| Field | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Full Name | Zachary T. Eckstein (known as Zac Eckstein) | T1 |
| Residence | Ethel, WA (unincorporated community in Lewis County). Mailing address PO BOX 102, Onalaska, WA 98570. Purchased home in Ethel with his father approximately three years ago (circa 2021-2022). | T1 |
| Party | Democratic | T1 |
| Education | Graduate of Cornish College in Seattle (now Cornish College of the Arts) | T2 |
| Employment | Communications and digital marketing manager (current day job); Tradesman (self-described); Lived throughout the greater Puget Sound area for nearly two decades before moving to Ethel | T2 |
| Topic | Position | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Community Engagement / Transparency | Pledges quarterly town halls across District 3. Believes "a commissioner should make people feel heard, not use their platform to pick fights." Advocates restoring the citizens salary commission that was replaced with a three-person appointed board. | T3 |
| Budget / Fiscal Policy | Criticizes commissioners for refusing the 1% property tax increase while relying on reserves and promoting a public safety sales tax. Questions equitable funding distribution across all communities. Opposes wasteful lawsuits over ideological issues (referencing $500,000 syringe exchange settlement). | T2 |
| Public Health and Safety | Supports securing proper funding for first responders and law enforcement. Advocates keeping east county hospital operational. Supports treatment and recovery programs for substance abuse while also empowering law enforcement to protect neighborhoods from public drug use. Frames fentanyl crisis as requiring both treatment access and neighborhood protection. | T3 |
| Infrastructure | Supports flood mitigation strategy for Cowlitz River Basin, wildlife crossing solutions on Highway 12, and broadband expansion partnerships with local utilities. | T3 |
| Climate Commitment Act / Energy Policy | Opposes redirecting Climate Commitment Act (CCA) cap-and-trade funds to transportation. Argues CCA funds benefit Lewis County through forest-health projects, agricultural support, the Chehalis hydrogen facility, weatherization programs, salmon habitat restoration, and energy bill assistance for low-income families. Supports energy assistance programs for low-income Washingtonians. | T2 |
| Commission Expansion (3 to 5) | Champions the "Lewis County 3 to 5" initiative to expand the county commission from three to five seats for better representation, particularly for east county communities. Supports tying commissioner salaries to median county income. | T2 |
| East County Representation | Seeks to bring better representation for East Lewis County communities that "feel left behind." Criticizes incumbent Brummer for living in Winlock, 70+ miles from east county communities he represents. | T2 |
| Economic Development | Emphasizes workforce development, infrastructure improvements, and rural opportunity preservation. Notes mills closing and hospitals in crisis as real problems facing Lewis County. Criticizes state budget cuts that eliminate vocational training funding and FEMA disaster preparedness grants. | T3 |
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Filing Entity | PDC committee ECKSZ--842 (cid 41424); 2026 cycle as of 2026-06-21: $5,295 cash raised, $2,009 in-kind, $3,105 spent, ~$2,190 cash-on-hand across 28 contributions; top donor small-contribution aggregate $2,145. Cash-on-hand leader in the 5-way commissioner race. Source: WA PDC SODA API (data.wa.gov), as_of 2026-06-21. | T1 |
“A commissioner should make people feel heard, not use their platform to pick fights.”
Campaign website, community engagement pledge (2026-05)
“Brummer lives in Winlock, and he lives over 70 miles away from the communities of the east end of the county.”
Chronicle election forum at Jester Auto Museum, Chehalis (2026-05)
People leaving Lewis County are doing so not because of tax policies, but because mills closed and hospitals are in crisis.
Substack newsletter, rural economic conditions (2025-2026)
Trust in Olympia is running on fumes. People have watched programs get promised and then cut while taxes go up.
Substack newsletter, rural voter frustration (2026)
3 sourced findings. All sourced at T1 (Official Record) or T2 (Multi-Source Media) per clearthemud provenance model. No T3/T4 claims included.