A Mukilteo city councilman and a former Snohomish mayor joined the state Legislature on Monday to fill vacancies left in the House of Representatives.
The Snohomish County Council voted 5-0 to appoint Councilman Marko Liias of Mukilteo to a House seat in the 21st District. He replaces Brian Sullivan, who won a seat on the Snohomish County Council.
The council also unanimously appointed Liz Loomis, who lost her re-election bid for Snohomish City Council in 2005, to a House seat in the 44th District. She replaces John Lovick, who was elected county sheriff.
Liias and Loomis were the top picks of Democratic party leaders and precinct committee officers.
The council gave “pretty significant weight” to the Democratic party recommendations, County Council chairman Dave Somers said. The council has a 4-1 Democratic majority.
“There wasn’t any reason presented us to go outside the party ranking,” Somers said. He said the two candidates appointed are exceptional and all nominees were well qualified.
The County Council interviewed three nominees for each position. They could have chosen lower-ranked candidates, which included Kerry Watkins and Lillian Kaufer in the 44th District, and Lynnwood Councilman Mark Smith and Snohomish County Labor Council President Darrell Chapman in the 21st District.
Sullivan and Mike Cooper, who also is a new county councilman, had endorsed Chapman. He placed third with precinct committee officers.
When it came time to vote, they stuck to the party recommendations.
“I appreciate that the council chose the people that the party chose,” said Mark Hintz, county Democratic party chairman. “There were six great candidates and it was a tough choice all the way around.”
The legislative session begins Monday.
Reporter Jeff Switzer: 425-339-3452 or jswitzer@heraldnet.com.
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