Koster will run against Larsen for Congress

Published 1:23 pm Wednesday, January 13, 2010

EVERETT – Snohomish County Councilman John Koster announced today that he will challenge Democratic U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen this fall to represent Washington’s 2nd Congressional District.

In a release this morning, the Arlington Republican said he offers a steady conservative political approach to that of the “‘progressive’ socialist agenda” of the incumbent.

Koster, 58, is fresh from winning his third term on the County Council in November.

Koster and Larsen dueled for the same congressional seat in 2000 in one of the closest races in the area in years. It also was a contest in which the Democratic and Republican national parties poured in people and resources.

Koster led Larsen in the September primary by 4,000 votes.

In the November general election, Larsen won by 12,000 votes. He finished with 50.01 percent of the vote to Koster’s 45.93 percent. Two other candidates, including another Republican, split the remaining votes.

By the time it ended, Larsen had spent $1.5 million and Koster $1.1 million.

Larsen has not had as tough a battle since.

In 2008, he walloped former Snohomish County Sheriff Rick Bart, capturing 62.4 percent of the vote.

The Lake Stevens Democrat has become a prolific fundraiser. He raised $1.4 million for his last campaign and had $440,000 in the bank as of Sept. 30, 2009.

By comparison, Koster raised and spent $175,000 in his recent victory.