State Legislature

For House of Representatives Position #2 in the 11th Legislative District there are two candidates on the ballot. Incumbant Representative Bob Hasegawa is running again against law firm business manager John Potter.

Representative Hasegawa, the incumbant Democrat, took a large majority of the vote in the August Primary (70-30) against Mr. Potter, the Republican who has run unsuccessfully against this incumbant twice before.

Representative Hasegawa lives on Beacon Hill, and has easily won and held this seat in the heavily-Democrat 11th District. He has been an all-but lock for the agenda of the Majority in the State House (as he bucked House leadership in voting against authorizing tolls for 520 & I-90).

For House of Representatives Position #1 in the 11th Legislative District there are two candidates on the ballot. Incumbant Representative Zack Hudgins is running again against David Morris.

Representative Hudgins, the incumbant Democrat, took a large majority of the vote in the August Primary (almost 70-30) against Mr. Morris, the Republican. At least this election cycle there are two candidates running for this office....

Representative Hudgins lives in Tukwila, and like Representative Hasegawa easily holds this seat for his party. He is even more of a lock for voting with his party's leadership than Rep. Hasegawa.

As I am not a fan of the current majority in the State Legislature's House of Representatives I will be voting for the challenger in both House elections in my district.

For State Senator for the 11th Legislative District we are now down to two Democrats running (thanks to the Top Two primary system we now use in this state). Incumbant Senator Margarita Prentice is running against former political staffer and activist Juan Martinez.

Senator Prentice, the powerful incumbant Democrat who chairs the State Senate Ways & Means Committee, nearly took a majority (48%+) in the August Primary over two other Democrats (as the Republican Party has often failed to field a candidate for the Legislature in this Democrat-dominated district). Juan Martinez got nearly 28% of the vote in the same Primary.

I don't think I can put it better than The Stranger did:

Incumbent Margarita Prentice, head of the state senate's powerful Ways and Means Committee, has been in the legislature for 20 years. Now some of her more controversial positions are starting to catch up to her. Senate leadership is reportedly considering ousting Prentice because of her ill-fated efforts to build a $500 million stadium for the Sonics in Renton; because she wants to tap the new state "rainy day fund"; and because she has supported controversial constituencies like payday lenders and casinos. In 2004, just four of Prentice's contributions were from residents of her district—just $175 out of the total $160,000 Prentice raised. It's time for new blood in the 11th. Vote Martinez.

Mr. Martinez's world view is even further to the left than that of Senator Prentice; however, the Senator's extensive tenure in the State Legislature, in my opinion, has superseded any political ideology she may have had with that of establishment power (meaning her own).

While I certainly would not pick a former staffer for Congressman Jim McDermott as my ideal representative in Olympia, his election would mean the overdue retirement of Senator Prentice from elected office.

In what is truly a vote against incumbant Margarita Prentice I am voting for Juan Martinez for the State Senate for the 11th Legislative District.