Everett, Wash.
Published: Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Incumbents lead most races for state House

Loomis, Dunshee, Bailey, Pearson, Roberts, Liias, McCoy among leaders

By David Chircop and Gale Fiege
Herald Writers

 EVERETT -- A costly and bitter rivalry between the former mayor of Snohomish and a Seattle police officer for the 44th District race in south Snohomish County was within a few thousand votes.

Democratic Rep. Liz Loomis, 38, the owner of a public relations firm who was appointed to the position in January, hopes voters will send her back to Olympia.

She led Republican challenger Mike Hope for Position 2 in the district with 18,427 votes or 53 percent of the vote in early returns. Hope trailed with 16,288 votes or 47 percent of the vote.

"It's definitely a positive first step," Loomis said from an election night party at Angel Arms Works on Avenue B in downtown Snohomish. "We're at 53 percent. It's a pretty solid lead, but my opponent hit me pretty hard in the last minute of the campaign, so who knows."

Hope said he trailed by a similar margin early in the primaries, then narrowed the gap as the final votes were tallied. That contest ended with Hope narrowly losing with 49.33 percent of the vote.

"We feel that we're right where we need to be," he said at a party at Shawn O'Donnell's American Grill & Irish Pub in south Everett. "There are still a lot of votes to be counted."

Loomis took over the seat in the Washington state House of Representatives after Democrat John Lovick left to become Snohomish County Sheriff.

Hope, 33, is a Seattle police officer who owns a gym in Monroe.

This was the Republican's third run for statewide office. Hope lost to Rep. Hans Dunshee, D-Snohomish in 2004 and 2006.

This race was flush with political cash, with the candidates netting nearly a half million dollars in contributions from their parties.

Both Loomis and Hope say the campaign was marred by mudslinging. Each candidate accuses the other of paying for distorted attack ads.

Loomis objected to a blistering run of television ads paid for by Hope's supporters, which show her face on a $100 bill, mouth agape, spitting out money like an ATM machine.

Hope, meanwhile, says Loomis engaged in shenanigans with a mailer that he said twisted his position on women's heath care. The mailer shows a doctor's prescription pad with a hand-written note in red ink saying Hope is bad for women and bad for women's health.

Loomis raised $321,000 in campaign contributions, more than double that of Hope who brought in $137,000.

44th District House, Position 1

In the other 44th district contest, Rep. Hans Dunshee, D-Snohomish, led his Republican challenger Larry Countryman by a comfortable margin.

Dunshee, 54, appears to be headed to his eighth two-year term to the Legislature. He had 21,524 votes or 62 percent of the tallied votes. Countryman, 67, was behind with 12,966 votes or 38 percent.

"Now the work begins," Dunshee said. "We've got to sharpen the budget, and I'm just honored the people elected me again. I'm still going to work on UW North and alternative energy, but the challenges of the budget are going to be difficult."

10th District House, Position 1

Early returns from Snohomish and Skagit counties indicate a close race for Position 1 in the 10th District.

Democrat Tim Knue, a retired teacher, led with 51 percent in returns reported Tuesday evening from those counties.

Republican incumbent state Rep. Norma Smith hopes to retain the 10th District seat that she was appointed to in January. She trailed with 49 percent of the vote in early returns.

The 10th District covers Island and parts of Snohomish and Skagit counties.

"It's never over until it's until it's over, but it looks really promising," Knue said.

Smith, 57, of Clinton, was named to the position earlier this year after former state Rep. Chris Strow resigned to take another job. She was not able to return a phone call asking for comment.

Knue, 54, of Conway, had attempted to unseat Position 2 Rep. Barbara Bailey when he first sought legislative office two years ago.

Knue said his primary concerns as a legislator would be education, support for farmers and the owners of small businesses and tackling issues such as growth and transportation, including highways and ferries.

During her campaign, Smith said she hoped to return to Olympia to continue her bipartisan work to protect small businesses and find solutions to transportation problems, especially in the state ferry system.

10th District House, Position 2

Incumbent state Rep. Barbara Bailey likely will return to Olympia for a fourth term representing the 10th Legislative District, which takes in parts of Snohomish, Skagit and Island counties.

Election returns announced by Snohomish County on Tuesday evening show Bailey, a Republican, leading districtwide with 53.6 percent to Democratic challenger Patricia Terry's 46.3 percent. In Skagit, the returns showed Bailey with 56 percent to Terry's 44 percent.

Bailey, 64, of Oak Harbor, said protection of the state's economy is her primary concern, but that she is well-positioned on several House committees to be effective in the area of new jobs, veterans affairs and transportation, including state ferries.

Terry, 54, of Camano Island, received 27 percent. Terry, a nurse, is a member of the Island County Community Health Advisory Board.

39th District House, Position 1

It's too close to call in the 39th District race between state Rep. Dan Kristiansen and his two-time opponent Scott Olson.

Kristiansen narrowly defeated Olson in the last election two years ago.

Kristiansen led Tuesday evening with 52.5 percent districtwide of the vote to Olson's 47.5 percent in Snohomish County. The district stretches across rural areas in Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom and King counties

"At the moment it's just really too early to say what the outcome will be. It probably will a couple days before we know," Olson said. Kristiansen, 45, a Republican who lives in Snohomish, is seeking his fourth term in the Legislature. Olson, 56, a Democrat, lives in Monroe.

Kristiansen has said that his experience in Olympia helped win about $14 million for safety improvements along U.S. 2.

Olson has said that amount isn't enough money to fix the highway, and that he would be more effective in Olympia getting money for highway improvements as a member of the majority party.

39th District House, Position 2

Early voting returns show that Republican incumbent Rep. Kirk Pearson has likely won a fifth term as a state legislator, a job he's had since 2000.

Pearson, 50, of Monroe, represents a district that stretches across rural areas in Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom and King counties. Pearson led Tuesday evening with 58.8 percent of the vote in Snohomish County.

Democratic challenger and labor leader David Personius, 52, of Arlington, trailed with 41.2 percent.

21st District House, Position 1

State Rep. Mary Helen Roberts led in her race for re-election in the 21st District.

In returns reported Tuesday evening, Roberts, 60, Mukilteo, had garnered 70 percent of the vote to 30 percent earned by Republican challenger Brian Travis, 33, a marketing representative, of Lynnwood.

Roberts likely will return for a third term in the Legislature.

A former member of the Edmonds Community College Board of Trustees, she serves on several House committees including Human Services, Early Learning and Children's Services, Higher Education, and on the Appropriations subcommittee on Health and Human Services.

To address the state's projected budget deficit, Roberts said she would start from scratch to see what should stay and what can go. She opposes making budget cuts to education and children's services.

The district stretches from Mukilteo to Mountlake Terrace.

21st District House, Position 2

State Rep. Marko Liias likely will retain his seat and return to Olympia for a full term in the Legislature in a race that involved two young men.

Liias, 27, a Democrat from Mukilteo, led Tuesday evening with 66 percent of the vote.

Republican Andrew Funk, 19, a college student who lives in Mountlake Terrace, garnered 34 percent in the early returns.

Liias served two years on the Mukilteo City Council before he was appointed in January to fill the vacancy created when former Rep. Brian Sullivan was elected to the Snohomish County Council.

Funk, who previously had worked on some campaigns, was making his first run for public office.

38th District House, Position 1

In the 38th District, Rep. John McCoy, D-Tulalip was ahead of challenger Cris Larson, with 13,808 votes, nearly 60 percent of the vote. Larson, an Everett High School English teacher who ran as a protest candidate, ran a low key campaign that was largely funded through his own contributions.

32nd District House, Position 1

Incumbent state Rep. Maralyn Chase, a Democrat from Shoreline, was leading in voter returns Tuesday evening with 68 percent of the vote in Snohomish County.

Republican challenger Alex Rion, a Kirkland real estate salesman who moved to the state in March, had 34 percent. The district takes in Woodway, the southern part of Edmonds, and parts of north King County.
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