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Washington views on the 2020 election: Who Seattle's neighbor will vote for?

October 20, 2020 / 11:59 am

caption: Coté Soerens owns and operates Resistencia Coffee in Seattle, however, she refers to herself as the "midwife of Resistencia," saying, "It’s the neighborhood’s baby, I just made it happen.”

As the 2020 election approaches, KUOW is asking Washington state voters from across the political spectrum what they think about the candidates and the issues that are important to them.

KUOW is presenting these voices as the opinions and the perspectives which inform people's votes in 2020.

Coté Soerens immigrated to the United States from Chile. Since then, she has become an activist and currently operates Resistencia Coffee in Seattle. She is also a pastor, and while her faith is important to her, and informs her votes, she does not feel that politics and religion should mix.

Issues/perspective: While she is passionate about certain issues -- such as immigration -- she feels that progress on those issues is on hold until there is a new president. Joe Biden is not her first Democratic choice, but she is supporting him in an effort to oust the current president -- that is her top priority.

caption: KUOW is speaking with voters across Washington state, from very different perspectives, about the 2020 election.

Coté Soerens has a few titles behind her name -- small business owner, coffee shop "midwife," activist, immigrant, therapist, and pastor. Whatever endeavor she has put herself into, one theme drives them all -- "neighbor."

“I do have political beliefs that are more on the left side of things, but I’m primarily a neighbor," she said. "That is the most sacred thing we can be, is neighbors."

“I land wherever care for neighbors is highest," she said. "If we are so left that we forgot about good relationships and caring for each other, I reel it back a little bit. When you start yelling at people, or you start demonizing people, I’m not that far left.”

Running to vote for Biden, even when he's not your top choice

Soerens lived under a dictatorship in Chile, and reluctantly moved to the United States, where she is now patriotic immigrant who quotes the musical Hamilton.

From a chip on her shoulder, to patriot

Soerens says she is "a Seattleite through and through." Like many others in the city, she favored Elizabeth Warren in the Democratic primary.

Despite a loving sentiment when she speaks about the city now, she was not keen on moving to Seattle in 2005 from Chile, at the age of 25. But an opportunity to study counseling and psychology at a Seattle university was too good to pass up.

"The States was the last place I wanted to come to -- I had a chip on my shoulder," she said. "They messed up my country. The U.S. actively messed up my country. So I was not excited about the U.S."

Her perspective evolved over the years, however, as she worked to become a therapist, and immigration activist. She also got to know the Seattle community. Ultimately, it was a strong piece of pop culture that inspired her to become a citizen.

“I moved to Seattle and it was the innovative, entrepreneurial, creative energy of the city – I just couldn’t leave.”

"After working for years on immigrant’s rights, working for people who want to make this their home and they can’t, or they are really affected by policies and they can’t even vote on them, it really shifted my thinking," Soerens said. "And yes, it’s kind of funny that it took Lin-Manuel Miranda to do Hamilton for me to see the American experiment in a different way.”

Concerns about Trump

Soerens' aversion to President Trump is rooted in her experience growing up in a dictatorship in Chile -- she sees parallels between the current administration and her upbringing.

"I grew up in a place that was not democratic. So I’m horrified when I see unmarked police taking protesters, or deploying the military against peaceful protesters. As a pastor, I’m horrified he’s taking a photo op with the Bible; talk about using God’s name in vein. It’s the erosion of institutions that we usually take for granted. It’s the stoking of division."

She points to the president treading too close to a mixture of business and politics, or actions perceived to hinder voter turnout.

“As somebody who grew up in a dictatorship, I do not take democracy for granted. So I’m very worried about that; that’s the anti-Trump thing.”

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“The military, it’s supposed to be apolitical, the CDC is taking politicized steps," she adds. "And the intelligence (community) -- look, I’m talking about the CIA. I’m Chilean, trying to defend the CIA. That is what Trump has done to me. What happened?!"

Top issue: Supporting Biden

Soerens champions a range of issues, from universal healthcare to childcare -- mostly social safety net policies. But she argues that progress cannot happen until Trump is gone. So for now, her top issue is getting Biden elected.

“I feel like I can’t even afford to think about issues right now," she said. "You know those bumper stickers that say ‘Any functioning adult for 2020?’ ... the reason I liked Warren was that there was Medicare for all, there was childcare for all in her platform. And also regulation of predatory markets. She had the best articulation of the problems …. It feels like we are at a time when we need triage (for the presidency). Which I’m curious, would many people who support Trump feel that way too?"

“I’m just okay with Biden, basically" she said. "Going back to Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda, ‘you gotta teach them how to say good-bye.’ It’s a little sad that there’s no room for new leadership. He had his time. He could have retired in glory. But I also understand that people were freaked out about things, and (Biden) seemed like a safe choice.”

She says she is more excited about the vice presidential pick -- Kamala Harris.

She understands that not everyone will agree with her perspective. And that is OK. There's a conversation among that disagreement she is eager to engage. In fact, a "people-centered approach to life" led her to start Resistencia Coffee in Seattle's South Park neighborhood. It's a place aimed at getting people to meet each other, talk with each other.

“It’s interesting to say 'as a Christian,' because that word has been butchered by so many people," Soerens said. "But technically, what I read, is that we are supposed to love our neighbor .… as a pastor, as a person of faith, as a Christian, I will err on the side of protecting those who are most marginalized, or those who are being bullied the most. So what I look for in a candidate, or a political narrative, is 'can I support this in good faith? Are we protecting the least of us?' As far as the candidates, Biden, Kamala, Elizabeth Warren … they’re giving lip service to protecting the least of us.”

“But yeah, that does inform my politics," she said. "But also, too, recognizing as a neighborhood pastor, local pastor, recognizing that everybody is on a journey. So sometimes people are going to have views that you find offensive, but there is still value to that person. One of the big things for me is that everybody has something to give. Everybody is valuable. Even if they support a candidate you find abhorrent."

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