Another political veteran may soon enter the race to succeed Snohomish County Councilman Gary Nelson next year.
Democrat Mike Cooper is already in. The former state legislator formed his campaign committee and set off running Nov. 7.
His Republican opponent may be former state lawmaker Renee Radcliff Sinclair.
“I can say I’m about 92 percent sure that I’m going to do it,” she said Thursday.
She said she needs to talk to her boss. More importantly, she also wants to get a good read on whether her party is taking steps to reconnect with voters who turned on Republicans all across the country this election.
If being an “R” remains a strong voter repellant, even for candidates in a county race, there would be little chance of winning, she reasoned.
Sinclair benefited from the last time the electorate rejected one of the major parties.
In 1994, voters were in a foul mood with Democrats and tossed them out of power in the state Legislature and Congress.
She ran for the state House of Representatives that year. She easily won in the 21st Legislative District.
Her vanquished opponent: Mike Cooper.
Two years later, she ran unopposed and Cooper edged out Republican Jerry Blanton for the district’s other House position.
Sinclair and Cooper wound up serving as seatmates until she left office in 2000.
The two showed up on the same ballot again in November 2005 when each sought and won seats on the Snohomish County Charter Review Committee.
It may happen again in 2007 when Nelson must step down due to term limits. Nelson approached Sinclair in February about running.
She’s within 8 percent of deciding.
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Democratic state Rep. Brian Sullivan is no longer talking about running for Snohomish County Council in 2007.
He’s in. He’s been in for several days.
Mukilteo firefighters endorsed him Nov. 8, the day after Sullivan won re-election to state office in a race in which he was unopposed.
Sullivan said he’s filing paperwork to form a campaign committee. He’ll have roughly $20,000 to start; that’s the amount left over from this election.
Sullivan said Thursday he won’t quit as a legislator while campaigning for the seat Democratic Councilman Kirke Sievers must relinquish because of term limits.
Nor does Sullivan think voters will be angry with him or feel deceived at his announcing so soon after winning their support for the state job.
“Running for county council is a continuation of my public service,” he said. “Frankly, after six years serving the state of Washington and my district, it’s time to come home.”
Two other Democrats – state Sen. Jean Berkey and Everett City Councilman Mark Olson – are considering running for the seat.
Reporter Jerry Cornfield’s column on politics runs every Sunday. He can be heard at 7 a.m. Monday on the Morning Show on KSER 90.7 FM. He can be reached at 360-352-8623 or jcornfield@heraldnet.com.
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