Redistricting panelists divide GOP

By Keith Ervin
Seattle Times staff reporter

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The Metropolitan King County Council began the politically painful process of downsizing this week, and the result of that first effort wasn't pretty.

Instead of reaching consensus over who should represent Republican Party interests on a new Districting Committee, Republicans fractured into opposing camps.

By the time the dust settled late Monday, Jane Hague and Pete von Reichbauer had installed their preferred candidate by making a deal with Democrats instead of their four Republican colleagues.

Under a county charter amendment approved by voters this month, the Districting Committee will draw lines for nine council districts from the existing 13 districts. Reducing the size of a legislative body is an unusual undertaking that will force some incumbents to run against their colleagues next year.

"This is not a good precedent to set — for Republicans to cut a deal with the Democrats to get around the majority of the Republican caucus," said Councilman Rob McKenna, a Bellevue Republican who will be stepping down next month to become state attorney general.

Von Reichbauer, who believes his Federal Way-based seat is relatively secure, had no apologies.

"I'm proud of the fact that we're trying to get a bipartisan process," he said.

He also lauded his and Hague's choice, retired Quadrant President Steve Dennis, as an experienced negotiator who will contribute to a successful redistricting process.

Four of the council's six Republicans favored former county Republican Party Chairman Dick Derham, who served on the state redistricting committee in 2001.

The county Districting Committee, which holds its first meeting this morning, is supposed to complete its work by Jan. 15.
 
County Council members voted 8 to 5 in favor of Dennis, Issaquah Republican Skip Rowley and Democrats Joann Francis and J. Michael Mann, both of Seattle. Rowley was supported by all six Republicans.

Republicans Steve Hammond, David Irons and Kathy Lambert supported McKenna's motion to substitute Derham's name for Dennis'. Democrat Bob Ferguson, D-Seattle, who ran for the council last year on a platform of downsizing to nine members, also voted for Derham.

Ferguson said Democrats should support the Republican majority in its choice of who will represent their party. Calling the vote "an unfortunate precedent," he said, "I don't feel it's appropriate for Democrats to choose the Republican any more than I would want the majority of Republicans to team up with one or two Democrats to chose Democrats from my side of the aisle."

Republicans who favored Derham said their party should, like the Democrats, have one member experienced in redistricting on the committee. Mann served on King County's 2001 districting committee.

But von Reichbauer said that experience wasn't necessary, noting that Democrats hold a majority of seats in both houses of the Legislature that Derham's previous committee redistricted three years ago.

McKenna and von Reichbauer both described the council's downsizing as a high-stakes game of musical chairs in which there won't be enough seats for incumbents when the redistricting committee completes its work.

McKenna's victory in the attorney-general race and Democratic Councilman Dwight Pelz's decision to run for the Seattle City Council next year will reduce the number of incumbents running against each other — particularly if Republicans can agree on a "caretaker" who would complete McKenna's remaining term but who would not run for election.

The redistricting committee meets at 9 this morning on the 12th floor of the King County Courthouse to discuss the committee's schedule, appointment of a fifth member to chair the panel and appointment of a districting master to draw maps.

County Council Chairman Larry Phillips, D-Seattle, said the council had "worked really well together" on tough issues, including a $3.4 billion 2005 budget that passed unanimously Monday.

As for complaints from the Republican majority about Dennis' appointment, Phillips said, "Some people who are the biggest proponents of this exercise are now screaming sour grapes. It's predictable."

Keith Ervin: 206-464-2105 or kervin@seattletimes.com