By Susanna Ray
Herald Writer
A couple of local races began shaping up Tuesday as candidates confirmed speculations and made their intentions known in Snohomish County’s increasingly topsy-turvy political landscape.
State Rep. Aaron Reardon, D-Everett, announced he would forgo his re-election bid for the House this year to instead seek the state Senate being vacated by Jeri Costa, D-Marysville, who decided to retire from the Legislature for financial reasons. Reardon succeeded Costa in the House in 1998 when she won her Senate seat.
That will make for a repeat matchup with Erv Hoglund, a retired airline pilot from Everett who lost to Reardon by nearly 13 percent in the 1998 elections. Hoglund was just 2 percent behind Rep. Jean Berkey, D-Everett, in his second failed bid for the House in a special election last year.
Several former candidates are making one more stab at election this year.
The state Public Disclosure Commission posted a candidate registration form on its Web site Tuesday for John McCoy, showing that the Tulalip Tribes’ governmental affairs director intends to seek Reardon’s seat in the House.
McCoy, a Democrat, was in the 10th Legislative District when he lost his race against Rep. Kelly Barlean, R-Langley, by more than 20 percent in 2000. But the Tulalips’ reservation is in the 38th Legislative District along with Everett and Marysville under the new districts that were drawn to reflect population shifts. That probably gives McCoy a better chance, since 38th District voters have consistently gone Democratic.
Gregory Lemke is going up against Berkey as a Republican this year after two failed attempts on the Reform Party ticket against the longtime legislator Berkey succeeded, the late Pat Scott.
And Daniel Kristiansen is back at it, hoping to fill the vacant spot that was left in the 39th District when Rep. Hans Dunshee, D-Snohomish, was drawn out of his district and into the 44th. Kristiansen, a Snohomish Republican, lost his 2000 race against Dunshee by about 4 percent.
But first Kristiansen has to win his party’s nod to represent it on the general election ballot. He’s up against former Sultan City Council member Carolyn Eslick for the September primary election.
There are quite a few political newcomers this year, too, including Bothell Republican Joshua Freed, who is hoping to unseat Rep. Al O’Brien, D-Mountlake Terrace.
You can call Herald Writer Susanna Ray at 425-339-3439
or send e-mail to ray@heraldnet.com.
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