Wendy DiPeso’s sudden announcement of a write-in run for Shoreline City Council may be one of the most improbable political events — here or anywhere.
It was probably three months ago that someone named her as a probable challenger for City Councilman Keith McGlashan.
Yet when filing came and went in early June, McGlashan was unopposed, and DiPeso had filed to run for the school board, apparently spurred by the district’s threat to take over the Shoreline Historical Museum. The run for school board lasted about a week, ending with her withdrawing and backing another candidate.
Now, she’s starting a write-in campaign against McGlashan, an incumbent who would have been vulnerable, as incumbents always are in Shoreline.
But a write-in run is almost impossible, especially with only one candidate on the ballot because she would have to get a majority, rather then a mere plurality. When it looked as though Councilwoman Janet Way was going to have to run as a write-in, I thought she might have a chance if the opposition vote were split and Way would need only a little more than a third of the vote.
Making a credible run will be expensive, probably draining resources from her natural allies — incumbents Cindy Ryu and Way, and Christopher Roberts, who is challenging Councilman Ron Hansen.
Of course, it will make McGlashan raise and spend money, too, but not nearly as much as DiPeso will have to spend on the write-in campaign. So this may hurt DiPeso’s allies more than it helps them.
Minnesota election wouldn’t happen here
Al Franken was sworn in as the junior senator from Minnesota on Tuesday, nearly eight months after Election Day and six months after the new Congress convened. I asked whether such a thing could happen in Washington.
A spokesman for the secretary of state’s office said no.
That’s because Washington law allows the secretary of state to certify an election while a candidate is still contesting the result.
For example, in the disputed 2004 governor’s race, the dispute went on in the courts after the secretary of state had certified the result and Gov. Christine Gregoire had been sworn in.
State law would have allowed the courts to overturn the result even after one candidate has taken office
A protest against the state’s election system
In southern Washington, Krist Novoselic, formerly of the band Nirvana, filed to run for Wahkiakum County clerk, using the party preference “Grange Party.”
It was a protest against the nonsense of last year that had at least 20 candidates around the state, including gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi, list their party preferences as “Grand Old Party” or “GOP” rather than Republican. One candidate listed his preference as “No New Taxes Party”; another listed the “Salmon Yoga Party.”
Of course, there is no “No New Taxes Party,” or “Salmon Yoga Party,” and “GOP” and “Grand Old Party” are nicknames for the Republican Party.
Novoselic made his point and withdrew.
In January, the Legislature will consider a bill requested by Secretary of State Sam Reed that would limit party preferences to groups that have won recognition by submitting petitions with 25 signatures.
Evan Smith can be reached at entpolitics@heraldnet.com
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