What if they had an election…

…and our side won? Won a bunch. All over the place.

Like I said, yesterday was a good one for the good guys.

Key Republican issues and political strategies took hits from coast to coast. Voter suppression? Maine offered the first blow for liberty of the day, restoring the same-day voter registration that Republican legislators had taken from them. Mississippi, of all places, scored a hat trick of sorts, setting back the Republican anti-science, anti-choice and anti-woman agendas when they rejected Amendment 26, which would have granted "personhood" to embryos.

Republican ant-unionism was dealt a critical blow by Ohio voters, with 82 of 88 counties rejecting Gov. John Kasich's attack on public-sector workers right to organize and bargain collectively. Republican anti-immigrant champion Russell Pearse, President of the State Senate, was removed in a recall election after sponsoring legislation that provided a blueprint for devastation of agriculture in several states. (Another noteworthy Arizona outcome - both Tucson and Phoenix have Democratic Mayors for the first time in decades.)

Here in the upper left, voters approved stronger training and regulation requirements for home health care workers, took the state out of the retail liquor business (a probably good thing accomplished in a highly dubious fashion) and, so far, are rejecting Tim Eyman's effort to cripple our transportation infrastructure.

Our local elections have turned out to be a pretty status quo affair. Where the results are clear, they're clearly in favor of incumbents for the most part.

Sherril Huff will continue as King County Director of Elections with over 75% of the vote against a patently unqualified challenger. Port Commissioner Gael Tarleton has a margin of 33,000 votes over her opponent, but apparently won't be joined by fellow reformer Dean Willard, who trails incumbent Bill Bryant by a margin of 37% to 62%.

Here in Shoreline, that pro-incumbency trend holds, with City Councilmembers Chris Eggen and Doris McConnell having margins of over 60% after the second day of ballot counting. I'm afraid that means my friend Janet Way won't be returning to the Council, but the Janet I know is indefatigable, and it won't be long before she sets her eyes on a new target for her effective activism.

In the open seat for Shoreline City Council, Jesse Salomon is less than 500 votes behind former Planning Commissioner Robin McClelland, still too close to call in my view.

Our School Board incumbents, Mike Jacobs and Richard Potter, appear safe at this point.

After the Huff/Greene and Willard/Bryant races, the campaign that brought generated the most search engine interest according to my logs was for our local sewer service, the Ronald Wastewater District. Bob Ransom, a fixture in local politics for decades and a former School Board member and City Councilmember, took on longtime sewer commissioner Arne Lind, largely over the question of whether and how the city should absorb the district. Ransom says it's time, and that it can be done administratively. Lind is not so sure, and favors a public vote before any change is made. Ransom, with an overwhelming advantage in name recognition, is leading by a scant 311 votes in another race I won't be ready to call for a while.

So what happened where you are?

Good for us!

An atta-boy for King County voters, who are approving Prop. 1, the Veterans and Human Services Levy, two to one in early returns. It was the only actual decision on my primary ballot, since none of our municipal races drew more than two candidates, which moves them directly to the general. There was some sorting out of races in surrounding cities, and the folks down in Seattle seem to have finally decided to stop fighting and dig their damn tunnel.

The levy vote was a big deal, though, and the margin so far is gratifying. Turns out lots of folks hereabouts are willing to chip in a little to help their neighbors if you give 'em a chance. That's good news.

If you're hereabouts...

...and you're waiting for election returns from Wisconsin, you can fill some of the time filling out and returning that primary ballot your county sent you, or bugging your friends and relations to follow the good example you've already set.

I know it's not very exciting in some jurisdictions - here in Shoreline we've got an uncontested judicial candidate and a levy renewal. That levy renewal, though, which will continue the good work the Veterans and Human Services Levy has been doing not only for vets but in helping to maintain the never more threatened, never more needed human services infrastructure in King County communities.

It's not very exciting, but lives will benefit from your support.

And the painted ponies go up and down…

When Governor Chris Gregoire made her anticipated retirement announcement, political ears were tuned to Jay Inslee, who had put off announcing his own plans before Gregoire's statement. Before Jay acted, though, word came from D.C. that former King County Exec Ron Sims, who has sought statewide office before, was coming home. Ron, though, quickly quashed talk of a gubernatorial campaign, endorsing Jay as he announced his retirement from H.U.D.

Meanwhile, occasional Democrat and frequent grandstander Brian Sonntag said he's considering leaving the State Auditor's office for a run at the Governor's mansion, with a decision to come within a couple of weeks. That's another wrinkle for Inslee, who has said he won't run if there's Democratic opposition in the primary. If Sonntag runs and Inslee demurs, there's an opening for someone to champion the Democratic voters of King County, whose memories hopefully aren't as short as Sonntag must hope. His disputes with the Democratic leadership in Olympia can be explained, if not always excused, as the rigorous defense of his office and its work. His endorsement of Republican Susan Hutchison for King County Executive is another matter altogether.

So, if Brian says yes and Jay says no, what's Ron gonna say then?

Polls are closing...

...hour by hour and results are starting to take shape. I'm packing the guitars for my weekly hootenanny, so by the time I get back that shape's will have taken a bit more form and I'll doubtless have something to say. Meanwhile, if you're more interested in what's actually happening hereabouts than what people want you to think about what's happening hereabouts, King County Elections and the Secretary of State will have the numbers.

More filing fun.

King County's list hasn't quite caught up, but the Secretary of State shows former State Rep. Patty Butler in race for the open State Senate seat in the 32nd. That sets up a race between a former Democratic Rep and current one, Maralyn Chase, for the Senate seat and a former Shoreline Councilmember, Cindy Ryu, and a current one, Doris McConnell, for Position one. There are also Republicans (known locally as "also-rans") involved.

Still just the phony D and token R challenging Rep. Kagi in position 2.

With an hour and a half to go, I don't expect any more surprises, but if I expected them, they wouldn’t be surprising.

While I'm on the subject...

...if you're local, you've still got a couple of hours to click over to King County Elections and file for Precinct Committee Officer. Do it. It's free, fast and it's the only truly partisan office on the primary ballot, and if you're a registered voter you're eligible.

Filing closes at 4pm, but if you're in process they'll give you till 4:30 to finish up, but why wait? Took me about five minutes on a dial up connection. You'll feel better and be more engaged.

A timely reminder…

…from Shoreline Area News.

Monday, January 11 is the deadline for registering to vote online or by mail for the February 9 special election. It also is the deadline for registered Washington voters to change their registration addresses.

Here in Shoreline there are three school funding measures on the ballot, along with a county-wide library levy. Your ballot may look different from mine, depending on your locality, but there will be something important on it no matter where you are.

Remember, you can't remember to vote if you don't remember to register.

My own personal councilmember…

…is the cheese.

Bob Ferguson is the new King County Council chairman.

Congrats, Chairman Bob!

The people have spoken.

Or written. Or filled in the blanks. Whatever you want to call what we did since ballots started appearing in mailboxes, we've had an election. King County has counted all the votes they're going to count today, and those early returns appear decisive in several races.

Dow Constantine is sitting on 57% of the vote and about a 35,000 vote lead over Susan Hutchison for King County Executive. I don't know if Hutchison has conceded, but Constantine has declared victory and he seens to be on safe ground doing so. This is a big Democratic win in a "non-partisan" election.

For King County Assessor, my old friend and mentor Gene Lux is holding 5.11% of the vote. I'm part of the .11, I guess. It's hardly a surprise - I'm not sure Gene's campaign extended beyond a voter's pamphlet statement. At any rate, it looks like former Seattle City Treasurer and Port Commissioner Lloyd Hara will get the nod, with a little over a third of the votes in a crowded field. That's fine.

For Port Commission Position 3, Rob Holland has nearly 55% of the votes counted and should handily, and happily, defeat David Doud. Max Vekich didn't fare so well, drawing little over 42% of the first day's vote count. Tom Albro, the apparent winner, wasn't my choice, but he was the choice of a lot of folks I respect and, frankly, he's not as bad a choice as Doud would have been in Position 3. I wish it was Max and Rob, but the Holland win is still one to savor and celebrate.

So far so good.

Exercising the Franchise, Part 4.

There are five more races on the front page of my ballot, four of which are uncontested - King County Sheriff, King County Council, Court of Appeals Judge and Port of Seattle Commissioner Position 1. I'll mark the ballot for my Council Member, Bob Ferguson, in hope that his finish is strong enough to deter future challenges, but I'll be part of the under vote for the rest.

The contested race is for King County Assessor. There are five names on the ballot, three of which merit consideration from Democratic voters. Lloyd Hara, former Seattle City Treasurer and Port Commissioner, is a likely favorite and a good Democrat. Former Deputy Assessor Bob Rosenberger has snagged the endorsement of my local Democratic Party organization and most every Democratic office holder that isn't in the Hara camp.

I won't make a case against either Hara or Rosenberger, and the office of Assessor will be in good hands should either of them win, but I'm voting for Gene Lux. I came to know Gene when I worked for the State House while he was carving out a reputation as a champion of working folks. I got to know him better when I was President of the Young Democrats of Washington and he was one of our strongest supporters and benefactors. He went on to the State Senate and has experience on a wide range of boards and commissions. Gene Lux has been serving the people in one capacity or another for a long time. He's never sold out. He's never sold us out. He's got my vote.

Exercising the Franchise, Part 3.

Next up is the first race affected by King County's new "non-partisan" ballot. Of course, a non-partisan ballot doesn't mean that the candidates are not partisans. Dow Constantine wears his Democratic partisanship on his sleeve, understandable given the typically Democratic local electorate and, frankly, unavoidable give his history as a Democratic Party official and legislator at the state and county levels.

Susan Hutchison, on the other hand, is less forthright. She bobs and weaves, dissembles and lies like, well, like a Republican. That, despite her constant protestations, is exactly what she is, of course. No, she's not a registered Republican, but I'm not a registered Democrat, either. Not having partisan registration in our state, though, doesn't mean we don't have parties. Party identification in Washington is demonstrated in other ways. Financial contributions, for instance, like the thousands of dollars she's contributed exclusively to Republican candidates and causes, are one way to signal partisanship. Running for partisan political office, something Hutchison has considered and explored, is another. She certainly left no question about her partisanship in the minds of the Republican activists and financiers that she courted when she contemplated challenging Maria Cantwell.

Her obfuscation now, along with her lingering celebrity from her days as a TV news reader, an anticipated light off-year turnout and her abject refusal to answer any question that might reveal her partisan stripes have combined to make this race much closer than it should be here in Clinton/Gore/Kerry/Obama country.

Vote for Dow. Do it now.

Exercising the Franchise, Part 2.

As promised, my take on the King County Charter amendments on this year's ballot. Vote for 'em. The County Charter seems to need amendment every time the Council sneezes and is probably overdue for another complete rewrite, but meantime it's left to the voters to do the housekeeping that the Councils activity requires. Most of 'em are clerical in nature, removing obsolete language and provisions. The most substantive of the bunch strengthens public protection of public lands. Vote yes on all four.

Next up, County Executive.

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Susan Hutchison is a liar.

...and a Republican.

But I repeat myself.

Exercising the Franchise, Part 1.

I'm going to take this in chunks over the next couple few days. Here's how I'm voting this year, starting with the two statewide measures on the ballot. I'd say the two at the top of the ballot, but here in King County, the ballot designers decided that the best place for the top of the ticket would be tucked away at the bottom of a column of instructions. The perennial frustration with Records and Elections goes on.

At any rate, I found Initiative 1033, Tim Eyman's latest attempt to make a buck for himself while inflicting suffering on the rest of us. Of course, I voted no. I'm pretty much a knee jerk no vote on any initiative, and Eyman's no small part of the reason why. The process has been so debased that it needs to be scrapped. It's a relic of the 19th century that we can no longer afford in the 21st.

Of course, 1033 is awful on its own, as almost every attempt to manage the budget by ballot turns out to be. There are plenty of details on that here. Poke around a bit, find that sucker on the page and vote it down.

On the other hand, I'm voting for Referendum 71 in order to sustain the Legislature's passage of ESSB 5688, the so-called "everything but marriage" domestic partnership bill. I'd be happier if all the effort being expended on behalf of R-71 was for an "actually marriage" bill, but we can't let bigotry have a victory on this one. The new law is something better than a half measure - call it the 90% solution - and it's probably the best we can get out of Olympia for the time being, so two cheers and a vote for are in order.

Next up, the King County Charter Amendments. I bet you're on the edge of your seat...

A quick voter alert…

I'll be posting my ballot choices soon, but f you're an early King County voter and just can't sit around waiting for my full and profound guidance, take a close look at your ballot and be sure you've voted against Initiative 1033. You wouldn't be the first to miss it way down there in the corner...

From the "Like rain on your wedding day" file.

Goldy, on the the County Exec race…

Kinda ironic for Hutchison to lose the Chamber of Commerce’s endorsement when a central theme of her campaign has been her promise to declare the county “open for business.”

Heh™.

We get mail…

…results. King County's done another number drop. Things don't look any brighter for the third place incumbents, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels and Shoreline Councilmember Janet Way. Winds of change...

In the County Exec race, Susan Hutchinson's percentages are dropping steadily if not precipitously as they seek the natural level of the Republican base in King County, which, despite her protestations of non-partisanship, she has somehow consolidated. At just shy of 35%, I'm guessing she's just about there. Dow Constantine has benefited from recent returns, and between his rise and Hutchinson's fall, the gap is under 10%. Given that Dow shared the ballot with three other actively campaigning Democratic elected officials, his level of primary support is impressive, as, I expect, his margin of victory will be in November.

The big news in this race, though, is that Goodspaceguy isn't in last place. Go, Good'! Space is the place.

Oh yeah, there was an election yesterday.

Well, sort of. Because of the county's shift to an all-mail ballot, wasn't so much 'election day' as 'postal deadline day.' As a result, we not only lack clear outcomes in a number of races, we don't know how many people have voted or where the votes that have been counted come from, so a couple of key data points that traditional post-election analysis is based on are missing.

Although ballots continue to arrive and only about half of the predicted 33% turnout has been counted, there are some safe projection. Congratulations are due to Dow Constantine, who's been given the opportunity to defeat stealth Republican Susan Hutchinson in the race for King County Executive. Although Hutchinson has tried to exploit the new non-partisan character of county elections by denying her ideological roots, she's left a substantial paper trail in the form of checks written exclusively on behalf of Republican candidates. I've known Dow for years and had the chance to work with him and watch him work quite a bit during my days as a state and county committeeman and district chair. He built his base in West Seattle the old fashioned way, with hard work and shoe leather, and that work ethic, and his strong record as a reform-minded public servant should serve him well going forward.

I don't live in Seattle, but the big city makes waves we feel out here in the hinterlands, so I've followed the race for mayor of Seattle with some interest. Unfortunately, I can't say much about it today. There are three clear front runners with less than a point and a half separating them. The incumbent, Greg Nickels, is running third by about 400 votes, but that could change with this afternoon's count. Even if he makes up the gap, though, about 75% of the votes counted were cast by people looking for a new mayor. Third terms are hard to come by.

Here in Shoreline only one city council race drew the three candidates required to trigger a primary. Incumbent Janet Way is 134 votes short of the second place finish she needs to advance to the general. Of course, my ballot, mailed Monday, hasn't been counted, and I voted for Janet. Will Hall and Patty Hale are both attractive candidates, for different reasons, it was my appreciation of Janet's work as a grassroots Democratic activist, before and since her election to the council, that tipped the balance for me. We'll have to see if the missing half of the projected votes tip the balance for her.

The Seattle bag fee initiative failed. (Chemical industry) Money talks. Not much news there.

So stuff happened, and some stuff is still happening. Just the same, an all-mail, non-partisan election seems as emotionally incomplete as it is statistically inconclusive. Andrew's right...

"Nonpartisan" elections and our ridiculous statewide "top two" primary have succeeded in reducing voter choice and removing information about candidates from our ballots. These changes are not good for democracy, and ultimately, to protect the public interest, they need to be repealed.

We should toss the all-mail ballot while we're at it. I miss my polling place.

Non-partisan?

Post-partisan? Past-partisan? King County Executive candidate Susan Hutchinson isn't saying much about the subject, but at Majority Rules, Steve Zemke does the math...

Since 2003 Susan Hutchison has contributed some $13,525 to Republican candidates, Republican Party organizations and conservative causes according to public campaign fiance records.

And to Democrats? Zilch, natch.

Some folks argue that a Republican ID is fatal in a county-wide election. I'm not one of 'em, but the basic dishonesty behind the effort to disguise something that's a matter of fairly extensive public record? That might be the death stroke.

What is it about being a Republican you are ashamed of, Susan?