More 34th District Democrats endorsements, but not Mallahan

We covered tonight’s 34th District Democrats‘ meeting as-it-happened on our special @wsblive Twitter account (read the updates here). And now, here are the headlines from the 2-hour-plus Hall at Fauntleroy gathering, till we add more details later:

Anyone endorsed by the group for the primary who made it to the general got to keep that endorsement. But under terms of a one-time rule change, anyone who wasn’t endorsed and made it to the general was welcome to try again tonight. At the head of the line: Mayoral candidate Joe Mallahan (photo above). For the primary, the 34th DDs endorsed Mike McGinn, who’s in the general with Mallahan, and incumbent Greg Nickels, who isn’t. But a vote to add an endorsement for Mallahan fell short – two-thirds majority was required, and Mallahan came up with 49 percent, so McGinn is the sole 34th District Democrats’ endorsee for November. In the City Council Position 4 race, the 34th DDs endorsed David Bloom tonight, adding that to Sally Bagshaw, who retains her share of the endorsement that also had included West Seattleite Dorsol Plants, who didn’t make it to the general but is backing Bloom. A proposal to endorse Mike O’Brien for Council Position 8 – where the pre-primary dual endorsees were Robert Rosencrantz, who made it to the general, and David Miller, who didn’t – failed.

More on tonight’s endorsements (which included other races), and other news from West Seattle’s biggest political group, coming up.

12:29 AM NOTE: In the meantime, the full list of endorsements is on the 34th DDs’ own website, per webmaster Bill Schriercheck it out here.

ADDED 9:42 AM THURSDAY: More details from last night’s meeting, including Mallahan’s explanation of what he considered an “ignorant” remark – click ahead:

Kim Becklund set the tone early in the meeting, calling it “one of the most important evenings of the year … the endorsements we’re making for the general (election) are huge; the implications of the actions we’re taking will be historic in terms of our district.”

Each endorsement vote was preceded by the opportunity for speakers for and against – up to two on each side. Former candidate Plants said he’s working for Bloom because of a shared commitment to social-justice causes. Former 34th DDs chair Ivan Weiss added that Bloom “represents the highest ideals” of the party, so to not endorse him “would be unconscionable.”

(Photo by Dina Johnson)
Those who spoke against adding Bloom (above) to the Position 4 endorsement said they weren’t asking for a vote against him, but rather a vote to keep Bagshaw as the now-sole endorsee as she had won 50 percent of the votes in the original “dual endorsement” decision two months ago. 34th DDs secretary Michael Taylor-Judd added that a “high percentage of people … were upset” about the prevalence of dual endorsements in the primary, and voting to add Bloom now would perpetuate that.

For Council Position 8, Christi Stapleton spoke in favor of adding an endorsement for Mike O’Brien, because “he fully supports a woman’s right to choose.” As for whether the group’s endorsee Robert Rosencrantz does not, we found his answers to the King County Democrats’ questionnaire online; he listed “qualified” support for abortion/contraception/sterilization choice and public funding for abortions for poor women, and explained it by saying “Let’s honor the conscience of those who disagree with abortion, and draft a sensible conscience clause …” (You can read his full responses on that and other topics here; all candidate questionnaires including O’Brien’s – with an unqualified “yes” response to the two issues Stapleton raised – are linked from here. )

As votes were counted in the council endorsements, the proposal to add Joe Mallahan to the mayoral endorsement was brought forward. He took the microphone (photo atop this report) to make his pitch, saying he has “a track record of bringing diverse groups of people together to solve problems” and mentioning his “progressive values I share with you …” as well as the “need to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars.” On a lighter note, he said he was glad to be back before the 34th “even though I got my butt kicked” in the endorsement meeting two months ago.

Then came two sharp challenges – Sharon Maeda took the microphone to ask why Mallahan “is opposed to Mayor Nickels’ racial-justice initiative.” Though the format did not officially allow for Q/A, State Rep. Eileen Cody quickly got up to say she’d speak on Mallahan’s behalf but yielded her time to him – allowing him to answer Maeda’s question.

First he contended he was “quoted in a blog out of context” (apparently Publicola, whose Erica C. Barnett elaborates a bit in this item), elaborating, “In a conversation with a journalist, what I said was, I was disappointed that the mayor had fired a great community organizer” – former Neighborhoods boss Jim Diers – “I said that I understood that the mayor after changing leadership in that department had shifted to a race and social justice agenda and I hadn’t seen the results. Quite honestly, I think I spoke somewhat out of ignorance. I do want to be clear – the mayor’s race and social justice program, which encourages all city employees to review policies and procedures to be sure they don’t put up barriers to anybody in terms of race and language and culture, I think (is) an absolutely appropriate program and I fully intend to continue it as your next mayor.”

From the next speaker, a fiery outpouring of anti-Mallahan sentiment because of reports of anti-union activities at T-Mobile, where the candidate has been an executive; there was no response to that from him (and none possible under the rules). When the vote count was announced a while later, 49 percent of the 100 or so on hand had voted in favor of endorsing him; a two-thirds majority was required.

Other votes – The 34th DDs are now on record as making no endorsement in the county assessor’s race – neither candidate got a 2/3 majority, and the proposal for a dual endorsement did not get enough votes either … They’re supporting Wilson Chin in the Seattle School Board District 7 race, and both candidates in School Board District 5, incumbent Mary Bass – who said “I have the same passion I had eight years ago” – and challenger Kay Smith-Blum, who said, “I’m all about change” (to which Bass supporter Susan Harmon retorted that Bass, who’s often been on the losing opposition end of tough votes like school closures, “wanted change and is the lone voice (for it).”

(Photos by Dina Johnson)
On ballot measures, the group already has taken a position against Initiative 1033, and is now on record as supporting approval of Referendum 71, the Seattle Proposition 1 housing levy, and the King County Charter Amendment (the last three in a “block endorsement” approved by acclamation).

MONEY MATTERS: Chris Porter, who coordinated the recent Garden Party fundraiser, announced it generated a $7,500 “net profit.” … A new round of candidate donations was approved – $3734 for Dow Constantine‘s King County Executive campaign, $1,000 for port commission candidate Max Vekich, $700 for incumbent city attorney Tom Carr ($1,000 was proposed until it was pointed out that he could only accept $700), $1,000 to support approval of Referendum 71, $500 to the King County Democrats, $250 to City Council candidate David Ginsberg (who is challenging City Council President Richard Conlin), and $200 to support passage of the housing levy. Walter Sive said the group’s taking “a really aggressive stance in spending money on key campaigns” this time because they believe they can raise more with “aggressive outreach” to the membership next year.

NEWSLETTER CHANGE: The 34th DDs are phasing in an “electronic newsletter” rather than continuing to send a paper version to the membership; if you are a member and you want to get the paper version after the first of the year, you will have to “opt in” via their website. In the meantime, you can opt out of paper immediately, also through a link that’s at 34dems.org. … The group approved a resolution asking the Washington State Democratic Central Committee only to use union performers and technical crew when planning events.

4 Replies to "More 34th District Democrats endorsements, but not Mallahan"

  • Christi S September 9, 2009 (11:22 pm)

    Pretty horrified that the 34th endorsed Rosencrantz. O’Brien is clearly going to win and it’s really rotten that Democrats are endorsing candidates that do no support a woman’s right to choose. Somebody should get Rosencrantz on record on Gay Rights, too. He even supports a doctors right to refuse medical care based on religious preferences! How is that in any way representative of Democratic Values? Grrrrr.

  • ivan September 10, 2009 (12:04 pm)

    For once I agree with Christi S., and for the same reasons.

  • Sage September 10, 2009 (12:46 pm)

    Rosencrantz is also very close to the Rental Housing Association, the right-wing lobby group for the nastiest landlords around. RHA endorsed him, called for volunteers to doorbell for him, and RHA board members are hosting a fundraiser for him. He seems gentle & kind as a personality type, but his allies are outside the mainstream of Seattle politics. In a bad way.

  • wseye September 10, 2009 (7:33 pm)

    I haven’t found anything that substantiates Christi’s claims about Rozencrantz. Sounds to me like political trashing of the worst kind. I understand her support of his political rival, but making up stories about people, WS doesn’t need that kind of nonsense.

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