By Jerry Cornfield Herald Writer
State Rep. Roger Goodman, D-Kirkland, said today he is ending his campaign for the 1st Congressional District seat and instead will seek re-election to the Legislature.
Goodman’s exit leaves five Democrats among the seven candidates vying for a two-year term in Congress as the successor to U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee. The winner will represent a district that stretches from Kirkland to the Canadian border and includes parts of rural Snohomish, Skagit and Whatcom counties.
Goodman’s decision isn’t too surprising. He has not kept pace with most of the other Democrats in the amount of money raised and endorsements garnered. He closed out 2011 with roughly $54,000 in his campaign account and hadn’t padded it much in the first three months of this year.
“Today I face a fork in the road,” he said in a statement. “Having campaigned hard in this huge, new ‘swing’ congressional district, and working under the brutally relentless pressure to raise the startling amount of money now needed for congressional campaigns, I have decided to continue representing my constituents in the state Legislature, to build on a strong record and to keep making a real difference here at home.”
In an interview, Goodman said the prospect of a self-funded Democratic candidate heaped pressure on the other hopefuls to raise money, and it was going to get more difficult as time passed.
His exit leaves ex-Microsoft executives Suzan DelBene of Medina and Darcy Burner of Carnation, state Sen. Steve Hobbs of Lake Stevens, former state representative Laura Ruderman of Kirkland and electronics entrepreneur Darshan Rauniyar of Bothell in the Democratic field.
Also in the race are Snohomish County Councilman John Koster, a Republican, and Larry Ishmael, who is running as an independent.
Goodman said he has “not ruled out” endorsing one of the other Democrats. He said he’s already heard from one of them.
