Not long ago, the 1st and 2nd congressional districts were ones that swung back and forth between the major parties. This year, the national Republican Party opted to funnel its resources elsewhere, deeming these two seats essentially safe for the Democrats.
That’s strong testament to the effectiveness of Rick Larsen, who represents Island and most of Snohomish County in the 2nd District, and Jay Inslee, whose 1st District includes southwest Snohomish County. Both are easy choices for another two-year term in the House of Representatives.
Larsen, a former Snohomish County Council member, is seeking a third term. As a now-seasoned member of the Armed Services Committee, he has been a strong and effective advocate for the Navy bases in Everett and Oak Harbor, and will continue to highlight their military value as the Defense Department begins the next round of base closures. His voice on defense issues is a credible one, which figures to help as a new deal takes shape to sell Boeing 767 refueling tankers to the Pentagon.
Larsen is casting a reputation as a reasoned moderate who is capable of compromising on issues without compromising his principles. A good example is his work on the Wild Sky Wilderness bill, which would establish a new wilderness area north of Index.
With the Wild Sky plan – the product of an inclusive public process spearheaded by Larsen and Sen. Patty Murray – being blocked by a hostile committee chairman, Larsen welcomed an effort by Rep. George Nethercutt to discuss possible solutions. Larsen signed onto a compromise that would have eliminated some 1,300 acres from the original plan. When the committee chairman shot down that idea, however, Larsen refused to go along with a new plan from Nethercutt that would have undermined the main characteristic of Wild Sky: low-level wilderness, accessible to citizens other than hard-core hikers.
Larsen was willing to go along with a compromise that wouldn’t undermine the nature of Wild Sky, but stuck to his guns when that was threatened. That’s what a good congressmen should do.
Larsen is challenged by moderate Republican Suzanne Sinclair, the Island County auditor. Sinclair is intelligent and well-spoken, clearly a capable public servant. Serving in Congress requires a tremendous range of knowledge, though, and Sinclair has more homework to do. Asked about an impending federal effort to restructure how electricity is bought and sold in the Western United States, a plan that could raise bills for Northwest ratepayers, Sinclair admitted she didn’t know much about it.
Still, she is on balance a bright candidate, one who might do well as a future state legislative candidate.
Combative Libertarian Bruce Guthrie also is in the race, charging that Larsen violated his oath of office by knowingly voting for unconstitutional legislation. It makes for a provocative sound bite, but is too over the top to carry any weight.
The energetic Inslee is seeking a fourth term. He is a leading voice on energy issues, a champion for exploring alternative sources that will wean us away from our dependence on petroleum. His legislation to provide funding for organ-donor coordinators was signed into law this year, and he has been a loud and effective advocate for better baggage screening in airports and effective, low-impact screening of ferry traffic.
Inslee is challenged by Randy Eastwood, a conservative real estate agent from Kenmore. A political newcomer, Eastwood doesn’t measure up to Inslee’s experience or make a compelling case for replacing him.
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