Everett candidate says unreturned phone calls drove him to run for House seat

Published 11:29 pm Sunday, June 29, 2008

EVERETT — No issue or ideology propelled Cris Larson into the political arena this year.

It was an attitude.

Larson felt dissed by state Rep. John McCoy, D-Tulalip. Larson claimed to have e-mailed and phoned the legislator several times and, with one exception, to have never heard back. McCoy denies this.

So Larson responded by launching a campaign to unseat the three-term incumbent.

“If it costs me $412 (filing fee) to make a point about being accountable and you need to return calls, so be it,” he said.

Larson, 41, is an Everett native and an English teacher at Everett High School. He likes to write letters to elected leaders and confessed to dreaming about seeking political office ever since he was a teenager.

Deciding to do it now did not come easily.

Larson always voted for McCoy in the 38th Legislative District that encompasses the Tulalip reservation and most of the cities of Everett and Marysville.

He’s agreed with most of the votes McCoy cast and is behind him on controversial issues involving American Indians that have surfaced.

Larson said he sent three e-mails to the lawmaker and left a number of voice mails with his office over the last two years.

Earlier this month, when the five-day filing period commenced, Larson monitored online whether anyone signed up to run against the incumbent. When no one had by the next-to-last day, he did.

“It’s about respect and responsibility. I’m a teacher. Being responsive is to be responsible. I don’t feel that’s happening,” he said.

McCoy said he checked his files and came up with one e-mail from Larson. It was on the subject of education and he said he replied to it.

Larson did not file as a Republican or Democrat. His preferred party is “no party” because he feels he’s independent.

Larson entered with apprehension. Now, he’s excited and has realized the time, expense and difficulty involved in making a serious run. With only the two of them on the ballot, he’ll make it to November’s general election.

He’s paying out of his pocket for signs and a statement in the voter’s pamphlet. He doesn’t plan to go door to door “because I don’t like to be door-belled,” he said.

Answering questions on surveys from interest groups contemplating endorsements is helping Larson focus his pitch on what will be the major tenets of his campaign — political accountability, fiscal responsibility, health care, aid for veterans and, of course, education.

He’s hoping when voters get wind of him, they’ll answer his call for support.

“Wow, I’ve got work to do,” he said earlier this week. “I feel energized. I feel the time is right for some change in scenery.”