Eastside races for legislature

East of Lake Washington is where the edges of the state's partisan divide meet and blend.

Though the Eastside long has been a Republican stronghold, Democrats have been making inroads, seizing a seat here or there. The competitive nature of these legislative races reliably produces a crop of generally moderate and thoughtful lawmakers, rather than ideologues.

48th District

(Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond)

This year there's a twist in the 48th Legislative District, with a moderate Republican representative switching parties last spring to challenge his district's incumbent Republican senator.

The newly minted Democrat, Rep. Rodney Tom, is our choice for state Senate. Tom offers the right blend of progressive politics — pro-choice and stem-cell research supporter — with fiscal conservatism that is in sync with his district.

Sen. Luke Esser opposes abortion rights and gay rights. His hard-line stance against tax increases without voter approval puts him on the wrong side of the transportation issues critical to the Eastside. When Esser voted against improving Highway 520 and Interstate 405, he no longer fit the 48th.

We recommend the vacant House seat go to another smart, progressive — Democrat Deb Eddy. The former Kirkland mayor is a seasoned and strong advocate for transportation issues, public education and improving the state's business climate. Republican opponent Bret Olson, a former aide to Rep. Jennifer Dunn, doesn't match Eddy's experience.

Rep. Ross Hunter has gotten results, including extra funding for students preparing for standardized tests, and promises to do more. This hardworking Bellevue Democrat is our choice for Position 2. Republican Nancy Potts is not a serious opponent.

(Kirkland, Redmond, Duvall, Carnation)

In the race for the open Senate seat, Republican Rep. Toby Nixon is the better of two good choices. The Kirkland resident is a straight-shooter and champion of fiscal restraint, property rights, the environment and the people's control of their government.

Nixon's experience makes him the better choice over a worthy challenger, Democrat Eric Oemig of Kirkland.

For Position 1, we recommend Republican Jeffrey Possinger, a Duvall City Council member and attorney. His opponent is Democrat Roger E. Goodman, a Kirkland attorney who has worked on state and federal criminal-justice policy issues.

Possinger's thoughtful perspective on the nexus of local and state government mandates and strong sense of a district that is both rural and urban give him the edge.

Democratic Rep. Larry Springer deserves re-election to Position 2. The former Kirkland mayor has a regional perspective that will help ensure the Eastside's legislative concerns are not eclipsed by its larger neighbor to the west. We also like his focus on affordable housing, which he advanced with passage of a special-zoning bill.

Republican opponent Tim Lee, owner of a computer hardware company, is a promising candidate. But the Redmond resident's allegation that Springer is out of touch with voters could not be more wrong.

(Mercer Island, Bellevue, Newcastle)

The bipartisan team of Republican Rep. Fred Jarrett and Democratic Rep. Judy Clibborn in the 41st District should not be messed with.

Both are moderates in their parties — respected in their caucuses but with a knack for bipartisanship.

In Position 1, Jarrett is a thinking lawmaker who eschews simpleton solutions and goes deep in exploring prickly issues facing our state. The Mercer Island lawmaker proposed a smart, long-term strategy for higher-education funding.

Democratic opponent Dale Murphy seems more focused on national and international issues than the state's business.

For Position 2, we like Clibborn's focus on finding solutions, whether on transportation or on trying to insure all the state's children. The Mercer Island Democrat did some of the heavy lifting on a compromise for the state's unemployment law.

Opponent Eric Fretheim, a Bellevue Republican, is a business owner and a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves. He is a good candidate but not compelling enough to warrant replacing Clibborn.