Steve Hobbs, who came into this year’s state Senate campaign having never held elected office before, could be on his way to Olympia.
Hobbs, D-Lake Stevens, led by nearly 2,000 votes over incumbent Dave Schmidt, R-Mill Creek, when early results were released Tuesday, Nov. 7 for the 44th Leglislative District. Hobbs had just under 55 percent of the vote Tuesday night.
“I’m cautiously optimistic,” Hobbs said. “It’s a good trend. It follows what is going on nationally.”
Nonetheless, Hobbs was not ready to declare victory Tuesday night.
“I’d like to see the rest of the vote. You never know.”
Hobbs is an Iraq war veteran who made education a large part of his campaign. One of his platforms is to create partnerships with labor unions and businesses so students can receive vocational training while still in high school. He also advocates requiring large businesses to provide health care coverage to employees.
Before this year, Hobbs ran unsuccessfully for Snohomish County Council last year, losing in the primary. In September of this year, he defeated Lillian Kaufer of Snohomish in the Democratic Senate primary even though the 44th District Democrats endorsed Kaufer.
Schmidt has served the 44th District as either a state Senator or state Representative for 12 years, first getting elected to office during the 1994 election that saw Republicans nationally make gains in state and federal races.
Schmidt said this year could be a “tsunami election,” where one party sweeps several races. He said that the vote was likely one based not so much on his performance, but because of troubles the Republican Party has had nationally with President Bush’s policies, the ongoing war in Iraq and a variety of scandals. He cited how Republicans in traditionally GOP cities, like Spokane, Kirkland and Bellevue, were losing Tuesday night.
Nonetheless, Schmidt, the ranking minority member of the Senate Education Committee, said he was optimistic about narrowing Hobbs’ lead, in part because of estimates that show a potential turnout of 50,000 voters in the district. A little more than 19,500 votes were tabulated as of Tuesday night, the first all-mail general election in Snohomish County history.
“A lot of Democrats were voting early this year because they were motivated,” Schmidt said. “Republicans were voting later. I think we’ll know more by Friday (Nov. 10).”
A Hobbs victory would turn the 44th District completely into the hands of the Democrats, who were also well on their way to retaining both of the district’s seats in the state Legislature.
State Rep. John Lovick, D-Mill Creek, was easily leading political newcomer Robert Legg, R-Lake Stevens, for representative position 2 with 61.4 percent of the vote Tuesday night.
“We doorbelled 125 precincts, 30,000 doors, and the results are very clear,” said Lovick, who won a fifth term. “People are concerned about education, health care, transportation, helping small businesses. They want a four-year college in Snohomish County, and we’re going to work toward that.”
Hans Dunshee, D-Snohomish, also appeared to win re-election to a seventh term, defeating Mike Hope, R-Lake Stevens, with 58 percent of the vote. Dunshee also defeated Hope for the seat in 2004.
“Thank you for hiring me,” Dunshee said about voters. “I’m honored and ready to get to work.”
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