Carlson says he'll skip campaign for Congress

By Warren Cornwall
Seattle Times Eastside bureau

	John Carlson
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Conservative talk-show host John Carlson won't run for the congressional seat left open by Republican Jennifer Dunn's surprise retirement announcement Friday.

Carlson's decision, which he aired yesterday on his afternoon show on KVI-AM (570), is the first by a top contender considering whether to jump into the race now that Dunn has announced her plans.

It brings a bit of clarity to the otherwise murky and hectic process of winnowing candidates for a district that covers much of East and South King County and portions of North Pierce County. While political observers have offered more than a dozen names, no Republican has announced a bid for a seat the party has controlled for more than two decades, and only one Democrat is in the race.

"This is way too fluid for me to start weighing in on who should and should not run," said state Republican Party Chairman Chris Vance.

Carlson, of Bellevue, had been mentioned as a leading candidate among Republicans. He has received public attention through his talk show, his unsuccessful 2000 race for governor, and his promotion of anti-affirmative-action Initiative 200.

Carlson said the chance to serve in Congress was outweighed by enjoyment of his job and the opportunity to spend time with his family. He has two sons, ages 6 and 8.

"I like the chances of winning. I would love to have the privilege of succeeding Jennifer Dunn and trying to even fill a portion of her footsteps, but I'm going to have to let it pass," he said.

Dunn's announcement that she would not seek a seventh term has set off a flurry of "maybes" in the 8th Congressional District. Many Republicans with congressional aspirations have waited in the wings for Dunn's departure, while Democrats were reluctant to go head to head against the formidable campaigner and fund-raiser.

• King County Sheriff Dave Reichert, previously considered a top contender to run for governor as a Republican, has scheduled a news conference for tomorrow.

• King County Republican Party Chairwoman Pat Herbold said she is considering whether to run.

• State Sen. Pam Roach, R-Auburn, said she was "leaving options open."

• State Sen. Luke Esser, R-Bellevue, said he was seriously considering entering the race and expected to decide within a week and a half.

• King County Councilman David Irons, a Sammamish Republican, said he was weighing his chances and would have a better idea of where he stood by tomorrow.

• Bellevue resident Diane Tebelius, a Republican National Committee member and former assistant U.S. attorney, is also eyeing the race.

• Bellevue City Councilman Grant Degginger said he is thinking about running.

Bellevue Mayor Connie Marshall and state Sen. Cheryl Pflug, R-Maple Valley, also have been named as possible candidates.

Vance said more than one Republican candidate probably would enter the race. He has tried to discourage primary showdowns between Republicans in the races for governor and U.S. Senate. But Vance said he didn't plan to do that in the 8th District because Republicans are the incumbent party and there's a strong stable of potential candidates.

"I would rather there not be a primary, of course. But you can't always prevent that. This is a Republican seat. There are a number of people who have been waiting to run for it," he said.

Carlson named Reichert and Herbold as people he would like to see as candidates.

On the Democratic side, retired RealNetworks executive Alex Alben of Mercer Island is the lone declared candidate. He entered the race before Dunn's announced departure.

His campaign sought to boost his status yesterday, announcing fund-raising efforts had taken off this week and highlighting complimentary statements in recent newspaper articles. Campaign spokeswoman Joni Hanson declined to say how much money Alben had raised.

"We're very happy with Alex and I think he's a dynamite candidate. So I'm not shopping around for someone else, that's for sure," said state Democratic Party Chairman Paul Berendt.

Other possible Democratic candidates are:

• Tony Ventrella, a news anchor for KCPQ-TV (Fox), has considered running against Dunn before and said he would make up his mind within a week.

• State Rep. Laura Ruderman, D-Kirkland, has been mentioned as someone who would have a strong interest in the seat. Ruderman did not return calls for comment.

• Laurie McDonald Jonsson, a Medina businesswoman and Democratic Party fund-raiser, has also been identified as a potential candidate. She could not be reached for comment.

Warren Cornwall: 206-464-2311 or wcornwall@seattletimes.com

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