Locally...

...my Legislative District is muddling its way through the new environment mandated by the terrible "top two" primary system we've changed to. Since there are no longer party lines on the ballot, merely the opportunity for candidates to state their preferences for parties real or imagined, a nominating caucus was held to select a Democratic Party nominated slate of candidates. With Senator Darlene Fairley joining a stream of retirements among senior Democrats, including Ken Jacobsen and Rosa Franklin, Representative Maralyn Chase was nominated to replace her. Cindy Ryu, who Shoreline voters removed from the city council last fall, was nominated to replace Chase and Rep. Ruth Kagi was nominated for re-election.

What, ultimately, those nominations will mean to Democratic voters in this district is uncertain. Party endorsements in the municipal elections last year produced a mixed bag of results, and the Senate Democratic caucus in Olympia was apparently unimpressed and unimpeded by the local choices, attempting to recruit Kagi, a Committee Chair who passed on the Senate race in favor of her seniority in the House, well after the nominating caucus.



It'll be interesting to see what filing week bring us this year.