For Immediate Release
Contact: info@willdreher.com
Father of two and former public school teacher led the Seattle U.S. Attorney’s Office’s prosecution of January 6 rioters and civil rights unit. Pledges to address harms from social media and AI as well as address housing and education needs.
SEATTLE– Will Dreher, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney who prosecuted January 6 rioters and now sues large corporations to hold them civilly accountable for misconduct, has announced his candidacy for State Representative in Seattle’s 46th legislative district. Dreher, a Democrat running for Position 1, cited as primary motivations for his first run for public office the urgent need to protect children from addictive social-media apps and to honestly appraise and regulate AI’s currently unchecked impacts on our economy, environment, and future.
“Washington state is home to world-leading technology and innovation companies. There is no excuse for our State not being at the vanguard of social media and AI governance,” said Dreher. “We know from twenty years’ experience with social media what comes from trusting technology companies to self-regulate: addictive app features that target and rewire kids’ developing brains, an entire generation with deteriorating mental health, and dangerous divisions in our politics and society due in no small part to the algorithms that control Americans’ flow of news. It’s time to stop pretending we don’t have a problem.”
“We can’t afford to take the same wait-and-see approach with AI,” continued Dreher. “We have a novel, disruptive, and potentially dangerous technology that currently resides within the exclusive control of a handful of companies. Thus far, our state has done little to hold these companies to account for the deepfakes, privacy threats, economic displacement, environmental burdens, and security risks that AI companies themselves acknowledge and anticipate. Now is the time to address that regulatory gap. We may not get another chance.”
Dreher also highlighted the dangers of the Trump Administration’s civil rights abuses and overreach. “I spent three years prosecuting those who participated in the January 6th riot, which was the product of Donald Trump’s anti-democratic impulses. But in the last 15 months, he has dropped all pretense, seeking to force the media, universities, law firms, and civil society more broadly into submission,” said Dreher. “Meanwhile, he has sought to exempt polluters and AI companies from regulation. It will take grit to resist the Trump Administration’s excesses and stand up to the corporations he protects. But I have put violent criminals and sexual predators in jail, and I’ve sued oil companies and the world’s largest technology firms. I will not hesitate to hold bad actors accountable in Olympia.”
In addition to addressing technology oversight and authoritarianism, Dreher identifies housing affordability, investing in public schools, and public safety as critical local priorities. Prior to attending law school, Dreher worked as a public elementary school teacher.
“Washington is among the most expensive states in the country, and Seattle among the least affordable cities,” said Dreher. “Many young families are struggling to find affordable housing in Seattle, and affordable childcare is nearly impossible to find. Meanwhile, Washington should be leading the nation in K-12 public school performance. I’ll be an unflinching advocate for the housing density and diversity we need across Seattle and Washington state, as well as the significant education investments and science-based curricula we need for our schools. The status quo isn’t cutting it in either area.”
Dreher launches the campaign with support from leaders like Seattle City Attorney Erika Evans, who served with him in the Justice Department.
“I have known Will for years, and he has spent his career fighting for justice and protecting our civil rights,” said Evans. “He also knows how to hold the powerful accountable. He and I worked as a team to investigate and prosecute hate crimes and law enforcement officers who engage in misconduct. I know his work and his character. He will be a tremendous partner in Olympia, not only to keep our kids and communities safe, but to ensure that the next generation has open doors to opportunity. Join me in getting him to our State House!”
Dreher lives in the Ravenna neighborhood with his wife, two children, cat Salem, and dog Lucky. A native of Maryland, Dreher attended public schools before graduating from Georgetown University. Dreher taught 4th grade math and science in the D.C. area before attending Harvard Law School. He clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan before moving to Seattle to take a position with the U.S. Department of Justice. Today he works as an attorney with a Seattle-based firm that represents consumers, cities, counties, and states.
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