4 candidates vie for state House seat in 34th District

There's a lot of agreement among the four candidates competing for the open state House seat in the 34th Legislative District.

They all grudgingly support the city's decision to build a tunnel to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct but oppose the idea that Seattle residents should pay for cost overruns; they agree municipalities should be able to decide whether their bars can stay open past 2 a.m.; and they think improving K-12 education should be a top priority.

The three Democrats in the race support an initiative on the November ballot that would establish a high-earners' state income tax, while the independent candidate is against it.

The vacancy in the 34th District is borne from a chain reaction set off by Dow Constantine, who vacated a seat on the Metropolitan King County Council to become county executive last year. Sen. Joe McDermott D-West Seattle, is running to fill Constantine's former seat on the council, and state Rep. Sharon Nelson, D-West Seattle, is vacating her seat to run unopposed for McDermott's empty chair in the Senate.

It's Nelson's Position 2 House seat that has attracted the four hopefuls.

In the Position 1 House race, incumbent Democratic Rep. Eileen Cody faces Ray Carter, who bills himself as "reluctantly Republican." Both will advance to the general election.

The 34th District includes West Seattle, Vashon and Maury Islands and Burien.

Joe Fitzgibbon

Democrat Joe Fitzgibbon, the youngest candidate at 23, says his age "is an asset" and lends him a fresh perspective, something he thinks Olympia needs.

"I think it's important that the Legislature be as diverse as the population in our state," he said, and that includes age diversity.

He's pushing hard for more transportation options — bike lanes, buses and possibly a light rail — because he's heard West Seattle residents say their geographic remoteness from the rest of the city makes them "feel increasingly like an island." The closure of the South Park Bridge and construction on the Spokane Street Viaduct don't help matters.

After graduating at 20 from Principia College in Illinois, a tiny liberal-arts school for Christian Scientists, Fitzgibbon became an aide in Nelson's office. He left at the end of this year's legislative session to focus on his own campaign.

He also served as an assistant to Bob Ferguson, chairman of the King County Council, and chairs the Burien Planning Commission, which he said "has helped broaden my understanding of land use."

Fitzgibbon's campaign has raised more than $29,500 in contributions. He has support from the Sierra Club, the advocacy group Fuse Washington, and more than a dozen labor unions. Politicians who have endorsed him include Ferguson, a long list of Burien City Council members and, of course, Nelson.

Mike Heavey

Democrat Mike Heavey left the corporate world of Expedia, where he worked in fraud prevention, to join the family business: politics. His father, also named Mike Heavey, represented the 34th District for 14 years both in the state House and Senate before landing his current position as a judge in the King County Superior Court.

Heavey's name recognition and political connections have helped net him more than $32,300 in campaign funds, the most of any of the candidates.

Heavey's No. 1 concern is education. "We've been underfunding education for far too long," he said. "We need to refocus our efforts on making sure we graduate our kids career- and college-ready," especially in a recession when competition for jobs is ever-increasing.

Heavey, 30, also wants to rein in the ballot-initiative process by raising the fee to file an initiative, now only $5. He said "the system's been largely perverted by individuals like Tim Eyman," a political activist who makes his living putting initiatives on the ballot.

Heavey didn't have a specific fee in mind but said it should be enough to force people to think thoroughly about their proposals before filing them.

Heavey, an Alki resident, has endorsements from a long list of state senators and representatives, a handful of family members and lots of friends.

Marcee Stone

A former professional actor, Democrat Marcee Stone believes her "true blue-collar background" combined with extensive door belling provides her with a better understanding of 34th District constituents. She was the first in her family to graduate from college and is a member of three actors' unions.

"I know what kind of pressure people are under to take care of their families, manage their households and get their kids to school," Stone, 57, said.

She strongly opposes the idea that state universities should be allowed to raise tuition at their own discretion. The Legislature now sets tuition rates, but some schools, including the University of Washington, have sought that authority as a way to better manage their budgets.

"I graduated in 1977, and I wouldn't have been able to do it without the Pell Grants I received and the student loans," she said. "If we raise tuition above and beyond what people can afford, it doesn't really invest in the future of this state."

Stone began her political career 20 years ago when she fought against putting cellphone towers in residential neighborhoods. Now she's an assistant at a downtown law firm and the board president for Washington Public Campaigns.

Stone is the sole candidate endorsed by the 34th District Democrats, and she also has support from labor unions. She says she sets herself apart by refusing money from PACs and corporations. Her campaign has raised more than $31,000.

Geoffrey "Mac" McElroy

The only independent in a race dominated by what he calls "dyed-in-the-wool Democrats," Geoffrey "Mac" McElroy, 46, wanted to give 34th District voters more diversity in political views.

And so he has: Though he is socially liberal and takes the same stance as his opponents on several major issues, he considers himself more fiscally conservative, opposing a high-earners' income tax and supporting the privatization of liquor sales.

McElroy is himself a liquor purveyor: He owns the Triangle Pub in White Center, and as such, he's a fierce protector of small businesses.

"Small businesses are the backbone of this state's economy," McElroy said. "They directly provide employment and an increased tax base, which means we have more money to pay for things."

McElroy also supports expanding public transportation, as long as all modes of transportation are connected and under the same authority's purview. He said light rail was a great idea but there wasn't enough planning, including coordinating stop locations with the King County Metro bus system or analyzing where stops should best be placed.

"The light rail drops you off a quarter mile from the airport!" he said.

McElroy's campaign funds come almost entirely from small businesses in the 34th District, with the exception of Commerce Bridge in Bellevue. He's reported raising more than $5,000 in contributions.

Jill Kimball: 206-464-2136 or jkimball@seattletimes.com