KQNT, and others. Where can they go to help out, to learn more, to donate?

SMILEY: Yeah, thank you so much. Anyone can join us in this effort. You can sign up to volunteer, contribute to our campaign so we can continue to share a winning message through November. SmileyforWashington.com, all spelled out, SmileyforWashington.com.

And I look forward to meeting you on the trail, seeing you out there. It is time to stand up and fight for our children. You know, you mentioned my children. I want the American dream for them.

You know, our family is living proof that this country is great because all we needed was a hand up, not a handout. And that’s what I want for my children, for their future in this country for generations to come.

BUCK: Tiffany Smiley, thank you so much for being with us on Clay and Buck. Appreciate it.

SMILEY: Thanks. Thanks, guys.

CLAY: Hopefully she can give a real charge to Washington area residents. We’re rooting for it. Appreciate her time there.