EVERETT – Union leader Mike Sells had a slight lead over incumbent state Rep. David Simpson Tuesday night for Position 2 in the 38th Legislative District Democratic primary.
For Position 1, incumbent Democrat Rep. John McCoy had a sound lead over challenger Randall Rike. After the first returns, Rike announced his support for Republican Kim Halvorson, who McCoy is likely to face on Nov. 2.
Sells said he is optimistic about the results.
“Tomorrow it is back at it,” he said. “I’ve been working hard … and this means I’ll be back at it tomorrow if I win the race.”
Sells will take on Republican Erv Hoglund in the general election. Hoglund ran unopposed in the GOP primary.
Hoglund said he feels “great” about facing Sells.
“I figured (Sells) would probably be the winner of the contest,” Hoglund said, adding that Sells had the “union work force to help him out.”
McCoy said the early returns indicated an “energized Democratic base.”
“It just means that I have to continue campaigning like I have,” he said. “We’re working to try to bring some union jobs, but there’s a number of things the Legislature has to do, and that the local jurisdictions have to do to attract them.
“We’re working together to attract other businesses to diversify our economic base,” he said.
Halvorson said Rike getting so many votes “is great news for me.”
“If they didn’t vote for John in the primary, they aren’t voting for John in the general,” she said. “We’ve got a race of all races here. It’s crunch time now.”
The 38th District covers Everett, the Tulalip Indian Reservation and part of Marysville.
Simpson, 48, campaigned as a Democrat who gets along with legislators from both parties. In January, the GOP-dominated Snohomish County Council appointed Simpson, a former Everett City Council member, to finish the term of Rep. Jean Berkey. She was appointed to the Senate when Sen. Aaron Reardon won election as county executive.
Sells, 59, secretary-treasurer of the Snohomish County Labor Council, touted his long tenure as a labor union executive and his ability to work with business interests on economic development and education issues.
Simpson received criticism for waffling on two volatile issues – abortion and gay marriage.
Simpson received perfect scores on questionnaires he filled out for the anti-abortion group Human Life of Washington and the pro-abortion-rights NARAL Pro-Choice Washington.
Simpson at first admitted he sought both groups’ endorsements, but later said his answers to the Human Life questionnaire were mistaken. He said he is in favor of abortion rights but personally opposes abortion. Human Life’s political action committee later withdrew its endorsement of Simpson.
On another survey – for the conservative Duvall group VoteFamilies.org – Simpson said he “strongly agreed” with a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.
In an Aug. 23 interview with The Herald, Simpson said he personally supported gay marriage unions and didn’t want to discriminate.
“I’m certain it had an impact” on the election, Sells said. “People look at candidates’ credibility and make judgments based on that.”
Reporter Jennifer Warnick: 425-339-3429 or jwarnick@ heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
