22nd LD: Incumbent Dems enjoying the free ride

posted 10:54 AM 05/27
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Rep. Sam Hunt isn’t complaining, but he is scratching his head. He avoided drawing an opponent for only the second time since winning his position in the 22nd Legislative District in 2000 - and it was the first time he and his fellow district incumbents recall all three seats drawing no challenger.

A look through state elections records shows that Hunt, a six-term Democrat, dodged an opponent in 2004, his third run for the office. Fraser also avoided a challenger in 2004 but has had an opponent going all the way back to 1988 and 1990, back when she was running for House seats before moving in 1992 to replace Democrat Mike Kreidler in the Senate (Kreidler went to Congress).

Only one other legislative district in the state - the 9th serving portions of six counties in rural southeast Washington - has three incumbents avoiding challengers this year. The lucky Republicans are Sen. Mark Schoesler of Ritzville and Reps. Susan Fagan of Pullman and Joe Schmick of Colfax.

One theory is the power of incumbency - especially in a district that is as solidly Democratic as the 22nd. Fraser is the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, while Hunt is entrenched as a committee chairman and Reykdal showed he could raise a lot of money in 2010.

Redistricting this year made some districts more solidly partisan, although Republican commissioner Slade Gorton has made a point to say there were at least 15 competitive districts, by his definition.

Also, Republicans appear to be getting more focused in the seats they challenge. There are Republican challengers for both seats in the increasingly competitive, or swing, 35th district - with Dan Griffey of Allyn and Drew MacEwen of Union challenging for the two seats held for more than a decade by Democrats. That district now sweeps from Bremerton to Shelton and all the way south around Tumwater and east to touch Olympia’s southern outskirts.

The jury is out on whether the 35th is more or less Democratic. But House Republican Leader Richard DeBolt has said he thinks his party has recruited good candidates for the races it is contesting across the state, and this could let them win six to nine seats this time around. A gain of seven is needed to pull into a tie with House Democrats, which hasn’t happened since Republican appointee Joe Marine lost the 21st district seat in 2001 to Democrat Brian Sullivan of Mukilteo (in a district that now has two Democrats, Mary Helen Roberts and Marko Liias, running unopposed).

Hunt scoffs at that DeBolt’s hopes for a major GOP rebound. He serves as House Democratic Campaign Committee chairman, which means recruitment and strategy are always part of his election-season work, and he said Friday that DeBolt is always promising a comeback that never materializes.

Hunt counts 21 incumbent House Democrats including himself who have no opponent at all - and he said three more Democrats, including House Speaker Frank Chopp, Rep. Jamie Pedersen, and Reuven Carlyle, all of Seattle - face token challenges from third party or no-party candidates. That makes 24 Democratic incumbents without a serious challenger, which he called “amazing.’’

By contrast, few senators of either party are getting a free ride - and only about 10 House Republican incumbents are. Among those in the House are J.T. Wilcox of Yelm in the newly shaped 2nd district and DeBolt in the 20th, and the rest are in solid GOP districts in Eastern Washington (i.e., Larry Crouse of Spokane in the 4th, Kevin Parker of Spokane in the 6th, Shelly Short of Addy in the 7th, Fagan and Schmick in the 9th, Judy Warnick in the 13th, Bruce Chandler in the 15th, Terry Nealey in the 16th).

This time around, Hunt’s hands are freer without an opponent - although he hasn't had a serious challenge since the seat was open in 2000. Hunt said he hasn’t made up his mind on fundraising for other candidates, but he said he and Reykdal will do some campaigning together.

A write-in candidacy is always possible at this point against any of the three lawmakers. Hunt said he’s going to put up yard signs, and he and Reykdal have talked about doing some preemptive door-belling in neighborhoods along the Yelm Highway that were added to the 22nd as a result of minor tinkering by the Redistricting Commission.

"We’ll be making sure we have some voter contact there,’’ Hunt said.

Reykdal is looking forward to a less taxing race. He defeated five Democrats in the 2010 primary and then Republican Jason Hearn of Lacey to win the Position 1 seat two years ago - when Democrat Brendan chose to step down after three terms (WIlliams had seven opponents in the 2004 primary and no foes in 2006 or 2008).

Reykdal is still retiring debt from that last go-round. His latest campaign finance report on file at the Public Disclosure Commission shows he owes $3,200 and has a net campaign balance of minus-$783.31.

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10th CD: Ferguson wants help for veterans

posted 08:56 PM 05/25

Family therapist Jennifer Ferguson filed to run for Congress as a Democrat in Washington’s new 10th district last week. She wants to advocate for better care for military veterans and for jobs.

Helping soldiers with stress disorders is a particular concern to her – “especially as they are coming home,’’ Ferguson said Friday in a telephone interview from her Lakewood office. “We also need to work with their families, the children and the wives. They are the quiet and silent injured.”

10th CD: environmentalist Gunn wants major change

posted 06:42 PM 05/25

Sue Gunn’s background fighting for the environment goes back decades at the state and federal levels. No other candidate running for Congress in Washington’s newly created 10th district has such a resume. And none appears to be as clearly advocating as huge an overhaul to the political system as this self-described “scientist, optimist and crusader.”

Gunn filed last week to run as a “Prog Independent,” and as a “progressive” wants to make corporations more accountable, reduce the military significantly and put the economy on a more environmentally sustainable footing. Sh

10th CD: For Denny Heck it’s jobs, jobs, jobs

posted 07:49 PM 05/24

For Democrat Denny Heck, the nation’s ongoing economic crisis is a time to invest for the future. He says the country needs jobs, investment in infrastructure and clean-energy technology, and in training people that work.

“My strategy is to engage people, the votes in the 10th Congressional District, on issues that I think matter so much to the country and the people of the district – and that is to grow the economy,’’ Heck, the politician-turned-entrepreneur-turned candidate, said this week in an interview at an Olympia deli.

10th CD: Flemming has plans for jobs, retraining

posted 02:05 PM 05/24

With titles like doctor and brigadier general already on his resume, Pierce County Councilman Stan Flemming wants to add another: congressman. He lists five issues he wants to address if he is elected as the first U.S. House member from Washington’s new 10th district, but he puts one first.

“It begins No. 1 with jobs – jobs for our youth, the younger generation, and jobs for the older generation,’’ Flemming said earlier this week at his campaign headquarters, located in a Lakewood office complex. “For me to address the debt of our nation it begins with getting people back to work.”

10th CD: Hannon says he is an independent voice

posted 01:40 PM 05/24

Steve Hannon drives an old pickup with 300,000 miles on it. He teaches school, serves as a building-level union rep for the state teachers union, and has voted for Democrats. But when it comes to national politics, he says Congress needs an “everyday” person like himself – willing to take an independent path on issues, like single-payer health insurance.

Hannon, who lives near Yelm, is one of six people who filed last week to run for the new 10th Congressional District, which runs from Shelton to Thurston County and north to University Place and Puyallup. He is running with “no party” affiliation.

Muri: military background can win 10th CD

posted 02:56 PM 05/23

Dick Muri, the retired Air Force officer and Republican running in Washington’s new 10th Congressional District, was first in line to file for public office last week. And he brought that same military posture and punctuality to an interview in Tacoma – the first of several I’m doing with the six candidates running in that suddenly crowded race.

First, a quick mention about who else is running: Republican Stan Flemming of University Place; Democrats Denny Heck of Olympia and Jennifer Ferguson of Lakewood; school teacher and independent Steve Hannon of Yelm; Sue Gunn of Olympia, who filed as a “Prog Independent.” The state’s “top two” primary system lets candidates be creative in party identification.

Police group endorses McKenna for governor; firefighters back Inslee

posted 02:49 PM 05/23

Republican candidate for governor Rob McKenna announced a pair of police endorsements this week, the latest today from the Washington chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police. By contrast, a couple of firefighter endorsements recently went to Democratic opponent Jay Inslee.

Fourth try: Coalition files initiative for charter schools

posted 06:46 PM 05/22

Backers of charter schools filed an initiative to the people Tuesday that needs almost a quarter-million valid voter signatures by July 6 to qualify for the fall ballot. The move to file the ballot measure grew out of a failed effort to drive a limited charter-schools measure through the Legislature, and it marks the fourth time Washington voters could be asked to weigh in on the issue – the last coming in 2004.

The coalition has no name yet but includes such reform groups as League of Education Voters, Stand for Children and a group called Democrats for Education Reform. Its news release is here.

Gregoire flies to nation's capital to argue against Air National Guard cuts

posted 06:23 PM 05/22

Gov. Chris Gregoire is headed to Washington, D.C., to urge key senators to stop proposed cuts next year to the Air National Guard.