Washington's top-two primary put to test

Tuesday's primary will give voters something they've never had before in the general election.

Democrats running against Democrats, and Republicans running against Republicans. At least a half-dozen legislative races this November will be one-party contests.

It's an odd consequence of the state's new primary system, which sends the top two vote-getters in each race, regardless of party affiliation, on to the November ballot. In heavily Democratic or Republican districts, that can lead to the opposing party being left out of the general election.

Close to home, two Democrats will face each other in Seattle's 36th and 46th districts.

And in District 11, state Sen. Margarita Prentice, D-Renton, will run against another Democrat. Two Democrats also will run for the same Senate seat in District 22, Thurston County.

In Eastern Washington, two Republicans will be on the ballot in House races in District 7, which includes Ferry and Lincoln counties, and District 8, Benton County.

In District 17, Rep. Jim Dunn, R-Vancouver, was in trouble, in third place behind Democratic and Republican candidates. Dunn was reprimanded and kicked off his committees last year after making an inappropriate sexual remark to a female staffer.

In District 36, which spans Queen Anne, Fremont and Ballard, Democrats John Burbank and Reuven Carlyle will compete in November to replace veteran Rep. Helen Sommers, who is retiring.

Burbank, executive director of the Economic Opportunity Institute, and Carlyle, a wireless entrepreneur, were outpacing Republican Leslie Bloss.

In District 46, which stretches from Lake City to Laurelhurst, Democrats Gerry Pollet and Scott White will face each other in the general election. They're vying to replace Democratic Rep. Jim McIntire, who resigned to run for state treasurer.

White, a former chief of staff for the Metropolitan King County Council, was leading Pollet, executive director of an environmental group, Heart of America Northwest. Both men were far ahead of Keith Ljunghammar, of the "Cut Taxes G.O.P. Party."

Prentice, chairwoman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, will run against either Juan Martinez or Scott McKay, both Democrats. Prentice was leading. But the votes between Martinez and McKay were too close to call.

The state's major political parties, which tried to kill the new primary in court, argue it's bad politics to have a system allowing one party to have two candidates running for the same seat in the general election.

Secretary of State Sam Reed, however, contends that it's healthy. In the past, in heavily Democratic or Republican districts, several candidates from one party might compete in the primary only to be unopposed or face token opposition in the general election.

Reed argues that the top-two primary makes for more competitive elections.

Andrew Garber: 360-236-8268 or agarber@seattletimes.com