Special election to cost $1M.
Monday, April 9, 2012 | 1:21 p.m.
WA Sec/State Sam Reed "asked House and Senate budget writers for another $995,000 to cover costs associated with educating voters and conducting the balloting in August and September" (Cornfield, Everett Herald, 4/6).
Because in addition to the special election, the district boundaries have been redrawn, "State election officials will spend as much as $225,000 explaining what's going on to voters. With a clear threat of confusion, Democratic Party Chairman Dwight Pelz and Republican Party Chairman Kirby Wilbur say they want it to be clear to a voter who is running for what seat."
Of the eight candidates in the race, only 06/'08 nominee/businessman Larry Ishmael (I) has announced that he will not contest the special election. Ishmael: "I would have run if it was for a four- or five-month stint." The winner of the special election will likely serve no more than one month in office. John Koster (R) campaign manager Larry Stickney: "We're still scratching our heads. There are so many intangibles. There's a lot of opportunity for confusion. We'd love to focus on one campaign, but we're undecided at this point." Each of the six Democrats in the race is similarly mulling his or her options.
State party chairs Pelz and Wilbur have not yet met to discuss the possibility of selecting consensus candidates for the special election. "As the Democratic candidates await the outcome of talks between party leaders, they're assessing the risks and rewards of running in the special election. For example, they wonder if Koster gains any advantage on them if he runs in both races and they only compete against him in the new 1st District."
"Pelz wants Democrats vying for the two-year term to skip the special election, but he knows they are watching each other closely, and, if one jumps into the race, the others may follow. 'I will communicate to each of them that if you're running in the new 1st, we don't want you to run in the old 1st.'"
While the candidates and state party officials may be displeased with the situation, Gov. Chris Gregoire (D) "didn't feel she could legally legave the seat open, nor did she want to, because the lame-duck Congress may deal with issues important to the state, said Cory Curtis, her communications director" (Cornfield, Everett Herald, 4/8).
Because in addition to the special election, the district boundaries have been redrawn, "State election officials will spend as much as $225,000 explaining what's going on to voters. With a clear threat of confusion, Democratic Party Chairman Dwight Pelz and Republican Party Chairman Kirby Wilbur say they want it to be clear to a voter who is running for what seat."
Of the eight candidates in the race, only 06/'08 nominee/businessman Larry Ishmael (I) has announced that he will not contest the special election. Ishmael: "I would have run if it was for a four- or five-month stint." The winner of the special election will likely serve no more than one month in office. John Koster (R) campaign manager Larry Stickney: "We're still scratching our heads. There are so many intangibles. There's a lot of opportunity for confusion. We'd love to focus on one campaign, but we're undecided at this point." Each of the six Democrats in the race is similarly mulling his or her options.
State party chairs Pelz and Wilbur have not yet met to discuss the possibility of selecting consensus candidates for the special election. "As the Democratic candidates await the outcome of talks between party leaders, they're assessing the risks and rewards of running in the special election. For example, they wonder if Koster gains any advantage on them if he runs in both races and they only compete against him in the new 1st District."
"Pelz wants Democrats vying for the two-year term to skip the special election, but he knows they are watching each other closely, and, if one jumps into the race, the others may follow. 'I will communicate to each of them that if you're running in the new 1st, we don't want you to run in the old 1st.'"
While the candidates and state party officials may be displeased with the situation, Gov. Chris Gregoire (D) "didn't feel she could legally legave the seat open, nor did she want to, because the lame-duck Congress may deal with issues important to the state, said Cory Curtis, her communications director" (Cornfield, Everett Herald, 4/8).
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