Just 10 months into the first year of his first term in Snohomish County government, County Executive Aaron Reardon has filed to run for re-election in 2007.
Reardon, elected in November 2003, registered Oct. 4 with the state Public Disclosure Commission to seek a second term. Registering as a candidate gives Reardon the chance to start raising money for his next race.
“My agenda won’t be accomplished in four years,” he said.
Reardon’s main goals as county executive, laid out in his inaugural address and state of the county speech in January, include priority-based budgeting, creating transparency in government and developing a business plan to create jobs.
Work on those goals is well under way, although some of the planning is far from completion.
The County Council is reviewing Reardon’s proposed priority-based budget for 2005 and is expected to make some changes.
Reardon’s citizens cabinet released its business plan for improving the county’s economic climate in August, but some of the group’s recommendations – such as starting passenger air service at Paine Field or creating a plan to bring a four-year college to the county – are still in the embryonic stage.
Reardon closed his campaign on Oct. 22, 2003, after having spent $244,053 to run against Republican Dave Earling of Edmonds.
Filing for re-election early isn’t unheard of.
King County Executive Ron Sims filed to run for another term in April 2002, more than three years before King County’s next election for county executive.
In Snohomish County, candidates for executive have typically waited until the year before the race.
Bob Drewel filed to run for his third term in December 1998 and was re-elected the following November. However, Drewel didn’t formally announce his campaign until kickoff rallies in April 1999.
Earling announced plans to run for executive in late June 2002 and registered as a candidate a week later.
“We put together a steering committee, and the decision was made that it would take a good year to put a campaign together. It’s no more complicated than that,” Earling said.
“I think everybody’s got to pick and choose their own spot to decide how they approach their campaign,” he added.
Angela Trindle, the volunteer treasurer for Reardon’s campaign, said donations already are coming in.
“We live in a time that the perpetual campaign does exist,” Reardon said. “That’s unfortunately the nature of the beast.”
Reporter Brian Kelly: 425-339-3422 or kelly@heraldnet.com.
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