Published: Sunday, October 11, 2009
Competition is fierce for Snohomish County Prosecutor Janice Ellis' job
It was supposed to be simple.
Snohomish County Prosecutor Janice Ellis would depart on schedule in November 2010, handing her office keys to one of her top deputies, Mark Roe, who's been out campaigning for the job with her blessing for a while.
Now, it's all messed up.
Ellis, a Democrat, said this week she's taking off soon for a new gig with the Tulalip Tribes. This means the County Council will be putting a Democrat in her seat until voters get a chance next year.
With this unexpected exit, Ellis dashed any hope of an orderly succession and ignited a pitched political contest among Democrats for the appointment.
Roe is in the thick of it. So too is Jim Kenny, a prosecutor for the city of Seattle who also has been out seeking votes for 2010.
Others may join the fray.
Millie Judge, who ran for county executive in 2003, is chatting with folks, suggesting she could serve as a caretaker through next year's election, then step aside, much as Kurt Triplett is doing as interim King County executive.
The rumor mill is churning out more names daily, such as that of Deanna Dawson, the former Edmonds city councilwoman and county executive director. She moved to Washington, D.C., in 2008, and was said to be calling around last week to test the waters.
There could be a whole stable of people vying for the appointment. By law, because Ellis was a Democrat, her party will submit names of three people it wants considered by the council.
On Nov. 14, a couple hundred precinct committee officers will gather in Everett to vote on whose names get handed in. Alongside each name will be the number of votes they received.
Roe and Kenny will make that list. At this stage, each has an advantage they hope to capitalize on.
Kenny is a precinct committee officer with a decade of experience in the party, including a past stint as a state committeeman. He goes to the meetings, develops the strategies and helps carry them out. Given his connections, he is the early favorite to collect the most votes.
Roe is none of this, knows it and is out contacting PCOs to talk about his Democratic roots and 22 years experience in the office.
Beyond party insiders, he's viewed as more electable because of a career of prosecuting killers, rapists and other bad people.
Right now both men are rounding up votes and touting their endorsements. Kenny's backers include environmentalists, state Sen. Steve Hobbs and county Sheriff John Lovick. Roe's supporters include the machinists union, Deputy Sheriffs Association and former county executive Bob Drewel.
It all comes to a head Dec. 9 when the County Council is scheduled to act. For at least two of the four Democratic members, it could be a choice between party loyalty and personal principle.
Councilman Brian Sullivan endorsed Roe for the 2010 election. If Kenny emerges from the party selection process with the most votes, Sullivan's first instinct is to respect the outcome and appoint Kenny.
But Roe backers are trying to convince Sullivan that rubber stamping a party vote for Kenny would amount to putting politics ahead of public safety. It's a message he's listening to intently.
Councilman Mike Cooper could wind up in a similar bind if it's a close vote. He's backing Kenny and would like to keep doing so even if Roe finishes ahead of Kenny by a couple votes in the final PCO tally.
Cooper's instinct, like Sullivan's, is to respect the party's wishes. He said that “it will take a really compelling case” to not do so.
Dave Somers and Dave Gossett, the council's other two Democratic members, have not endorsed anyone and are not likely to do so before voting. Republican Councilman John Koster also has said nothing publicly, though he's viewed as preferring Roe from the current known lineup of possibilities.
Regardless of the outcome, Kenny and Roe both intend to compete against each other in the 2010 election — even if they are working in the same office.
That could make it even messier than it already is.
Read political reporter Jerry Cornfield's blog, The Petri Dish, at www.heraldnet.com/petridish. Contact him at 360-352-8623 or jcornfield@heraldnet.com.
Snohomish County Prosecutor Janice Ellis would depart on schedule in November 2010, handing her office keys to one of her top deputies, Mark Roe, who's been out campaigning for the job with her blessing for a while.
Now, it's all messed up.
Ellis, a Democrat, said this week she's taking off soon for a new gig with the Tulalip Tribes. This means the County Council will be putting a Democrat in her seat until voters get a chance next year.
With this unexpected exit, Ellis dashed any hope of an orderly succession and ignited a pitched political contest among Democrats for the appointment.
Roe is in the thick of it. So too is Jim Kenny, a prosecutor for the city of Seattle who also has been out seeking votes for 2010.
Others may join the fray.
Millie Judge, who ran for county executive in 2003, is chatting with folks, suggesting she could serve as a caretaker through next year's election, then step aside, much as Kurt Triplett is doing as interim King County executive.
The rumor mill is churning out more names daily, such as that of Deanna Dawson, the former Edmonds city councilwoman and county executive director. She moved to Washington, D.C., in 2008, and was said to be calling around last week to test the waters.
There could be a whole stable of people vying for the appointment. By law, because Ellis was a Democrat, her party will submit names of three people it wants considered by the council.
On Nov. 14, a couple hundred precinct committee officers will gather in Everett to vote on whose names get handed in. Alongside each name will be the number of votes they received.
Roe and Kenny will make that list. At this stage, each has an advantage they hope to capitalize on.
Kenny is a precinct committee officer with a decade of experience in the party, including a past stint as a state committeeman. He goes to the meetings, develops the strategies and helps carry them out. Given his connections, he is the early favorite to collect the most votes.
Roe is none of this, knows it and is out contacting PCOs to talk about his Democratic roots and 22 years experience in the office.
Beyond party insiders, he's viewed as more electable because of a career of prosecuting killers, rapists and other bad people.
Right now both men are rounding up votes and touting their endorsements. Kenny's backers include environmentalists, state Sen. Steve Hobbs and county Sheriff John Lovick. Roe's supporters include the machinists union, Deputy Sheriffs Association and former county executive Bob Drewel.
It all comes to a head Dec. 9 when the County Council is scheduled to act. For at least two of the four Democratic members, it could be a choice between party loyalty and personal principle.
Councilman Brian Sullivan endorsed Roe for the 2010 election. If Kenny emerges from the party selection process with the most votes, Sullivan's first instinct is to respect the outcome and appoint Kenny.
But Roe backers are trying to convince Sullivan that rubber stamping a party vote for Kenny would amount to putting politics ahead of public safety. It's a message he's listening to intently.
Councilman Mike Cooper could wind up in a similar bind if it's a close vote. He's backing Kenny and would like to keep doing so even if Roe finishes ahead of Kenny by a couple votes in the final PCO tally.
Cooper's instinct, like Sullivan's, is to respect the party's wishes. He said that “it will take a really compelling case” to not do so.
Dave Somers and Dave Gossett, the council's other two Democratic members, have not endorsed anyone and are not likely to do so before voting. Republican Councilman John Koster also has said nothing publicly, though he's viewed as preferring Roe from the current known lineup of possibilities.
Regardless of the outcome, Kenny and Roe both intend to compete against each other in the 2010 election — even if they are working in the same office.
That could make it even messier than it already is.
Read political reporter Jerry Cornfield's blog, The Petri Dish, at www.heraldnet.com/petridish. Contact him at 360-352-8623 or jcornfield@heraldnet.com.
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