It’s (early) election season, and 38 seats are up for grabs

Published 1:30 am Monday, May 14, 2018

EVERETT — The 2018 election season gets under way Monday as candidates can begin filing for a slew of local, state and federal offices.

Starting at 9 a.m, candidates can sign up to run for seats in Congress, the Legislature or the Everett City Council. There are also judicial positions on this year’s ballot including three on the state Supreme Court.

In all, 38 offices are up for election in Snohomish County. Candidates can file online through 4 p.m. Friday and until 5 p.m if they do it in person at the Snohomish County auditor’s office in Everett.

People seeking a federal office or a legislative seat in a district that lies in two or more counties must file with the Secretary of State’s office. For any position with a salary, there is a filing fee equal to 1 percent of the annual wage.

The primary is Aug. 7 and the general election is Nov. 6.

This year’s election also features federal contests.

Democrat U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell is pursuing a fourth term and three members of the U.S. House of Representatives who represent the county — Reps. Rick Larsen, of Everett, Suzan DelBene, of Medina, and Pramila Jayapal, of Seattle, — are seeking re-election.

Voters in Snohomish County will be choosing, or helping to choose, 14 members of the state House and another five in the state Senate.

In the rural 39th Legislative District, a crowd is expected in the race to succeed the retiring House Minority Leader Dan Kristiansen, R-Snohomish. Three Republicans and two Democrats already are on the campaign trail.

Expect a heated battle for the state Senate seat in the same district.

Sen. Keith Waggoner, R-Sedro-Woolley, was appointed to the job after the former senator, Kirk Pearson, left for a federal job. Waggoner is seeking to keep it and Elizabeth Scott, a Republican and former state lawmaker, is challenging him.

A third person, Jamal Rabieh, an independent, also has formed a political committee.

In the neighboring 44th Legislative District, all three state lawmakers face re-election challenges.

Sen. Steve Hobbs, D-Lake Stevens, may face at least two opponents — Republican Doug Roulstone, of Snohomish, a retired naval officer who ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2006, and Libertarian Jeremy Fitch, a resident of Everett and a Snohomish County business owner.

Rep. John Lovick, D-Mill Creek, will be up against Republican Jeff Sax, a former Snohomish County Councilman. And Rep. Mark Harmsworth, R-Mill Creek, is to be challenged by Democrat Jared Mead, a Mill Creek City Councilman.

This year’s election includes contests for a seat on the Everett City Council and a successor to retiring Snohomish County Prosecutor Mark Roe.

In Everett, City Councilwoman Ethel McNeal will seek to retain the job to which she was appointed in January.

McNeal was chosen to fill the seat formerly held by Mayor Cassie Franklin.

Tyler Rourke, a project engineer at Electroimpact Inc. in Mukilteo and a member of the city’s Transportation Advisory Committee, has announced he’ll seek the seat as well. He also sought the appointment in January.

In the prosecutor’s contest, deputy prosecutor Adam Cornell launched his campaign in November. No one else had publicly announced their intention to run as of last week.

Island County voters will be casting ballots on 19 offices including those held by Cantwell and Larsen.

Both Republican lawmakers in the 10th Legislative District will each face at least one challenger. Rep. Norma Smith, R-Clinton, will be up against Democrat Scott McMullen, of Mount Vernon, and Rep. Dave Hayes, R-Camano Island, will take on Democrat David Paul, of Oak Harbor.

There also are eight Island County positions on the ballot including commissioner, sheriff and prosecutor.

Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623; jcornfield@herald net.com. Twitter: @dospueblos.