Hobbs, Ferrie in primary
Published 8:38 am Thursday, July 29, 2010
The 44th Legislative District may be the state’s best example of a swing district. Encompassing Lake Stevens, Snohomish, Mill Creek and portions of Everett and Marysville, the 44th is represented in the Legislature by two Democrats and a Republican, with its Senate seat changing from Republican to Democrat four years ago.
Appropriately, two candidates from each party are vying for that seat in the Aug. 17 primary. Under Washington’s top-two primary system, the two top finishers will advance to the Nov. 2 general election, regardless of party preference. Given the nature of the district, it’s likely to be one from each.
The incumbent, Steve Hobbs, faces a challenge from fellow Democrat Lillian Kaufer and Republicans Ryan Ferrie and Dave Schmidt.
In swing districts, moderates and independents tend to sway elections. On the Democratic side, Hobbs has claimed that territory, having demonstrated considerable independence from his party’s leadership in Olympia and working effectively with Republican Rep. Mike Hope to win a down payment on a key highway project at Frontier Village. We endorse him to advance to the general election.
Kaufer, who runs a small business with her husband and has served as a guardian ad litem, also opposed Hobbs in the 2006 primary. She charges that Hobbs went against the wishes of those who supported his election, including labor interests, saying he “stabbed them in the back.”
If that means he took moderate positions like voting no on a bill to unionize day-care centers or by opposing the repeal of some tax exemptions during a recession, we think he made the right calls. In an exceedingly difficult budget year, few constituencies got most of what they wanted. Given the outlook, few will in the coming years, either.
On the Republican side, Schmidt is running to regain the seat he lost to Hobbs four years ago. Ferrie, a political newcomer at age 37, brings private-sector experience as the owner of an insurance and financial services firm in Lynnwood.
We endorse Ferrie to face Hobbs in November. He correctly labels this “a fiscal election,” and would bring a fresh set of eyes to the huge budget challenges facing the state, along with an openness to new ideas.
Schmidt was a capable legislator during four terms in the House and one in the Senate. His signature victory was securing more than $100 million for Highway 9 improvements by holding out against a gas-tax increase, then offering his vote — which Democrats needed — if the Highway 9 funding was included. He also was a consistent GOP voice for early childhood education.
Ferrie represents the possibility of a new direction. Like Schmidt, he doesn’t recite the party line on issues. One example: He favors taxing vehicles based on gross vehicle weight to help fund highways, hardly a GOP talking point.
Hobbs offers hope for new solutions, too, demonstrated by his leadership in forming a caucus of moderate House and Senate Democrats last session. That group provided some leverage to keep the Democratic leadership in check. Such leverage may be needed to force some of the tough but necessary choices that have been avoided in recent years.
