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PLATFORM AND POLICY
Building Washington's Promise of Opportunity
John knows the economic challenges too many in the district face and his primary goal is to make the 18th District a place all constituents will be proud to call home. He will work to ensure we bring new, workable solutions to build a thriving economic hub for rural, suburban, and urban constituents with innovative and practical projects. He will advocate for investment in education to provide training and career pathways for teachers, nurses, mental health specialists, trades, and more. He will fight to reduce the financial tax burden on the working & professional classes by ensuring those who profit most from public investments pay their fair share.
Creating Real Opportunities for Housing and Homes
Affordable, accessible, and safe housing make for successful communities that attract more investment. John will create incentives for sustainable building, reasonable zoning regulation changes, and expanded economic opportunity. Younger generations have new expectations that we can all benefit from, including walkable communities and access to efficient public transportation. We all want our kids to have the ability to purchase a home someday and John will prioritize policy to make that possible.
Expanding Healthcare Access
John will advocate passionately for healthcare for all and for eliminating the reality and fear of medical debt that destroys too many families. Universal healthcare helps encourage innovation and entrepreneurship when employment is disentangled from affordable health insurance. Evidence shows that universal healthcare improves productivity and health outcomes, saves everyone, including governments, money in the long run, and is the moral choice. Accessible, affordable healthcare is a human right and a public good. John will advocate for changes that ensure it is available to all Washingtonians.
Fixing Education Funding and Standards
Along with healthcare, education is a vital public good and John will work to keep it that way and strengthen it as our State Constitution requires, calling it our “paramount duty.” Our state’s over-reliance on property taxes (which are also paid by renters through increasing costs) for funding means that the middle class feels more and more economic pressure to fund schools. John wants to relieve that burden with more balanced funding for strong, successful outcomes everywhere. John knows first-hand the success of innovative public schools such as Cascadia Technical Academy, where students can graduate with a trade certification, and Vancouver iTech, situated on the 18th district’s own beautiful WSU campus. John knows what is needed to make students successful, and he will bring that voice to Olympia for the support and investment to improve outcomes in all schools.
Improving Infrastructure with Homegrown Jobs
We are on our way to building the new I-5 bridge but, because of delays and partisan bickering, the project has become more expensive. John will support investment in this critical project that will bring jobs and infrastructure improvements to the 18th and will propose sunsetting tolls once the bridge is paid for, providing subsidies for working people under a certain income to cover the tolls. John also recognizes the necessity of reliable lightrail and will support adding public transportation that is efficient.
Protecting Our Environment
The 18th District is home to mountain and territorial views, forested preserves, and verdant valleys that all constituents value. Preserving our natural environment and the necessities it provides for all of us is a strong value of John’s, but the working people of the 18th should not be paying the most for problems created by the fossil fuel industry. John will hold the industries who’ve continued to reap record profits accountable and responsible for investing in solutions.
Ensuring Access to Abortion
A national abortion ban is a stated Republican priority, and John will help Washington state in the fight against the ban and strengthen its position as a leader in reproductive healthcare for all.
Strengthening Crime Prevention Strategies
John will push for upstream vs. downstream care to help prevent the cycle of opportunity and violent crime. He will work with law enforcement and the community to deploy social workers and counselors in appropriate situations, use evidence-based de-escalation practices in policing, and be a partner on sensible gun safety measures.
Progress.
Problem Solving.
Working Together.
ELECT JOHN ZINGALE.
John has spent more than a decade teaching public school here in Vancouver. He has won numerous awards for his dedication and innovation in the classroom. He has also presented in front of regional and national organizations of teachers about the implementation of various teaching strategies and technological advancements in the classroom.
“My job is to inspire kids and show them the connection between history and life. I literally love everything that I do. Being in the classroom around kids has inspired my decision to run because I want to teach them that they can make a difference in their community. Kids are the ones asking the tough questions about the future and we owe them answers about how we’re working to make it better.”
Zingale earned his Masters in Teaching from the University of Portland and his Bachelors Degree from Northern Illinois University. He oversees the school-wide National History Day Competition, runs field trips to Washington, D.C., and is a partner with the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site and the National Parks Service.
Before teaching, John began his work, and union career, in the grocery retail business. He started his 16+ year career at age 15 bagging groceries in Illinois for Jewel-Osco. He worked his way up the company ladder from bagger, to cashier, to grocery manager, etc., to become one of the youngest Assistant Store Directors in the chain before transferring and moving to the Pacific Northwest.
ABOUT JOHN
Awards & Recognitions
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Vancouver Public Schools PTSA Teacher of The Year (2023)
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Washington State National History Day Teacher of the Year (2022)
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The Sons of the American Revolution Washington State & National Middle School History Teacher of the Year (2020)
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Washington State History Teacher of the Year & National Finalist (2019)
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The Washington State Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching History (2017)