Snohomish County voters joined with others around the state in approving Referendum 71 and rejecting Initiative 1033 in November.
The vote to approve R-71, the expansion of Washington’s domestic partnership law, showed a split between the Puget Sound area and the rest of the state. The vote against I-1033, however, showed it losing throughout the state.
That shows a state divided on social issues, but not on the economic issue presented by I-1033.
The expansion of domestic-partnership rights passed 53 percent to 47 percent but won in only 10 counties — all bordering on Puget Sound — and lost in counties east of the Cascades and south of Olympia.
Initiative 1033, the Tim Eyman-sponsored measure to freeze government spending, failed by a 58-42 percent margin, passing only in three Northeast Washington counties, four Central Washington counties and eight Southwest Washington counties.
Perspectives on the MLT election
Re-elected Mountlake Terrace City Councilman Rick Ryan and his election opponent, Ann Nygaard, both said recently that theirs was a hard-fought campaign despite Ryan’s 61 percent to 39 percent margin.
Ryan said that he doorbelled almost every home in the city.
When I asked Ryan about why Councilman John Zambrano had lost by a 61-38 percent margin to Councilman Jerry Smith, Ryan said it was because of Smith’s reputation in the community. Ryan admitted that Zambrano’s challenge to Smith put the council in a tough spot, but said he expected the council to act for the best interests of the city.
More perspectives on the Lynnwood election
Lynnwood City Councilwoman-elect Kimberly Cole attributes her 57 percent to 43 percent victory over Dan Swank to hard work and a message voters appreciated.
Lisa Utter, who now holds the position that Cole won, has a more detailed explanation.
Utter, who gave up her seat to run for mayor in the primary, says that Cole won because of an early start on the campaign, name recognition from her previous election to the Stevens Hospital Board and support from local Democrats.
Mill Creek voters help change a school board
Voters in Mill Creek and the rest of the Everett School District started to change the school board by electing two new members in November.
Voters elected newcomers Jessica Olson and Jeff Russell to a board that had faced criticism for conducting a superintendent search in private, for allowing electronic spying on a teacher and for pursuing expensive litigation against former student-newspaper editors.
Evan Smith can be reached at schsmith@verizon.net.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
