Voters have clear choices in 22nd Dist.

By Brad Shannon | The Olympian • Published October 17, 2008

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The choices are clear in the left-leaning 22nd Legislative District — between an unabashed liberal Democrat, Sam Hunt, or Republican conservative Don Crawford in one House race.

House Position 2

Don Crawford

• Party: Republican

• Residence: Olympia

• Occupation: Semiretired; formerly in the paint industry

• Experience: Grass-roots political activism in Oregon, 1979-99; served as treasurer of county Republican Party, 1997-99

• Education: Bachelor's degree, human-resource management, George Fox University, 1989; master's degree, counseling and psychology, George Fox Evangelical Seminary, 1995

• Campaign financing: Crawford collected $1,273 and spent $1,177 as of Oct. 14. Contributions include: $500 from the House Republicans' Reagan Fund; $413 from the builders' Affordable Housing Council; $300 from the Gun Owners Action League; and $60 from William Ehlers of Lacey.

Sam Hunt

• Party: Democratic

• Residence: Olympia

• Occupation: State representative

• Experience: North Thurston School Board, 1995-2003; North Thurston Education Foundation board of directors, 1993-present; Olympia Kiwanis, 1988-present; The Nature Conservancy, Washington, board of directors, 2006-present; Washington State Historical Society board of directors, 2007-present

• Education: Bachelor's degree, Washington State University, 1967; graduate study (summers) at WSU and University of Oregon, 1969-74

• Campaign financing: Hunt collected $67,483 and spent $51,558 as of Oct. 14. Contributions include: $1,600 each from Service Employees International Union Local 925 PAC and Washington Beverage Association; $1,500 each from the Campaign for Tribal Self Reliance and Qwest Washington PAC; $1,400 each from Harold LeMay Enterprises, Washington Education Association and Public School Employees; and $800 each from the Muckleshoot tribe, the Nisqually tribe, Certified Public Accountant PAC, Brian Charneski of L&E Bottling, state Realtors, the Federation of State Employees and other interest groups.

Senate

Erik Lee

• Party: Democratic

• Residence: Olympia

• Contact: 360-292-9503

• E-mail: erik@eriklee2008.com

• Web site: http://eriklee2008.com

• Occupation: Budget manager/finance analyst

• Experience: Boeing Aerospace; social work; medical and higher education

• Education: Master's degree in public administration, UW–Evans School of Public Affairs, 2002; B.A., political science, University of Washington, 1993

• Campaign financing: Collected about $1,500 and spent $952 as of Oct. 14. Contributions include: $800 from Naomi Wilson, a student in Seattle; and $250, Stephen Clarke, a Seattle engineer.

Karen Fraser

• Party: Democratic

• Residence: Olympia

• Contact: 360-867-0011

• E-mail: karenfraser2008@comcast.net

• Occupation: State senator, 1993-present

• Experience: State representative, 1989-93; Thurston County commissioner, 1981-88; Lacey City Council member, 1973-76; Lacey mayor, 1976-80; co-chairwoman, host committee, first U.S. Women's Olympic Marathon Trials, held in Olympia, 1984; chairwoman, Nisqually River Task Force, 1986-87; first chairwoman, Nisqually River Council, 1988

• Education: Master's degree in public administration, University of Washington, 1969; B.A., sociology, University of Washington, 1966

• Campaign financing: Collected $100,251 and spent $64,524 as of Oct. 14. Contributions include: $2,800 from J. Brent and Connie McKinley, Arlington-based developers of state-leased offices in Thurston County; $1,600 each from the Kalispel Tribal Economic Authority and SEIU Healthcare 775NW; $1,400, Puget Sound Energy; $1,150, Washington Health Care Association PAC; $1,000, Samish Tyee; $900, Roosevelt Fund; $800 each from Muckleshoot tribe, Qwest Washington PAC, Washington Education Association, state Realtors, UW Education Committee, Washington Forest Protection Association and numerous other interest groups.

In the Senate race, the choice is between an experienced budget-writer, Democratic Sen. Karen Fraser, and a newcomer, Democrat Erik Lee.

In one other House race, two-term Rep. Brendan Williams, a self-styled "Progressive Dem" from Olympia, drew no challenger yet has the largest campaign fund of the five candidates.

If primary results were any indication, neither Hunt nor Fraser is at risk of losing. Hunt, of Olympia, received more than 70 percent of the vote, and Fraser led Lee by more than three-to-one.

House Position 2

Crawford, who is semiretired from the paint industry in Oregon, helps his wife manage the Olympian apartments.

"It's my desire to become a state representative because we need a state representative in this district who will understand we need to balance the budget, not extend the deficit," he told The Olympian's editorial board. "We need a legislator who has more of a business approach to being in the Legislature — someone who will help bring some fiscal responsibility."

Crawford described Hunt as the fourth-most-expensive sponsor of bills in the Legislature, second-most in the House. He cited a conservative Evergreen Freedom Foundation rating system. But Hunt said EFF's ratings inflated the cost of his proposals because the foundation measured the 10-year cost of failed legislation he co-sponsored, including the insurance commissioner's still-unapproved plan for catastrophic health coverage.

Crawford, who has 12 years of experience in a Christian ministry, also criticized Hunt's support for a domestic-partnership registry for same-sex couples; Crawford testified against the bill. He also accused Hunt of being too cozy with tribes and taking donations from them.

Hunt said he has delivered many pieces of election reform as chairman of the House State Government and Tribal Affairs Committee, and also pushed through legislation to fix faulty Puget Sound septic tanks and establish a gift center for tourists visiting the Capitol.

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