Meet the candidates: U.S. Congress, 2nd District

What's the job?

At stake is a two-year term as a representative in the U.S. House of Representatives. The 2nd Congressional District stretches from Everett north to the Canadian border. It covers parts of Snohomish and King counties and all of Island, Skagit, Whatcom and San Juan counties. It pays $174,000 a year.



Election Day: Aug. 17, with ballots scheduled to be mailed out Friday. The two with the most votes will proceed to November's general election.


John Carmack

Age: 64

Occupation: Structural designer, currently unemployed

Residence: Bellingham

Education: Attended College of Mechanical Engineering at University of Houston

Website: www.carmackcongress.com

Party: Republican

In his own words: "If we don't turn the economy around in short order, the economy is going to collapse and the country is going to collapse and we will lose our constitutional freedoms."

Priorities: Aiding the recovery of the economy, creating jobs, lowering taxes, reducing regulations on business, eliminating federal agencies and repealing the new federal laws dealing with health care and reform of financial institutions and the Patriot Act.

Notable: Carmack is presently living on a boat in a Port of Bellingham marina.


Larry Kalb

Age: 55

Occupation: Whatcom Transportation Authority, finance department.

Residence: Bellingham

Education: Bachelor of art and master's in German from Bowling Green State University

Website: www.kalbforcongress.com

Party: Democratic

In his own words: "We've got to change our trade policies so that we bring jobs back to the United States and not send any jobs over to China. Health care inflation is eating us alive. We have got to maintain cost control on hospitals, doctors and pharmaceutical products."

Priorities: Leaving Iraq and Afghanistan "in a responsible manner sooner than later." Making sure all Americans have the same security of health care as the members of Congress and creating jobs. "I want products stamped made in U.S.A., by Americans for Americans," he said.

Notable: Kalb, who is making his first run for political office, describes himself as a "FDR Democrat."



John Koster

Age: 58

Occupation: Snohomish County Councilman, dairy farmer

Residence: Arlington

Education: Associate degree from Everett Community College

Website: www.kosterforcongress.com

Party: Republican

In his own words: "I think our country is headed in the wrong direction. I think the policies of this (Obama) administration and what Rick (Larsen) has voted for has done more to stymie the economy than stimulate it. I think this election is a narrow window of opportunity to get this country back on track."

Priorities: Invigorating economic recovery, creating jobs, curbing federal spending, axing some federal agencies and reducing the national debt and deficit.

Notable: In 2009, Koster won a third and final term on the Snohomish County Council. He also served six years in the state House of Representatives.



Rick Larsen

Age: 45

Occupation: Incumbent congressman

Residence: Everett

Education: Master's in public administration from University of Minnesota, bachelor of arts in political science from Pacific Lutheran University.

Website: www.ricklarsen.org

Party: Democratic

In his own words: "This race is a choice between going forward and trying to turn the economy around or going backward on a path that got us this bad economy in the first place. I represent going forward."

Priorities: Creating jobs, promoting economic recovery, increasing access to credit for small businesses, investing in roads, bridges and highways through a fully paid for federal transportation bill.

Notable: Larsen was first elected in 2000 with 50.01 percent of the vote. He beat three others including Republican John Koster, who finished with 46 percent. Larsen won re-election in 2008 with 62 percent and in 2006 with 64 percent.



Diana McGinness

Age: 59

Occupation: Retired insurance fraud investigator

Residence: Bellingham

Education: Attended Southern Illinois University

Website: www.dianaforcongress.com

Party: Democratic

In her own words: "Myself and many others believe the system has become so corrupted by the corporations and that we no longer feel like we have a voice. It's time to stop governing and electing by bumper sticker (slogans). Now is the time for us to use the tools of government -- regulation, oversight and enforcement -- to break the stranglehold multi-national corporate interests have on our government.

Priorities: Improving the economy, implementing the new federal health care reforms, replacing partisan fighting with bipartisan solutions to national problems and eradicating fraud in federally-funded programs.

Notable: McGinness, who is making her first run for political office, operates a national website devoted to fighting fraud throughout the country.