Who I am
I am Michelle Darnell; wife, mother, grandmother, paralegal, author, entrepreneur, concerned citizen, dreamer, and visionary. I have been a lover of Washington State for over 34 years. I know together we can restore Washington.
I became a citizen activist in 2010 when I became aware of the massive corruption in our banking sector. I observed how thousands of Washington citizens were stripped of their wealth and homes during and immediately following the recession. I wanted to fight back for these people!! I became a paralegal and I also participated in activities calling attention to and protesting wrongful foreclosures. Just last session the organization I founded RiseUPWa, was able to help get a bi partisan bill passed to help property owners, specifically landlords who have suffered because of covid moratoriums, in foreclosure.
I realized pretty quickly that property owners were not finding justice in the court room. They were out-spent, out-maneuvered and IF they were fortunate enough to have an opinion in their favor rendered, lobbyist simply went to Olympia to change the law. I decided to run for office. My experiences running for office from 2014 to 2017 opened my eyes to the challenges that face everyday citizens wanting to make a positive change.
In 2019, I founded a political marketing agency called Ignite Foundation LLC. We provide campaign services to “lunch box candidates” like myself; ordinary citizens with a passion for trying to change their community and country – in a good way. “We equip the called”.
Running for office is a difficult decision. It’s time consuming and can be brutal on candidates and the their families. I have made the decision to run because our state is spiraling out of control due to the atrocious policies in recent years. Crime is surging; tents are popping on our streets like mushrooms; our schools are not only failing our kids now, but also damaging them and shutting out parents. Small businesses are boarding up and permanently closing their doors. 
I will stay the course, doing what I’ve done for over a decade: Advocating for those who feel powerless, abused and victimized by big government corruption and tyranny — I will continue to be their voice.
While I do not promise to know all the answers or have all the solutions. But I do pledge to be authentic, transparent, compassionate and determined.
