Change swept through politics in south Snohomish County in 2012

Significant redistricting, re-election of all legislative and congressional incumbents and reinforcement of local city councils with appointments of new members marked south Snohomish County politics in 2012,

The city councils in Edmonds, Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace all appointed new members to fill vacancies during the year.

The Edmonds City Council appointed former planning commissioner Kristiana Johnson in early June to replace former Councilman Michael Plunkett.

Then, in August, the Mountlake Terrace Council appointed Bryan Wahl, another planning commissioner, to fill the position left open by the resignation of former Councilwoman Michelle Robles.

In late November, the Lynnwood City Council appointed the Rev. Christopher Boyer to replace former Councilwoman Kim Cole, whom the council had dismissed for excessive absences.

All three appointees plan to run in the 2013 election, Boyer and Johnson for full four-year terms, Wahl for the last two years of the four-year term that Robles won in 2011.

Congressional and legislative redistricting brought big changes to the area.

The old 1st Congressional District was divided, with Edmonds and Woodway becoming part of the 7th District centered around Seattle, and Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace and Brier becoming part of the 2nd Congressional District, which stretches along the coastal areas of Snohomish, Skagit and Whatcom counties from Mukilteo to Bellingham.

Lynnwood moved from the 21st Legislative District to the 32nd District, joining south Edmonds, Woodway and nearby unincorporated areas of southwest Snohomish County, Shoreline, and part of northwest Seattle. Part of Mountlake Terrace also joined the 32nd District from the 1st Legislative District.

Despite the changed boundaries, all congressional and legislative incumbents on the ballot won comfortably, Democratic 7th District Congressman Jim McDermott won re-election with almost 80 percent of the vote; Democratic 2nd District Congressman Rick Larsen won with more than 61 percent; and incumbent 32nd District Democratic state Reps, Ruth Kagi and Cindy Ryu won with 73 percent and 72 percent.

In the 21st Legislative District, which still includes most of Edmonds and unincorporated areas north of Edmonds and Lynnwood, along with Mukilteo and part of south Everett, incumbent Democratic State Reps, Marko Liias and Mary Helen Roberts both were unopposed in the August primary. Republican Kevin Morrison got enough write-in votes in the primary to qualify to oppose Liias on the November ballot, but Liias won by a 61-39 margin.

The 1st Legislative District, including most of Mountlake Terrace, all of Brier and Bothell, part of Kirkland, unincorporated areas of King County between Bothell and Kirkland, and unincorporated areas of Snohomish County north and east of Bothell, brought in more than $1 million in campaign spending, most of it in the Senate contest between Democratic incumbent Rosemary McAuliffe and Republican challenger Dawn McCravey, McAuliffe won by a 55-45 margin. In other 1st Legislative District contests, incumbent Democratic State Rep. Derek Stanford defeated Republican challenger Sandy Guinn 58 percent to 42 percent, and incumbent Democratic State Rep. Luis Moscoso won with 61 percent against Mark Davies, who had qualified for the November ballot as a write-in candidate in the primary.

Also in 2012, a measure on the August primary ballot in Mountlake Terrace that would have provided money for a new civic campus, got a 58 percent “yes” vote but fell short of the required 60 percent. City officials plan to try again in April.

And talks continued among officials from Brier, Edmonds, Lynnwood, Mill Creek, Mountlake Terrace, Mukilteo, Woodway and fire districts 1 and 7 about forming a regional fire authority.

Evan Smith can be reached at schsmith@frontier.com