Councilman Sullivan to run in special congressional election

Democratic Snohomish County Councilman Brian Sullivan announced today he will pursue his dream to serve in Congress – even though it may be for less than a month.

Sullivan said he will run in this year's special election to fill the unexpired term of Jay Inslee. The contest will be conducted in the existing boundaries of the 1st Congressional District which includes Mukilteo where Sullivan lives. The winner will serve from Dec. 6 to Jan. 3, 2013.

“It's a unique opportunity,” he said. “It strikes me as a statesman position. This is about stepping up as a long-time Democrat to serve the party and the people of the district.

“It's always been a lifetime dream to serve in Congress, albeit even for a month,” he said, adding he won't need to resign his council seat if he wins.

State Democratic Party officials recruited Sullivan and hope his decision means five Democrats vying for a full two-year term in the redrawn 1st Congressional District will skip the special election. All five – Suzan DelBene, Darcy Burner, Steve Hobbs, Laura Ruderman and Darshan Rauniyar – are considering running in both the special and regular elections.

Sullivan has endorsed DelBene but insisted today his campaign "is not a tool to help her candidacy."

Sullivan, 54, lives in Mukilteo which is part of the existing congressional district boundaries. He is in his second term on the county council. He is a former state lawmaker and mayor of Mukilteo.

As of Sunday, no Republican candidate had declared their intention to run in the special election. Republican Snohomish County Councilman John Koster is already campaigning for the full two-year term in the regular election.

Filing by candidates begins Monday morning and ends at 5 p.m. Friday.