The legislative district that includes Seattle's Capitol Hill and Wallingford neighborhoods has one of the largest gay and lesbian populations in the state. It's also had a gay lawmaker in the state House almost continuously since 1987.

Some people believe that tradition should continue, once Rep. Ed Murray surrenders his 43rd District seat later this year.

Murray, who championed the gay-rights law passed by the Legislature in April, is leaving the House after 11 years in office to run for the state Senate. Before Murray, the late Cal Anderson held the district's other House seat for seven years. Anderson was the state's first openly gay lawmaker.

"We want to hold as many seats as possible," said Bill Dubay, a longtime gay-rights activist in Seattle, who lives outside District 43. "We feel that particular seat should be held from a member of our community."

In this distinctly liberal district, which features an 8 ½-ton statue of Vladimir Lenin in Fremont, winning the Democratic primary is about the same as winning the election. Six people have filed to run. Jamie Pedersen, a prominent Seattle attorney who has been active in the gay community for years, is the only gay candidate.

It's not clear, however, what advantage, if any, that provides Pedersen.

Pedersen said he hopes to draw support from a broad spectrum of voters, in part because of his views on education, health care and transportation. He has raised more money than any of the other candidates.

The Democratic candidates

Lynne Dodson, 45, president of the American Federation of Teachers Local 1789, former co-chairwoman of Washington State Jobs with Justice and college professor. Web site: www.lynnetowin.org

Dick Kelley, 55, former regional director of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Seattle deputy mayor and senior policy analyst for the state House Democratic Caucus. Web site: www.kelleyin2006.org

Jamie Pedersen, 37, attorney at the firm Preston, Gates and Ellis, past president and current treasurer of Central Lutheran Church on Capitol Hill. Web site: www.peopleforpedersen.org

Stephanie Pure, 32, legislative aide for Seattle City Councilman Peter Steinbrueck, board member of CityClub, founding board member of the Vera Project. Web site: www.peopleforpure.com

Bill Sherman, 38, King County deputy prosecutor, vice president of the King County Prosecuting Attorneys Association. Web site: www.billsherman.org

Jim Street, 63, director of Reinvesting in Youth. Former King County Superior Court Judge and Seattle City Council member. Web site: www.jimstreet.org

"I don't think people are giving to me because of my sexual orientation," he said. "I think it has more to do with what I've been able to achieve."

And yet, he said, "I am pretty specifically courting the vote in the gay and lesbian community. ... I'm absolutely hoping that a disproportionate number of gay and lesbian voters will vote for me."

Pedersen served seven years on the national board of Lambda Legal, which fights for gay and lesbian civil rights. He's also the group's lead volunteer lawyer on a case currently before the state Supreme Court that deals with marriage equality for same-sex couples, an issue that convinced him he should run for office. The case seeks to overturn the state's ban on gay marriage.

He said he's aware some people believe a member of the gay and lesbian community should hold the House seat. Pedersen said he doesn't, however, "have any sense of entitlement that a gay person should have that seat."

Even so, some analysts say courting the gay vote could prove a winning strategy in a crowded field where no candidate is likely to get a majority of the ballots cast.

The census provides one indication of the gay population in the district. According to the 2000 census, Seattle has one of the highest concentrations of same-sex couples in the nation.

In the 43rd District, the census found, same-sex couples accounted for about 8 percent of all couples — the highest proportion in Washington. Statewide, about 1 percent of all couples are the same sex.

But as Murray, who has not endorsed any candidate in the race, points out, "the vast majority of people in this district are straight. It has more gay people than any other district in the state, I think. But in any crowd you get up in front of, you're mostly talking to straight people."

Advantage debatable

Jonathan Smith, who attended a recent Montlake community forum to see all the candidates, said the fact that Pedersen is gay won't influence his vote. "I don't base votes on gender preference, although I like to encourage minorities," said Smith, who is not gay.

Don McDonough, a Democratic pollster in Seattle, said Pedersen might not have any advantage. "I don't know of any evidence that says gay people vote for gay candidates. It's not a good idea ever to base your campaign on that assumption."

Bill Sherman, one of the six candidates, said he certainly doesn't concede the gay vote to Pedersen. "I'm battling very hard for that vote," he said.

"I think that the person who is elected in this race will have to show that they are strongly committed to protecting civil rights for gays and lesbians and bisexuals and transgender people," he said. "I don't think that the 43rd District votes on straight identity politics per se, but showing commitment on those values is going to be critical."

Likewise, Jim Street, another candidate for the seat, said, "I have support from members of the gay community who tell me that there are a range of issues they care about, and they are supporting me because they think I can deal with those issues better than anybody else who is running."

Dan Savage, editor of The Stranger, a Seattle alternative newspaper, argues it would be good for the district to send someone who is not gay to the Legislature.

"When a district with a powerful gay bloc sends a pro-gay heterosexual to the Legislature, that makes a statement to the other heterosexual legislators about the possibility of being a pro-gay straight legislator," said Savage, a vocal critic of Pedersen.

Money still big factor

Some people also point out that Murray is expected to win his Senate race, given that Democratic state Sen. Pat Thibaudeau, who holds the seat, has decided not to run. A Republican, Loren Nelson, recently filed but has raised no money.

With Murray in the Senate, the 43rd District would still have a gay lawmaker representing its interests. "The fact that Ed will move to the Senate may lessen people's feelings that they need to make sure that there's a gay representative from the 43rd in the House," said Tim Bradbury, a Seattle attorney and Pedersen supporter.

But Bradbury says there's a need to have another lawmaker from the district coming from the gay and lesbian community.

"We need to have representation in both chambers. If Ed moves to the Senate ... that will mean there are only three people [gay lawmakers] in the state House. And I think it's pretty clear that more than 3 percent of the state's population is gay. So I think it's entirely appropriate to have a large representation there," he said.

In the end, the race may be decided by fundraising, McDonough said. The cash helps candidates advertise, print brochures, put up yard signs and increase their name recognition. "I think the most important factor is money, still," he said.

Seattle Times staff reporter Justin Mayo contributed to this report. Andrew Garber: 360-943-9882 or agarber@seattletimes.com

More local news headlines...