Smith on Politics: Three Candidates’ Views on the 7th Congressional District Race

Incumbent Democratic 7th District Congressman Jim McDermott says he can't predict whom he will face in the November general election.

Republican challenger Ron Bemis says that he will be McDermott's November opponent because primary voters are active voters who will read the voters' pamphlet and respond to his message of a need to change Congress by electing candidates who will break the partisan stalemate.

Democratic challenger Andrew Hughes says that he will make history by forcing the first Democrat vs. Democrat congressional election since Washington's top-two primary started four years ago.

Bemis said Friday that Hughes would not be a good alternative to McDermott because the two have similar stands on issues. Bemis called McDermott part of the entrenched gridlocked Congress and called Hughes too inexperienced.

McDermott said Saturday, after a doorbelling tour of Edmonds that the outcome is hard to predict because he expects a low turnout for the first early-August primary in state history.

He said that, at every stop, he reminded voters to return their ballots by Aug. 7.

Hughes said Monday that he could present the only real challenge to McDermott in November, adding that if McDermott faces a Republican, "He can just sit back and relax."

McDermott defeated a Republican by an 84 percent to 16 percent margin in 2008 and an independent by an 83-17 margin in 2010.

Both Bemis and Hughes point out that the District has changed with redistricting by adding Shoreline, Edmonds, Woodway and parts of Lake Forest Park that weren't already part of the District and by taking out the southeast quarter of Seattle.

A Republican write-in candidate

One of the unopposed Democrats on your primary ballot may have a Republican opponent in the general election.

Incumbent Democratic State Treasurer Jim McIntire appears alone on the Aug. 7 primary ballot, but Republican Sharon Hanek of Bonney Lake hopes to qualify for the general election ballot as a registered write-in candidate.

To qualify for the general-election ballot, Harek, an accountant, would have to finish second in the primary with at least 1 percent of the votes cast for the position.

Write-in candidates qualified for the general election in two legislative districts in 2008 and at least one in 2010, but it’s harder in a statewide contest.

Registered write-in candidates have their votes counted even with minor misspellings or if the candidates’ party preference is incorrect or missing.

Registered write-in candidates must pay the same fee as candidates who file for ballot position.

Where are the Libertarians, Greens etc.?

The Congressional, statewide and legislative positions on our primary ballots have dozens of candidates who list their party preferences as Democrat, Republican or Independent, but none who list themselves as Libertarian or Green.

In Washington's eight partisan statewide offices, the U.S. Senate race, the 10 Congressional district contests and dozens of contests in the State's 49 legislative districts, there are no candidates who list their party preference as Libertarian or American Heritage or Socialist Labor or Socialist Workers. One legislative candidate lists his preference as Constitution Party. One lists his preference as Green Party.

The one Green Party candidate illustrates what a minor party candidate can do. He is running in a heavily Democratic district centered around San Juan County and coastal areas of Skagit and Whatcom counties. With no Republican running in the district, the Green candidate can qualify easily for the general-election ballot by finishing second to the one Democrat in the primary and getting the visibility that comes with that.

Greens or Libertarians could have done that against unopposed incumbent Democratic 46th District State Sen. David Frockt or against Treasurer McIntire, but a Washington State Green Party spokeswoman said Sunday that the Party has chosen to concentrate on building support systems for candidates in future elections and on supporting the Green Party presidential candidate who already has qualified for the ballot in 22 states and has collected enough donations to qualify for federal matching funds.

About this column: Journalist and Shoreline resident Evan Smith has covered local issues for nearly two decades. His politics column appears on Patch every other week.