Voters in Mukilteo, Lynnwood and Edmonds will find only one contested race for the Legislature on the 21st District ballot. It’s a race with interesting contrasts.
Democrats Mary Helen Roberts and Mike Huisman are running to replace Democratic Rep. Mike Cooper, who is giving up his seat to run for state public lands commissioner. Republican Roger “Cowboy” Wilson and Libertarian Stephen Cornell are running unopposed in their party primaries.
Roberts’ campaign is well-organized and polished, backed by a laundry list of traditional Democratic supporters. Huisman’s appears to be run out of his home office, and he highlights the fact that he lacks traditional political backing, billing himself as a moderate and independent thinker. He doesn’t appear quite comfortable in either major party, having made previous runs for the Legislature as a Republican. He says he switched because the GOP turned right while he was still traveling down the center.
Roberts, while she hasn’t held elected office, has pertinent public experience, including serving as an Edmonds Community College trustee, running the Washington State Women’s Council and working as an analyst for the House Appropriations Committee in Olympia. Huisman, who has volunteered for a number of community groups over the years, has spent his working career in the private sector, working in a variety of industries.
The most important difference is in the candidates’ familiarity with issue details. On that score, Roberts wins. That’s why we recommend her.
Roberts is familiar with the background and nuances of issues facing the Legislature, having worked on many of them for years. It’s apparent that while Huisman has some thoughtful views and proposals, particularly on the economy, Roberts has a greater understanding of education issues – from early childhood programs through higher ed – as well as transportation and health care.
That isn’t to say that Huisman couldn’t serve the district ably. And this editorial board appreciates his political independence. He would, however, have a steeper learning curve than Roberts, and with the Legislature facing another series of budget shortfalls, knowledge of how things work in Olympia will be important.
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