August is coming, and amid the mad summer dash to enjoy every rooftop deck and patio in town, we also get to vote in the primary. This year is considered an off-year election, since there’s no presidential race, but there are still a number of elections at various levels of government. Washington has a top-two primary system, meaning that the top two candidates, regardless of party, will face off in November. Locally, that can mean a left-leaning candidate will run against a lefter-leaning candidate, though there are races where Capitol Hillers might see an actual (R) on the ballot in the fall.
To register to vote online, you need a valid Washington Driver’s License or ID card. The deadline for that is July 9. If you miss that deadline, or don’t have either of those ID’s, you can register in person at the county’s election annex. The Deadline for that is July 30.
King County Elections expects to mail out voter pamphlets July 17 and ballots July 18. Returned ballots must be postmarked by Aug. 7, or placed in a ballot drop box by that date. There is a box on Broadway in front of Seattle Central Community College, another by the Garfield Community Center, and more scattered across the county.
U.S. Senator: The highest profile race on the ballot is for the U.S. Senate seat held by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D), who is seeking a third term.
She has drawn 28 challengers, including three Democrats, and a couple of independents who are cut from the Bernie Sanders mold of Democrat. Her top challenge is likely to come from Republican Susan Hutchinson, the former state party chair, though there are 13 Republicans on the ballot, most of whom are looking to drain a swamp, or to make American great again (though they’re kind of cagey on just when it was great), or both. Some of the other high-profile candidates include Joey Gibson, leader of the state’s Patriot Prayer group, Roque “Rocky” De La Fuente, who lives in San Diego (yes, the one in California) and is on the ballot for U.S. Senate in at least five states (which, apparently, is a thing you can just do). There are also candidates from the Green Party, the Freedom Socialist Party, Libertarians, and a grab-bag of lower-profile parties. Perennial candidates like GoodSpaceGuy and Alex Tsimerman round out the group.
U.S. Congress: Capitol Hill, like almost all of Seattle, is in the 7th Congressional District, where first-term Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D) will defend her seat against Republican Craig Keller. The candidates websites offer a study in contrasts, with Jayapal’s opening on a page asking for support for Dreamers, and Keller’s establishing that he is really, really angry about illegal immigration. Since they are the only two on the ballot, this is more like a preview of the general election in November.
Washington Legislature: Capitol Hill lies within District 43, and will see elections for both state representatives and one state senator. Only one of these will be a true primary. Rep. Frank Chopp (D) longtime legislator and Speaker of the House, has drawn two opponents, Claire Torstenbo (R) (her website isn’t active yet, but party officials say its coming) and Boris Joffee (I) (the website listed on King County elections for him doesn’t work).
Incumbent Rep. Nicole Macri (D) will face John Peeples. Curiously, King County Elections says Peeples is a Republican (which means he told them he was), but the word “Republican” does not appear on his website.
In the Senate race, Incumbent Jamie Pedersen (D) will run against Dan Harder. Once again, King County Elections says Republican, but Harder doesn’t claim the mantle. Though he does make reference to “The attempted silencing of the College Republicans by the UW administration.”
Ballot question: It’s on the August ballot, but this isn’t a primary, this is a final vote. King County would like some money so that they might continue to maintain the regional fingerprint system used by all cities and the unincorporated areas to help the police catch criminals. The measure, Proposition 1, would impose a property tax of 3.5 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, starting in 2019 and lasting for six years. For the median Capitol Hill-area home (which hit $1 million back in January), that comes to about $35 a year. This would replace an existing levy, which in 2017 collected taxes at a rate of 4.477 cents per $1,000.
The measure needs a simple majority to pass.
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Craig Keller thinks our existing immigration laws should be enforced. He isn’t angry.
I read his campaign homepage. Sure sounds angry to me.
I read his homepage and did a little more research into him… He certainly sounds like an angry one-issue, frothing crackpot to me… He founded an organization that the SPLC categorizes as a hate group.
He even did an interview with ARC, the group that works with people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities where he managed to drag his completely off topic ranting about illegal immigration into nearly every question they asked… while sidestepping saying anything of substance about the actual questions…
Jim98122x and cd neighbor,
Since I know Craig Keller and you apparently do not, I think my opinion regarding Mr. Keller is valid and your opinion is… let’s just say less valid. I realize there is hatred and intolerance from “progressives” toward those they deem non-“progressive,” and I realize you will not be voting for Craig Keller. It is wrong and unfair to accuse Craig Keller of being angry, though.
As I said, Craig Keller thinks our existing immigration laws should be enforced. It is pretty easy to see which side is angry regarding possible enforcement of existing immigration laws, or have you not read about various actors/”celebrities” advocating kidnapping politicians’ children and turning those children over to pedophiles?
Ah, so since you know him you’re the only one allowed to have a valid opinion on his stances on issues?
If one is required to personally know Mr. Keller to understand how he really feels, then at best he’s running an incredibly poor and ineffective campaign.
Peter Fonda was most certainly angry – he said as much and also *apologized* for saying something that he admits was vulgar, inappropriate and that he regrets.
Will Craig Keller apologize to the people (and their families) that he attempted to terrorize in Burien by publicly posting addresses of people and accusing them of being illegal immigrants that committed crimes, when he could verify neither as fact? Does it bother him that people who were neither ended up on his hate list?
“King County Sheriff John Urquhart received the flier Thursday from a concerned citizen. He discovered some of the people named haven’t been convicted of the crimes listed and some of the addresses are outdated, with family or perhaps new residents living there.”
Well perhaps, John Smith, if he’s really *not* frothing-at-the-mouth angry, he might want to try a wee bit of a website re-write, so the many hundreds or even thousands of people who might read same website might not come away from it thinking, “damn, that guy sure is angry”, given that most people don’t enjoy the intimate friendship with him that you do which might prevent them from drawing that conclusion. Just a suggestion.
Jim98122x,
So do you intend that one should think that you suddenly have his best interests in mind? IMHO, that trick has been played too many times, but maybe people keep falling for it… dunno.
No, John. Suddenly it occurs to me that he should leave his website exactly as it is, so the chances that any given rando-reader in the district will vote for him will be about as likely as rolling a snowball down Broadway this weekend. He shouldn’t touch a thing. It’s perfectly just the way it is.
Umm….big surprise John Smith, but you are not the only person who knows Craig Keller. He is definitely angry and with Arc is nothing short of deranged: http://arcwa.org/index.php/library/craig_keller
I am a Capitol Hill resident and supporter of Steve Hoffman, the Freedom Socialist Party candidate–he is working class, feminist, socialist, foe of the rightwing and an anti-war veteran. He is the opposite of Cantwell, who votes funds for every war she can and Bishop who is an ultra-rightist who works with fascists. Come on Capitol Hill–let’s have some equal coverage!
I had a generally positive opinion of Pramila Jayapal until I saw that photo of her cozying up to Kshama Sawant!
How dare people be nice to one another!
I think it would be a mistake to conclude that just because she’s cordial to Sawant that it means she’s equally unhinged.
Actually, Jim, my comment was somewhat tongue-in-cheek. Jayapal is left-of-center, but moderately so, not like the wacko, self-serving Sawant. I will vote for her in the upcoming election.,
I urge everyone to check out a true blue working class feminist and socialist running for U.S. Senate, Steve Hoffman. Steve has always fought for all working class and poor people against the wealthy and corporations who just keep getting richer at our expense! He won’t be tied to business interests like Maria Cantwell. Seriously, check him out:https://votesocialism.com/