West Seattle, Washington
01 Tuesday
8:01 PM: The 34th District State House Position 2 seat – including West Seattle, White Center, and part of Burien – is the one that Rep. Sharon Nelson is leaving to run unopposed for the State Senate seat Joe McDermott is relinquishing for his County Council run. Four people filed to run, and the primary ended with Nelson’s legislative assistant Joe Fitzgibbon and King County Councilmember Jan Drago community liaison Mike Heavey as the top two vote-getters. Tonight’s results in this race will be here; more to come.
(Joe Fitzgibbon at his Election Night party at Skylark Café and Club [WSB sponsor])
8:19 PM: Tonight’s vote count is in. Fitzgibbon is ahead of Heavey, 55 percent to 44 percent. From the county website:
Joe Fitzgibbon 11809 54.80%
Mike Heavey 9472 43.96%
9:40 PM: This was considered a marquee race – open legislative seat, two Democrats facing off in the general – so we have talked to both Fitzgibbon and Heavey, and will add those video clips here as soon as they are uploaded. (added) We asked Fitzgibbon what he wants to do first in Olympia:
(Sorry about the blue squiggle in the video – no idea where that came from!)
(Part 1 of 3 unedited segments comprising tonight’s candidates’ forum in White Center)
It’ll be the wee hours before we finish the full story, but for election-watchers, we wanted to let you know we’ve written a very quick first summary of tonight’s North Highline Unincorporated Area Council-presented candidates’ forum in White Center’s Greenbridge neighborhood, featuring both candidates in each of our area’s open-seat races: King County Council District 8 and 34th District State House Position 2. That quick summary is up right now at partner site White Center Now. We also recorded the forum on video in its entirety – nothing artistic, we’ll warn you, but in case you want to see/hear for yourself, we’re putting it on the record in three unedited segments comprising the entire 2 1/2 hours – what’s embedded above is Part 1. ADDED 11:19 PM: And here’s part 2:
12:47 PM: And part three:
Again – full story to come!
Two weeks till the voting ends and the vote-counting begins. Maybe you knew who and what you’re voting for before your ballot even arrived; if not, one more advance alert about the last major candidates’ forum in this area before Election Day: Thursday night, the four candidates in the two major open races on local ballots are scheduled to be at the forum organized by the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council, which is the resident-elected community council for White Center, among other not-yet-annexed areas between West Seattle and Burien. The forum’s being held barely a block south of West Seattle, at the Greenbridge YWCA (9720 8th SW; here’s a map), doors open at 6 pm Thursday, forum begins at 6:30. From the NHUAC website:
The following candidates have confirmed their participation.
for King County Council:
Diana Toledo
Joe McDermottfor 34th Legislative District:
Mike Heavey
Joe Fitzgibbon
The King County Council race is for the 8th District, the seat held by Dow Constantine before he was elected as County Executive a year ago (Jan Drago, appointed to serve until this election, chose not to run for the job); the 34th District race is for the State House, Position 2, seat that Sharon Nelson is leaving to run (unopposed) for the State Senate seat that McDermott is leaving to seek the County Council spot. (Researching? Voters’-guide links here.)
This one’s too hot to wait for our nightly election update in 12 hours or so: The newest Kiwanis Club of West Seattle newsletter is out, and it includes word of both 34th District State House Position 2 candidates appearing at the club’s next weekly lunch meeting, noon Wednesday (October 13th) at Be’s Restaurant in The Junction (4509 California SW) – if you’re interested in attending but not a member, call 206-938-8032. That’s the only West Seattle forum/debate on the horizon right now.
ORIGINAL 7:53 PM REPORT: We’re at the 34th District Democrats‘ meeting in Fauntleroy, where it is standing-room only as the group gets ready to hear 34th District State House Position 2 candidates Joe Fitzgibbon and Mike Heavey make their respective cases for the group’s endorsement, with the general election just eight weeks away. They were the top two vote-getters, in that order, in a primary race that also included Marcee Stone – whom the 34th DDs had endorsed – and independent “Mac” McElroy.
8:08 PM UPDATE: The 34th District Democrats’ membership first voted to endorse these positions: No on I-1053, No on I-1100, No on I-1105, No on I-1107, Yes for the Seattle Schools Levy, in a “block” vote. That is a followup to endorsements that carry over from earlier in the year. And after hearing from King County Executive Dow Constantine, they also voted to endorse Yes on King County Proposition 1 – the sales-tax increase (two cents on $10) to raise $60 million to stave off some county budget cuts (including services, he pointed out, that are available to everyone in King County, not just the unincorporated areas). “We have to protect these services if we are to have a decent community in which to live,” he implored.
8:11 PM UPDATE: They are now considering the Fitzgibbon-Heavey race. Both are here, though neither spoke to the group before the vote.
8:38 PM UPDATE: That endorsement goes to Fitzgibbon, 96 to 31. He is thanking the group for its support (iPhone photo added above – Fitzgibbon standing, 34th DDs chair Tim Nuse seated). We interviewed each candidate on video after the vote (clips added 10:59 pm):
9:14 PM UPDATE: The meeting is adjourned, after two more endorsement votes – in two municipal court races, after the first ballot didn’t result in either candidate getting a 60 percent majority per group rules, the second ballot resulted in dual endorsements, both in Edsonya Charles vs. Ed McKenna and in Karen Donohue vs. Mike Hurtado. The group also passed a resolution supporting Streets for All, on the urging of past and current City Council candidate Dorsol Plants of Highland Park – that calls for the city to allot $30 million a year to improvements such as sidewalks.
POSTSCRIPT: Other notes – 34th DDs chair Tim Nuse condemned the anti-Muslim climate that has led to Koran-burning events and the New York City mosque controversy, saying “This has got to stop” … Knowing that its legislative seats are all going to Democrats, 34th leaders urged support for D’s elsewhere in the region who are in tight races, most notably incumbent State Sen. Claudia Kauffman … The 34th State House #2 race is one of two for “open” seats on the West Seattle ballot; the other is King County Council District 8, where Councilmember Jan Drago was appointed to hold the seat this year but is not running for election – top primary votegetter State Sen. Joe McDermott, already endorsed by the group, was at tonight’s meeting, as was a representative of his opponent Diana Toledo‘s campaign; Jerry Toledo told us she wanted to be at the 34th DDs’ meeting but had been asked to be at the Discovery Park news conference about last week’s fatal shooting of a Native American carver … In addition to McDermott/County Council, the list of previously endorsed candidates/measures was presented as this: Sen. Patty Murray, U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott, U.S. Rep. Adam Smith, State Rep. Sharon Nelson for State Senate, State Rep. Eileen Cody, Yes on 1098, Yes on 52, No on 1082, Charlie Wiggins for State Supreme Court, Steve Rosen for Municipal Court, William Gregory for Municipal Court, Michael Spearman for Court of Appeals.
SIDE NOTE: Just noticed this analysis of the Fitzgibbon-Heavey primary voting – with a map – done by a political consulting firm (linked by PubliCola) – in West Seattle, there was a clear east-west divide.
Just eight weeks till the general election, and of course voting will start a lot sooner, because of the mail-in system. West Seattle ballots will include two races for major seats with no incumbents in the running, and tomorrow night, the 34th District Democrats are scheduled to decide who to endorse in one of those races. They’ve already endorsed State Sen. Joe McDermott for King County Council Position 8 (he and Diana Toledo are the candidates in the nonpartisan race), but their original endorsee in the 34th District State House Position 2 race, Marcee Stone, didn’t make it to the general, so they have to decide between Joe Fitzgibbon of Burien and Mike Heavey of West Seattle. While Heavey took himself out of the running for the pre-primary endorsement, he tells WSB today that he does plan to seek the 34th DDs’ endorsement tomorrow night. The meeting’s at 7 pm tomorrow (Wednesday), The Hall at Fauntleroy; the agenda says other endorsements TBD might be discussed as well.
We brought you the first round of King County’s primary election results back on August 17, and today comes official word that the county’s results have been finalized. (We confirmed this with County communications specialist Katie Gilliam.)
The top two finishers in each race advance to the November 2 general election, which means Joe Fitzgibbon and Mike Heavey for 34th District House Rep #2, and Joe McDermott and Diana Toledo for King County Council District 8.
For the local race results, the only official change from primary night’s results is that Joe Fitzgibbon has inched ahead of Mike Heavey, by an oh-so-slim margin (we reported on August 20 that this shift was starting to happen).
Local results:
34TH DISTRICT STATE HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE, POSITION 2
(Rep. Sharon Nelson isn’t running for re-election – she’s unopposed for State Senate in LD #34)
Fitzgibbon first 34%, Heavey second 32%, McElroy third 18%, Stone fourth 14%
(Note: Early returns on primary night had showed Heavey at 34% and Fitzgibbon at 33%)
KING COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT 8 (nonpartisan)
(Councilmember Jan Drago isn’t running for the seat to which she was appointed early this year)
McDermott first 60%, Toledo second 19%, McEvoy third 13%, Fahey fourth 7%
In another LD #34 race of note, Eileen Cody captured 81% of the vote against 18% for Ray Carter.
A change at the top in the 34th District State House Representative Position 2 results, after the latest vote count made public by King County Elections: Now Joe Fitzgibbon is ahead of Mike Heavey, by 186 votes out of more than 22,000 counted in this race so far. Again, the finishing order won’t change what happens next – both Fitzgibbon and Heavey are going to the general election, since it’s extremely unlikely that the 3,000-plus-vote gap between them and #3 Geoffrey “Mac” McElroy would completely close – but for politics-watchers, it’s interesting to keep an eye on the daily updates until the election is certified at month’s end. No change in the King County Council District 8 race, which has gaps big enough that none are likely – it’ll be Joe McDermott vs. Diana Toledo in November.
King County Elections got 95,000 more ballots in the mail today – the highest single-day delivery, which they say is unusual because that usually happens Election Day – and expected to include at least 40,000 in the second run of primary results. Those results were just made public – see them here. The order hasn’t changed in our area’s biggest race, 34th District State Representative Position 2, but Mike Heavey‘s margin over second-place Joe Fitzgibbon narrowed to 21 votes. Complete look at that race, after the jump:Read More
(Scroll down for updates – now that numbers are in, we’re off visiting campaign parties)
(King County Elections photo from their HQ, cars lined up to drop off ballots by 8 pm)
The first and only results that King County is making public tonight have just come out. In our area’s two major races – each with four candidates going for an open seat, and the top two advancing to November once ALL the votes are counted and the election is certified:
34TH DISTRICT STATE HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE, POSITION 2
(Rep. Sharon Nelson isn’t running for re-election – she’s unopposed for State Senate)
Heavey first 34%, Fitzgibbon second 33%, McElroy third 19%, Stone fourth 14%
KING COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT 8 (nonpartisan)
(Councilmember Jan Drago isn’t running for the seat to which she was appointed early this year)
McDermott first 59%, Toledo second 20%, McEvoy third 13%, Fahey fourth 7%
All King County results are linked here. We’ll add other highlights of interest shortly, and we’ll be adding candidate reaction as we get it. Meantime, if you still haven’t voted – it’s not too late – you can mail it till midnight at Riverton Heights (near Sea-Tac; see our earlier story).
(Tim Fahey being interviewed by Q13’s Parella Lewis, with Mac McElroy looking on outside his pub)
8:41 PM: We were at Geoffrey “Mac” McElroy‘s party at his Triangle Pub in White Center when the results came in – with at least four other members of the media sighted. Now we’ve moved on to Fauntleroy, to Mike Heavey‘s campaign party, 
a gathering of family and friends (iPhone photo at right, as the candidate posed with varying combinations of people from both those groups). Both locations so far have been full of good cheer, despite the varying results. McElroy’s party also was visited by two other candidates – Ray Carter, the “reluctant Republican” challenging Democratic Rep. Eileen Cody, and Tim Fahey, who is currently fourth of 4 in the King County Council race. We are moving on to other locations shortly. Just interviewed Heavey, who foresees the general-election campaign, apparently against Fitzgibbon, as “a battle for the ages” – with voters being asked to choose “what kind of Democrat” they support. 10:16 PM: We’ve also caught up with Joe Fitzgibbon, whose supporters were celebrating at Heartland Café in the Admiral District:
Video from the frontrunners, coming up. And again, tonight’s vote is nowhere near final – King County Elections will release vote totals daily, until the final results are out on September 1st – two weeks away. ADDED 12:25 AM: Quick comments on video from Heavey, Fitzgibbon and McElroy:
Polling places may be history but one Election Day tradition lives on … signwaving at busy intersections. We checked out 35th/Fauntleroy and the Fauntleroy overpass to get a Primary Morning overview, and, in addition to State Sen./King County Council candidate Joe McDermott, we found three candidates in the election’s most-watched race, with a sign-waver on behalf of the fourth:
At left, that’s Marcee Stone at 35th/Fauntleroy – while on another corner at the intersection, Mike Heavey had a costumed campaigning companion:
(Why a lion, you ask? It was a little loud for conversation along the bridge entrance, but we’ve got a message out to inquire.) Then to the north, on the Fauntleroy pedestrian overpass, Joe Fitzgibbon swiveled for a smile while maintaining the wave:
The overpass also held a signwaver on behalf of Geoffrey “Mac” McElroy:
If you’re a candidate and plan to sign-wave during the pm commute – let us know – we’ll likely be back out on patrol. Meantime, MAIL YOUR BALLOT (procrastinators that we are, we are heading to the Post Office right now ourselves)! Infolinks, including the online voters’ guide, are here. (Advertising disclosure: The Heavey, McElroy, and Stone campaigns are running paid political ads on WSB.)
(WSB video of each candidate’s opening statement)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
It may be challenging to be a non-Democrat running for office in an overwhelmingly Democratic district, with three Democrats also on the ballot, and at least one news source declaring them the only candidates, but Geoffrey “Mac” McElroy nonetheless scored a touché moment at the end of the 34th District State House Position 2 candidates’ forum on Vashon Island Friday night.
His closing statement was the last one, and it included his suggestion that his three Democratic opponents “never met a tax they didn’t like.” The three – Joe Fitzgibbon, Mike Heavey, Marcee Stone – had each voiced support for a “progressive income tax.”
After McElroy finished, Heavey broke format to address the audience: “Can we take a straw poll? How many of you are in favor of a progressive income tax?”
A majority of the 40-plus attendees raised their hands. Heavey: “Against?” A few hands went up. as was the case when he asked, “Abstain?” He concluded, “Well, then, keep in mind we [Democrats] represent you.”
McElroy parried back, “I’d just like to see you all come up with the same definition of what a ‘progressive income tax’ is.”
One person in the audience somewhere – affiliated with McElroy or not, we have no idea – clapped.
The exchange was the zingiest part of the forum, moderated by Vashon-residing Seattle University law professor Craig Beles and broadcast live on Voice of Vashon TV (which has posted the full video of this forum and the County Council District 8 forum that followed – here’s our earlier story on that).
Two days after King County Elections announced the August 17 primary ballots were in the mail, they’re arriving (ours just showed up). The big decisions for West Seattle (and neighboring communities) are in two open races with four candidates each, which the primary results will narrow to two for November: 34th District State House Position 2 (WSB coverage archive with “candidate conversation” stories here) and King County Council District 8 (WSB coverage archive here; watch for “candidate conversation” stories in the next week). Two candidate forums are coming up – tomorrow on Vashon Island, the candidates from both races are expected at Courthouse Square (see the end of this article) for a forum to focus on the State House race 7-8 pm and the County Council race 8-9 pm; then next Thursday, August 5th, the Seattle League of Women Voters presents a candidates’ forum downtown, with the County Council race (and those vying for two Supreme Court seats). Back to voting: August 17th is the deadline to postmark your ballot; the county has a list of voter resources on this webpage.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: With a week and a half till ballots are mailed for the August 17th primary, we’ve been taking a closer look at the candidates in two contested local races. Today, we conclude a weeklong series of stories about WSB conversations with the four contenders for 34th District State House, Position 2. Previously: Our report on Joe Fitzgibbon ran here); our report on Mike Heavey was here; and our Geoffrey “Mac” McElroy interview here.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
She has the official Democratic Party nomination and the endorsement of the 34th District Democrats.
Marcee Stone also has something that Democratic legislative candidates in the 34th District (map) don’t usually have: Same-party challengers.
According to King County’s online election records, this is the first time in a decade that any 34th District legislative race has had more than one Democrat (in 2000, 2 Democrats challenged Dow Constantine in his winning State Senate campaign). But then again, it’s been pointed out, this is the first open seat in almost two decades. And until the “Top Two” primary system was implemented two years ago, there was no chance for two members of the same party to make it to general election.
Stone, a 57-year-old West Seattle resident, says it “means a lot” to voters when they hear she’s “the official Democratic candidate” – and when they hear about her “deep roots in the community.”
(EDITOR’S NOTE: With less than two weeks till ballots are mailed for the August 17th primary, we’re taking a closer look daily at the candidates in two contested local races. This week, we are bringing you stories about WSB conversations with the four contenders for 34th District State House, Position 2. We began Tuesday with Joe Fitzgibbon (story here); continued Wednesday with Mike Heavey (story here); tonight, Geoffrey “Mac” McElroy.)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
“Do something different,” exhorts the white lettering on the back of Geoffrey “Mac” McElroy‘s campaign uniform, a black T-shirt.
After all, he did something different.
For one, the 46-year-old entrepreneur filed to run as an “independent” in the heavily Democratic 34th Legislative District (map), running against three D’s.
For two, instead of more classic campaign activities, he’s focused on one that’s led us to bump into him multiple times each week for the past few months: He’s been attending neighborhood council and association meetings around the district.
When it came time to sit down and do an official interview for our series of candidate conversations, though, we wound up on his turf – Mac’s Triangle Pub, feet from the West Seattle/White Center line.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: With two weeks till ballots are mailed for the August 17th primary, we’re taking a closer look daily at the candidates in two contested local races. This week, we are bringing you stories about WSB conversations with the four contenders for 34th District State House, Position 2. We began Tuesday with Joe Fitzgibbon (story here); today, Mike Heavey.)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
When a candidate takes his/her turn speaking at a political group’s endorsement meeting, you might liken it to a baseball slugger stepping to the plate, ready to hit one out of the park.
When Mike Heavey spoke to the 34th District Democrats the night they decided who to endorse in the 34th District State House Position 2 primary, his speech – which startled some people to the point of audible gasps – was more like an announcement he wasn’t taking a swing in this particular stadium: He said he wouldn’t seek the endorsement, facing two rivals who were “known quantities” in that arena.
By name alone, Heavey, a 30-year-old West Seattle resident, is hardly unknown. His father is a former state senator and current King County Superior Court Judge. He has been working for King County Councilmember Jan Drago in recent months, representing and/or assisting her at high-profile events dealing with current top-of-mind issues like the South Park Bridge.
But when we talked about that notable night during our recent conversation at a coffee shop in White Center, he had no regrets about withdrawing from that particular endorsement process. Instead, he told a family story or two about triumph despite the absence of a certain endorsement or two.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: With two weeks till ballots are mailed for the August 17th primary, we’re taking a closer look daily at the candidates in two contested local races. This week, we are bringing you stories about WSB conversations with the four contenders for 34th District State House, Position 2. We begin with Joe Fitzgibbon.)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Joe Fitzgibbon is running for the State House of Representatives seat that his recent boss, Rep. Sharon Nelson, is leaving to seek a State Senate spot, and he has her endorsement.
Sound like a shoo-in? Nope. This year, for the first time in 18 years, the 34th District (map) has an open seat and a spirited race, with Fitzgibbon running against two other Democrats – one of whom has the official party nomination and district endorsement – plus an Independent.
So what’s Fitzgibbon, a 23-year-old Burien resident, doing to set himself apart in the race to succeed Rep. Nelson in State House Position 2?
First, as we sat down in a White Center coffee shop to talk for an hour (the same time we allotted each candidate conversation), we asked what he had been up to earlier that day.
Another media interview, a news release about endorsements, and the “daily grind of doorbelling and taking phone calls,” Fitzgibbon replied. As of this past weekend, when we talked with him at West Seattle Summer Fest (photo below), he estimated he had knocked on about 5,000 doors – more than half the 9,000 he hopes to hit before the August 17 primary.
We’ve never covered the Burien 4th of July Parade before, but we heard about enough West Seattle participation that we headed down for a few photos. Before we get to the West Seattleites – we had to start this off with the guest appearance by Santa Claus. Who could be more appropriate on a rainy, chilly holiday, summer or not? Now, on with the West Seattleites. First, the much-acclaimed West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival float and its entourage:
Then, the political participants – First, the 34th District Democrats (whose turf includes Burien, though the main monthly meetings are usually in WS):
Now, the candidates – in our candid shot from the staging area, that’s State Sen. Joe McDermott (who’s running for County Council) at left, a West Seattleite as is Marcee Stone (running for State House Pos. 2) next to him, and at right, Rep. Sharon Nelson (from Maury Island), who’s running unopposed for the Senate seat McDermott is leaving:
Also from the State House Position 2 race – West Seattleite Mike Heavey:
And Burien resident Joe Fitzgibbon:
We didn’t see the 4th candidate in the race, West Seattle entrepreneur Geoffrey “Mac” McElroy, there (if we missed him – our apologies!). We did see one of McDermott’s three County Council opponents, West Seattleite Diana Toledo — we had a photo of her marching, but her campaign just sent this one with Seafair Pirates right after the parade:
Toledo marched in the Admiral 4th of July Kids’ Parade earlier in the day. If we missed any of the other County Council candidates, Shawn McEvoy or Tim Fahey, again, forgive us. (P.S. With the August 17th election nearing, we start in-depth coverage Tuesday – we’ve sat down recently to talk with each of the four candidates in the House race, for starters, and you’ll see a story a day, Tuesday through Friday.) One more parade participant of West Seattle note:
That’s a RapidRide bus – of the variety we’ll supposedly see here in about two years. In case you want a better look, we’re checking to see if it’ll be part of the big West Seattle American Legion Post 160 Grand Parade on July 24th. ADDED MONDAY MORNING: Thanks to Mark for sharing this photo of another West Seattleite in the parade:
Mark photographed West Seattleite Bruce Hart in wife Stacie’s new MINI Cooper, adding, “Bruce and Stacie are part of the Puget Sound MINI Motoring Club, which participated in the parade for the fourth straight year. The club annually escorts Burien Rotary Club dignitaries. Bruce also has a MINI, which was in the parade and being driven by a relative.”
Monday was the first day of the official “filing week” for anyone who wants to be on the August 17th primary-election ballot. Candidates have been able to postal-mail their forms since May 21st, but online and in-person filing didn’t open till this morning. For the West Seattle (and surrounding areas)-specific races, here’s who’s filed so far: In the 34th Legislative District (map), Rep. Sharon Nelson has filed for State Senate, listing her affiliation as “Prefers Democrat Party”; for the State House Position 2 spot she’s leaving, Marcee Stone and Mike Heavey (who tweeted a photo of his online-filing moment) both filed Monday, both listing their affiliation as “Prefers Democratic Party.” (Remember, we’re in the “Top Two” primary mode now, meaning the top two vote-getters in each race advance to the Nov. 2 general election, regardless of affiliation.) The state list of “who’s filed so far” can be seen here; the King County list is here – no filings yet for the County Council District 8 seat, though at least three people have said they intend to run. We’ll update the filings nightly as the week goes on; you can also expect to hear more about this year’s elections at Wednesday night’s meeting of our area’s biggest political group, the 34th District Democrats (whose endorsements are here), 7 pm, The Hall at Fauntleroy, with the agenda so far including Mayor Mike McGinn, Council President Richard Conlin, and Councilmember Bruce Harrell.
Sharp differences, and occasionally sharp words, between three of the candidates running for 34th District State House Position 2 – Joe Fitzgibbon, “Mac” McElroy, and Marcee Stone – at a midday campaign forum on the South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor) forum today. Fitzgibbon made a repeated point that he’s young; Stone countered that age doesn’t matter, but made a point of her gender; McElroy’s main point was that he’s not “the status quo.” The fourth candidate in the race, Mike Heavey, sent his campaign manager to read a statement and to apologize that Heavey couldn’t make it because he was prohibited from campaigning while on the clock for his King County job (assisting Councilmember Jan Drago). Even if higher education isn’t at the top of your interest list in deciding who to vote for as successor to State Rep. Sharon Nelson (who’s running thus-far-unopposed for State Senate), some of the discussion might prove instructive – read on for details:Read More
(WSB photos by Christopher Boffoli)
Snapshots from West Seattle Democratic Women‘s “Rubbing Elbows” event Thursday night at Woodside/Braseth Gallery (co-owned by West Seattleite John Braseth) downtown, as many of the invited dignitaries took time out to share their thoughts about the group’s work: State Sen. and County Council candidate Joe McDermott is shown above with WSDW’s Karen Chilcutt and Carol Frillman, plus Rep. Eileen Cody, and Rep. Sharon Nelson. He said of the WSDW: “In so many places in the community they’re really engaging and at the same time carrying on great conversations, amongst themselves and throughout the community, about what Democratic values mean.” Next, from the legislator who hopes to succeed McDermott in the Senate:
Rep. and State Senate candidate Sharon Nelson said: “When we’re down in Olympia, it is really easy just to listen to the lobbyists and to have a different perspective. But coming home when you’re really seeing an organization that helps poor families, working families, and food banks….staffing the White Center Food Bank one night a month… I really appreciate everything this group does and the fact that their values are really reflected in their work.”
West Seattle-residing City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen joked that, since the WSDW were fundraising for worthy causes, he wondered if maybe they could also pass the hat for the South Park Bridge. And his fellow Councilmember Sally Clark jokingly jumped with “pass the hat” as some members of the audience suggested a bake sale. What Clark (and others) had to say – and more photos – after the jump:Read More
(video highlights added to the end of this story early Thursday)
Right now at The Hall at Fauntleroy, our area’s biggest political group, the 34th District Democrats, have just started their regular meeting, after a special event – campaign kickoff for State Sen. Joe McDermott‘s King County Council run; he thanked the crowd for their support. He and his fellow 34th District legislators, Reps. Eileen Cody and Sharon Nelson, are scheduled to provide a legislative update during the meeting; the 34th DDs also are scheduled to make one or more endorsements from among the three Democrats running for Rep. Nelson’s seat (she’s running, unopposed so far, for McDermott’s Senate seat). We’ll provide in-progress updates as news happens.
7:25 PM UPDATE: News just happened. One of the three candidates, Mike Heavey, has just withdrawn from the race. The room was clearly shocked – our reporter there says there was an audible gasp. 7:42 PM UPDATE: We talked to Heavey for clarification. He is **NOT** dropping out of the race – but is withdrawing from the endorsement process that’s under way at the meeting right now.
(Photo by Dina Johnson, added Wednesday)
7:47 PM UPDATE: Results of the endorsement vote – Marcee Stone (above) gets the 34th DDs’ members’ endorsement, with 65% of the 120+ votes cast, double what Joe Fitzgibbon received. PCOs are taking a separate vote. 9:04 PM: The meeting’s over. Stone also won the PCO vote, which translates to the party’s official nomination. We’ll add a bit more about the meeting later, including video highlights. 1:37 AM THURSDAY: Those highlights are here, in video shot/edited for WSB by Edgar Riebe of Captive Eye Media:
The 34th Dems made other endorsements Wednesday night, and they are all listed on the group’s home page.
Breaking news (the gray whale at Arroyo Beach) caused us to miss this week’s 34th District Democrats meeting, including a candidates’ forum with the three D’s running for State House, Position 2. Big thanks to Dina Johnson for the photo (her full gallery from the meeting is here) – from left, that’s Mike Heavey, Joe Fitzgibbon, and Marcee Stone. There’s an article about the forum on PubliCola. According to the 34th DDs’ website, they won’t endorse anyone in the race until their next meeting May 12 (explained here), but they did make endorsements Wednesday night in several other races: Current State Sen. Joe McDermott for King County Council Position 8, State Rep. (Position 1) Eileen Cody for re-election, current State Rep. Sharon Nelson for State Senate, U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott for re-election, and U.S. Sen. Patty Murray for reelection. (The May 12 meeting, 7 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy as usual, also will feature the legislative report from Sen. McDermott and Reps. Cody and Nelson, postponed when this week’s agenda got too busy.)
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