The Democrat who won the August 4 primary for a Tacoma state House seat, Krista Rose Perez, was arrested on a suspected DUI charge after police say she struck a parked car just after midnight on August 11, setting off a chain reaction that damaged five vehicles. No one was injured in the crash.
Jail records show Perez was booked into Pierce County Corrections at 7:33 a.m. that Tuesday, with bail set at $1,000 cash or bond. She was taken to a hospital for medical clearance before booking, which accounts for the roughly seven-hour gap between the crash and her jail record. She posted bond and was released at 1:50 p.m. the same day.
A Democrat running for the Washington Legislature told police she drank wine, then asked to go home before taking a sobriety test. Exclusive body cam shows Krista Perez sobbing and praying in the back of a patrol car after her Tacoma DUI arrest. Watch the video. pic.twitter.com/cc7rwvJEpF
— Jason Rantz on Seattle Red (@jasonrantz) September 16, 2026
What Police Say Happened That Night
Officers responded shortly after midnight to reports of a multi-vehicle collision in Tacoma. According to sources, one moving vehicle struck a parked car, which hit the next, triggering a chain reaction down the line. All five parked vehicles were unoccupied. Perez was arrested at the scene on suspicion of DUI.
A source told reporters that although Perez was recognized as a House candidate, she did not seek special treatment or identify herself as a candidate during the incident. Requests for comment sent to her campaign went unanswered. Perez has not been convicted of anything, and she is entitled to the presumption of innocence.
For more details on the Tacoma DUI arrest and primary race, the case is expected to be prosecuted by the Tacoma City Attorney’s Office in Tacoma Municipal Court, where DUI is classified as a gross misdemeanor.
A Primary Fueled by the Income Tax Fight
Perez, who works for the state Department of Commerce, defeated Democratic incumbent Rep. Melanie Morgan in the 29th Legislative District, Position 1 primary. She ran to Morgan’s left, hammering the incumbent for voting against a tax on income above $1 million that Gov. Bob Ferguson signed into law this spring. The New Direction PAC, backed largely by public sector unions, spent heavily to support Perez and push Morgan out.
On primary night, Perez released a statement saying voters in the 29th had responded to her campaign’s message about decency and progressive values. The district covers east Tacoma, Parkland, Spanaway and communities around Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Morgan, who has held the seat since 2019, counts Ferguson among her endorsers.
What Comes Next for the Candidate and the Case
Perez now faces a November general election head-to-head against Morgan. Washington’s felony DUI threshold remains among the most lenient in the country, a debate state lawmakers have struggled to resolve for more than a decade. If Perez wins in November, she would have a direct vote on the very impaired driving laws that surround her current legal situation.
Voters in the 29th will also decide on Initiative 645 in November, which would allow them to repeal the income tax that defined the primary race. The DUI case will proceed through Tacoma Municipal Court, and the campaign has not indicated whether Perez intends to remain in the race.
