Published: Sunday, June 14, 2009
Snohomish County Councilman Dave Somers evolves, but is it enough?
Since Snohomish County Councilman Dave Somers returned to office in 2005, he's meticulously tried to recast himself among brokers of political power.
He wanted them to shelve memories of the Dave Somers who ran unopposed and won a council seat in 1997.
That guy could be cocky and contentious. His office door seemed wide open to his Democratic Party's ideological left wing and closed tight to Republicans and developers.
That guy paid the price when he lost re-election to Republican Jeff Sax in 2001.
Four years later, Somers came back and dislodged Sax -- then vowed not to change his political principles, only the manner in which he pursues them.
There are some signs he's progressed.
For example, last month Snohomish County Republican Party stalwarts Hank Robinett and Jim Donner -- both builders -- had a hand in a fundraiser for Somers.
Donner organized the small event at Harvey Airfield in Snohomish. While most in the attending crowd were Democrats, several checks spurred by the invite had Republican signatures -- including Robinett's.
This event was no small feat because Donner ran Sax's campaign in 2005 and Robinett wrote sizable checks on its behalf.
It is also recognition of Somers' evolution. Somers meets with them and pays respect to them and their ilk in ways he didn't in his earlier council incarnation.
No doubt, there are pragmatic and financial incentives for befriending Somers. Democrats hold four of the council's five seats and builders such as Donner and Robinett need a majority's support for their projects.
The incumbent becomes the best option if no one is considered viable from the Republican side.
At the time of the event at Harvey Field, Snohomish businessman Steve Dana had declared as a GOP candidate. His limited political profile and lack of campaign cash wasn't inspiring confidence among many in the party.
Last week, two other Republicans joined the race: Lake Stevens Mayor Vern Little and Maltby activist Greg Stephens.
Stephens is not getting a push from the party. In fact, when he ran for this same seat in 2005, he wanted to vie against Sax for the Republican nomination but got booted from the county convention.
He ran as an independent, finished third with nearly 2,900 votes and claimed to have spoiled Sax's bid as the former incumbent lost by 2,100.
What voters might find most interesting about Stephens is that while his heart is in Maltby, his bed is in Bothell, just as it was in 2005.
His home in Maltby on State Route 9 is partially wrapped in plastic sheeting and deemed totally uninhabitable by county regulators.
There's no sewer, water, electricity or phone service. A judge in 2006 ruled that mail gets delivered there, which is enough to preserve Stephens' eligibility as a voter and candidate -- even though he spends nights in King County.
Vern Little is the campaign's "X" factor.
Republicans and some Democrats convinced of Somers' vulnerability have prodded Little for months to get into the race.
They note Somers did not win with a majority -- he got 48 percent -- and had raised less than $40,000 as of last week. A four-person primary forces Somers to spend rather than save those dollars because he can't take the chance of not surviving.
Now that he's no longer resisting, Little is working with Somers' detractors on a platform on which to run. It's a list that could include votes on county budget matters, the annexation dispute between Snohomish and Lake Stevens, or Somers' applying for a federal job. (Somers said Thursday he's withdrawn his application.)
There's also a "Y" factor looming in the race -- developer Dave Barnett.
He wants to build a fully contained community near Lake Roesiger, and Somers doesn't want it to happen. Last year Barnett attacked Somers' stance in a series of mailers sent to residents in the council district.
Barnett is likely to do more to get his nemesis out of office -- not as a candidate but by attacking his record through mailers or commercials. It's possible he could outspend Somers' actual opponent.
Somers is preparing for the worst. Eight years ago, he was overconfident and lost re-election.
Time will show if he's learned his lesson.
Political reporter Jerry Cornfield's blog, The Petri Dish, is at www.heraldnet.com. He can be heard at 8:15 a.m. Mondays on the Morning Show on KSER 90.7 FM. Contact him at 360-352-8623 or jcornfield@heraldnet.com.
He wanted them to shelve memories of the Dave Somers who ran unopposed and won a council seat in 1997.
That guy could be cocky and contentious. His office door seemed wide open to his Democratic Party's ideological left wing and closed tight to Republicans and developers.
That guy paid the price when he lost re-election to Republican Jeff Sax in 2001.
Four years later, Somers came back and dislodged Sax -- then vowed not to change his political principles, only the manner in which he pursues them.
There are some signs he's progressed.
For example, last month Snohomish County Republican Party stalwarts Hank Robinett and Jim Donner -- both builders -- had a hand in a fundraiser for Somers.
Donner organized the small event at Harvey Airfield in Snohomish. While most in the attending crowd were Democrats, several checks spurred by the invite had Republican signatures -- including Robinett's.
This event was no small feat because Donner ran Sax's campaign in 2005 and Robinett wrote sizable checks on its behalf.
It is also recognition of Somers' evolution. Somers meets with them and pays respect to them and their ilk in ways he didn't in his earlier council incarnation.
No doubt, there are pragmatic and financial incentives for befriending Somers. Democrats hold four of the council's five seats and builders such as Donner and Robinett need a majority's support for their projects.
The incumbent becomes the best option if no one is considered viable from the Republican side.
At the time of the event at Harvey Field, Snohomish businessman Steve Dana had declared as a GOP candidate. His limited political profile and lack of campaign cash wasn't inspiring confidence among many in the party.
Last week, two other Republicans joined the race: Lake Stevens Mayor Vern Little and Maltby activist Greg Stephens.
Stephens is not getting a push from the party. In fact, when he ran for this same seat in 2005, he wanted to vie against Sax for the Republican nomination but got booted from the county convention.
He ran as an independent, finished third with nearly 2,900 votes and claimed to have spoiled Sax's bid as the former incumbent lost by 2,100.
What voters might find most interesting about Stephens is that while his heart is in Maltby, his bed is in Bothell, just as it was in 2005.
His home in Maltby on State Route 9 is partially wrapped in plastic sheeting and deemed totally uninhabitable by county regulators.
There's no sewer, water, electricity or phone service. A judge in 2006 ruled that mail gets delivered there, which is enough to preserve Stephens' eligibility as a voter and candidate -- even though he spends nights in King County.
Vern Little is the campaign's "X" factor.
Republicans and some Democrats convinced of Somers' vulnerability have prodded Little for months to get into the race.
They note Somers did not win with a majority -- he got 48 percent -- and had raised less than $40,000 as of last week. A four-person primary forces Somers to spend rather than save those dollars because he can't take the chance of not surviving.
Now that he's no longer resisting, Little is working with Somers' detractors on a platform on which to run. It's a list that could include votes on county budget matters, the annexation dispute between Snohomish and Lake Stevens, or Somers' applying for a federal job. (Somers said Thursday he's withdrawn his application.)
There's also a "Y" factor looming in the race -- developer Dave Barnett.
He wants to build a fully contained community near Lake Roesiger, and Somers doesn't want it to happen. Last year Barnett attacked Somers' stance in a series of mailers sent to residents in the council district.
Barnett is likely to do more to get his nemesis out of office -- not as a candidate but by attacking his record through mailers or commercials. It's possible he could outspend Somers' actual opponent.
Somers is preparing for the worst. Eight years ago, he was overconfident and lost re-election.
Time will show if he's learned his lesson.
Political reporter Jerry Cornfield's blog, The Petri Dish, is at www.heraldnet.com. He can be heard at 8:15 a.m. Mondays on the Morning Show on KSER 90.7 FM. Contact him at 360-352-8623 or jcornfield@heraldnet.com.
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