Snohomish County Councilmen Mike Cooper and Dave Gossett, Democrats who represent South Snohomish County, made up the minority when the council selected a new prosecuting attorney last week.
The council voted 3-2 to appoint Deputy Prosecutor Mark Roe to replace former Prosecutor Janice Ellis. Cooper and Gossett supported District 1 Fire Commissioner Jim Kenny, an assistant Seattle City prosecutor.
County Democratic precinct committee officers had recommended Roe, Kenny and Fire Commissioner Millie Judge as finalists, having given Kenny 90 votes, Roe 56 and Judge 1.
Democratic Councilmen Dave Somers and Brian Sullivan defied party officials by joining Republican Councilman John Koster in supporting Roe. Cooper said Monday that the council majority “chose the insider instead of the candidate who was supported by a broad cross section of the community.
“It was a choice of an insider versus a person from the outside with a balance of leadership, experience and temperament to lead change.
“Both candidates were extensively interviewed several times by grassroots elected officials, the precinct committee officers, those members of the community made an overwhelmingly informed choice,” he added.
Cooper said he got no pressure from party officials to support Kenny.
“The pressure I received was not from the party officials but rather from the Roe supporters who discounted the role that is played by precinct committee officers who run for office and are elected by their neighbors in the most basic form of grassroots representative government,” he said.
Roe will serve until next year’s election, when voters will choose a prosecutor for a full four-year term plus the last six weeks of Ellis’ term.
Corrected comments on the Lynnwood election
Last week, I incorrectly attributed a quote saying that Kerri Lonergan spent lots of money on mailers to voters to Lonergan’s opponent, Councilwoman Ruth Ross. That statement should have been attributed to Councilwoman Lisa Utter.
Evan Smith can be reached at schsmith@verizon.net.
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