Primary shows local Democrats in pole position

There are still more than 60,000 votes to be counted in King County primary election, but if preliminary numbers from the Secretary of State’s Office are any indication, most of Kirkland’s elected representatives will return to Olympia in November.

August 26, 2008 1:14 am
Poll worker Jeanette Merki gets a ballot ready for a voter during the 2008 Primary Election at a polling place located inside Christ Church of Kirkland on Tuesday
Poll worker Jeanette Merki gets a ballot ready for a voter during the 2008 Primary Election at a polling place located inside Christ Church of Kirkland on Tuesday

There are still more than 60,000 votes to be counted in King County primary election, but if preliminary numbers from the Secretary of State’s Office are any indication, most of Kirkland’s elected representatives will return to Olympia in November.

Facing only one challenger, the area’s incumbents could use the “top-two” primary results as a yard-stick of their core support as they head into the home stretch. For the challengers, their hope rests with voters motivated by national races who will also take the time to vote on the “down-ticket” local races.

In the 48th Legislative District, Deb Eddy, D-Kirkland, holds a sizable lead of 2,800 votes (16 percent) over republican Ron Fuller. In the district’s other seat, Ross Hunter, D-Bellevue, holds an even bigger advantage of his Republican rival Charlie Lapp. Former Kirkland mayor and 45th District Rep. Larry Springer, D-Kirkland also holds a 16 percent advantage over Republican Kevin Haistings.

Only one race remains on a knife’s edge: The 45th Legislative District race between Rep. Roger Goodman, D-Kirkland, and former Rep. Toby Nixon, R-Kirkland. As of Aug. 23, Goodman leads Nixon by 361 votes or 1.8 percent of the 18,791 ballots cast.

The 45th covers the northern part of Kirkland, Redmond, Woodinville and unincorporated King County, while the 48th encompasses southern Kirkland, Redmond and Bellevue.

In Kirkland’s two U.S. House of Representatives races, Republican challenger Larry Ishmael primary showing suggests he has a mountain to climb in his race against U.S. Rep Jay Inslee, D-Bainbridge Island, for the 1st District. But the U.S. 8th District, running along Kirkland’s southern edge, is another matter. U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert, a Republican, will face Democrat Darcy Burner in November’s general election after a primary tally showed they were separated by only 4 percent of the vote. Voters pulling for two other Democrats eliminated in the primary, James Vaughn and Keith Arnold, might be persuaded to stay loyal to their party and could make up the difference for Burner.

In Judicial races for Superior Court judge, Kirkland resident Susan Amini appears to have lost to county deputy prosecutor Tim Bradshaw and Sue Parisian, who will face each other in the general election.

Predicting voter turnout could reach 46 percent, Secretary of State Sam Reed said the vote went smoothly and said the numbers were “perhaps the best in a generation.”

He is scheduled to certify the results of the election Sept. 9.

Reed also announced the shape of November’s presidential ballot earlier this month. In addition to Democrat Barack Obama and Republican nominee John McCain, the following six candidates and their respective parties will appear on the ballot: Ralph Nader (Independent), Gloria La Riva (Socialism and Liberation), James E. Harris (Socialist Workers), Bob Barr (Libertarian), Cynthia McKinney (Green) and Chuck Baldwin (Constitution).