|
|
"A comprehensive, collaborative elections resource."
|
Esser, Tom vie for seat in swing district
|
|---|
| Parent(s) |
Race
|
| Contributor | Ralphie |
| Last Edited | Ralphie Oct 22, 2006 04:49pm |
| Logged |
0
|
| Category | Analysis |
| Media | Newspaper - Seattle Post-Intelligencer |
| News Date | Saturday, October 21, 2006 10:00:00 PM UTC0:0 |
| Description | Outside a Rotary Club campaign forum in Kirkland last week, Mary-Alyce Burleigh was nearly giddy. The former 48th Legislative District Democratic chairwoman said that not so long ago, the Democrats would have had to run a "sacrificial lamb" in what had been a Republican-heavy district.
But with an influx of people in the district, the unexpected happened in the 48th, which is centered on Bellevue: Presidential candidate John Kerry, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and congressional candidate Dave Ross, all Democrats, won the legislative district.
Now, the district is considered largely a swing area, and Democrats are eyeing incumbent Sen. Luke Esser's seat as one of a handful they can grab as they try to hold on to or even increase a 26-23 advantage in the state Senate.
Opposing Esser, a Bellevue Republican, is state Rep. Rodney Tom, D-Medina, a former Republican who became a Democrat in March, saying the GOP and Esser are too far to the right to represent the moderate district. Tom has served a pair of two-year terms as a state representative.
In a district reliant on the replacement of the Evergreen Point Bridge and the proposed widening of Interstate 405, Tom told the Rotarians that Esser was out of step with voters, pointing out that he'd voted against raising the state gas tax by 5 cents a gallon in 2003, and by 9.5 cents in 2005.
District voters, by a 2-1 ratio, opposed Initiative 912, which would have rolled back the 9.5-cent-a-gallon gas tax increase for transportation projects, Tom said at the forum. "I represent 66 percent of the voters in the district. My opponent represents 33 percent." |
| Share |
|
|
2¢
|
|
| Article | Read Full Article |
|
| Date |
Category |
Headline |
Article |
Contributor |
|
|
