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Politics & Government

Smith on Politics: Legislative Challenger Raising Money While Incumbents Tied Up in Olympia

Legislators say why they supported gay marriage

A challenger in Lake Forest Park’s new legislative district has been raising money while incumbent legislators have been busy in the legislative session and barred from raising money until after the session.

Democrat Sylvester Cann has raised $15,680, all during the time that incumbent legislators and other State officials are barred from raising money.

Cann is challenging appointed incumbent Democratic State Rep. Gerry Pollet in the 46th Legislative District, a district that now is made up of the northeast quarter of Seattle but will include Lake Forest Park beginning with the August primary and November general election.

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State Public Disclosure Commission reports show that Cann has spent $875. Pollet has reported no fundraising or spending.

Cann reports contributions from 121 donors, ranging from $30 to $800, and he continues to hold fundraising events, including one next week in the University District.

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Donors can give a candidate up to $800 for the primary and $800 for the general election, but, so far, no contributor has given more than once.

Cann was an applicant for the position when Pollet was appointed to replace David Frockt, after Frockt was appointed to the State Senate to replace the late Sen. Scott White.

While Pollet has an announced opponent, neither of the other incumbents in the District does.

Frockt has registered with the PDC as a candidate for the last two years of the Senate term. Phyllis Gutierrez Kenney has registered as a candidate for re-election. Neither has an announced opponent.

The two incumbents without opposition had raised plenty of money before the period in which they couldn’t raise money. Gutierrez-Kenney has reported raising $5,700 and spending $100. Frockt has raised $12,313 and spent $3,537.

In the 32nd District, incumbent State Rep. Ruth Kagi reports raising $9,102 with no spending, and incumbent Democratic Rep. Cindy Ryu has raised $37,597 and spent $13,736, with a campaign debt of $1,800.

No Republicans have registered with the State Public Disclosure Commission as candidates in either district. In 2010 in the 46th District, both White and Frockt won without opposition, and Kenny defeated an independent opponent by an 84 percent to 16 percent margin. In the 32nd District, Kagi, Ryu and State Sen. Maralyn Chase all defeated Republican opponents with at least 60 percent of the vote.

The five incumbents and one challenger have registered with the PDC to allow them to raise and spend money for the August primary and November general election. Candidates file for ballot positions May 14-18.

The 32nd District has included Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Kenmore and part of Kirkland in King County and Woodway, south Edmonds and nearby unincorporated areas of southwest Snohomish County. With redistricting, it will include Shoreline, part of northwest Seattle, Woodway, south Edmonds and nearby unincorporated areas of southwest Snohomish County and the City of Lynnwood.

The 46th District has been made up of northwest Seattle and now will include Lake Forest Park in addition to northeast Seattle.

Local legislators explain support for marriage equality bill

All six legislators from the 32nd and 46th legislative districts voted for the marriage-equality bill that the Legislature recently passed and Gov. Christine Gregoire signed Tuesday.

Kenney said Saturday that she voted for the bill because same-sex couples deserve the same recognition of their relationships that heterosexual couples have.

Chase issued a statement noting that Washington has long been a leader on social change, pointing out that Washington had allowed women to vote a decade before the 19th Amendment to the U.S, Constitution and that Washington had legalized abortion nearly three years before the U.S.  Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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