Community leader and finance professional pledges to fight for housing affordability, tax fairness, and stronger rural communities
information released
Stacy Willoughby, a longtime community leader and financial services professional, today announced her candidacy for Washington State Representative in the 12th Legislative District, Position 1. Willoughby is running on a platform of expanding housing options, ensuring tax fairness for working families and small businesses, and giving rural communities a stronger voice in Olympia.
“I’ve spent more than two decades in finance and I’ve seen firsthand how affordability—especially housing and taxes—impacts regular people,” said Willoughby. “Our rural families and small businesses work hard to make ends meet. Our government should have to do the same. I’m running because our district deserves a representative who listens to every community and fights for practical solutions.”
A Record of Service and Leadership
A Washington native and daughter of a retired U.S. Navy veteran, Willoughby grew up living around the world—from Okinawa, Japan, to Italy and communities across the United States. That upbringing gave her a deep appreciation for diverse housing models and the importance of strong, connected neighborhoods. She and her husband, Rick, purchased property in the mountains above Lake Chelan in 2009 and moved there full-time in 2017, living in a 200-square-foot cabin they built themselves for four years while constructing their home.
Willoughby has worked in financial services since 2001 and currently serves as Branch Manager and Vice President at a community bank in Chelan. She is a published author, a FINRA-licensed financial advisor, and a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor. Her career has spanned independent financial advising, banking, retail management, and public speaking on personal finance across North America.
In the Chelan Valley, Willoughby has built a track record of community leadership. As Board President of Chelan Valley Hope, she helped transition the organization from two operating days per week to four, hired a new Executive Director, grew reserves to six months, and oversaw a two-year project to build a 2,200-square-foot addition in partnership with the Lake Chelan Food Bank—a facility that opened in June 2025. She founded Chelan Business Women Connect and inspired the Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce to launch an annual job fair. In 2025, she graduated from the inaugural class of the Leadership Institute of North Central Washington, where her capstone project focused on exploring cohousing feasibility in the Lake Chelan area.
Campaign Platform
Housing Affordability and Access: Willoughby will work to expand housing options across the 12th District in ways tailored to each community. She supports the state’s recent steps to allow accessory dwelling units and flexible boundary-line adjustments, and will push to reduce burdensome building codes and streamline permitting processes. She is also committed to encouraging young people to enter the building trades, where they can earn a strong living without taking on student loan debt.
Tax Fairness for Working Families: Drawing on her own experience fighting a steep property tax assessment before her home was even finished, Willoughby understands the burden that taxes and fees place on families and small businesses. She will advocate for reforms to property, fuel, sales, and business taxes to ensure fairness and efficiency across the district.
A Voice for Rural and Growing Communities: The 12th District stretches from Wenatchee and Chelan to Monroe and into portions of King and Snohomish Counties. Willoughby is committed to listening to residents across this diverse district—from rural mountain towns to growing suburban areas—and carrying their priorities to the state legislature.
“I believe government should work for people—not special interests or partisan politics,” Willoughby said. “When we invest in our communities and lift up working families, the whole district thrives. I’m asking for your vote because I’ll work hard for you.”
About Stacy Willoughby
Stacy Willoughby is a community leader, financial services professional, and published author running for Washington State Representative in the 12th Legislative District, Position 1. A Washington native with over 20 years in finance, she serves as Board President of Chelan Valley Hope and sits on the Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce board. She lives in the mountains above Chelan with her husband, Rick, their two dogs, and seven chickens. Learn more at stacyforhouse.com.
