GOP could mount a credible run at Sims

Republicans are of two minds about King County voters.

In the blazing heat and litigation of the crazy-close governor's race, Republicans portray King County as a wacky place where people vote for lowlifes and lesser beings otherwise known as Democrats.

But other Republican politicos say, psshaaw, King County is not such a liberal fortress. It is more independent, or at least willing to accept Republican and independent principles and candidates in local races.

That second view may spur a rigorous King County executive's race this year, which is a good thing, especially since the Seattle mayor's race will be a non-event. Mayor Greg Nickels' political machine scared off all big-name comers. King County Executive Ron Sims is bruised from the recent governor's election and therefore more vulnerable.

Sims must still be licking his wounds from the primary, in which he came up very short against Democrat Gov. Christine Gregoire. With his pitch for a state income tax during that campaign, he leaned further left than he had before.

The public benefits from a healthy discussion of the issues every four years, so a credible Republican challenger would be welcome.

So far, no Republican candidate has emerged and it is getting late. But a buzz among pollsters and political advisers suggests a possible announcement of a qualified GOP candidate in the next few weeks.

Republicans, who usually run nominal candidates against Sims, are considering more-credible challengers, namely King County Councilman David Irons of Sammamish and state Senate Minority Leader Bill Finkbeiner of Kirkland.

Finkbeiner would be much stronger because he is a moderate Republican who recently stepped out of Olympia's partisanship stranglehold and backed Gov. Gregoire's proposal for a life-sciences fund to bankroll biomedical research. He readily admits he is pro-choice.

Being pro-choice is obviously not a pressing county issue. The county is all about water quality, land use, buses, parks and transportation. But Finkbeiner's pro-choice status says something about the kind of Republican he is. After all, he once was a Democrat.

Irons, by contrast, first refused to state his position on choice and then e-mailed a few hours later to say he would uphold the laws of the land.

Irons is eyeing three races: county executive and two different County Council contests. As one wise observer said, he has been bobbing around like a cork ever since his district was eliminated after the council was ordered to shrink by four seats.

Entering a race and winning one against Sims are two entirely different matters.

Sims is easily the best public speaker in the state. He is highly competent, passionate, well-liked. He managed the county credibly in very tight economic times, drawing support from numerous business leaders, including a few Republicans, such as Bob Wallace, a Bellevue developer.

But many voters are upset about the performance of the elections office, the critical-areas ordinances, which impose stricter land-use restrictions, and the location of homeless encampments in the county.

Finkbeiner's road to the executive office has its own potholes. He does not plan to quit his Senate job for the executive campaign, putting himself at a serious money disadvantage. State lawmakers cannot raise campaign cash for 30 days after the legislative session. The Legislature may not wrap until May.

Sims has locked up a lot of campaign cash, about $200,000, enough so that another attractive Republican candidate, state Rep. Fred Jarrett of Mercer Island, decided he could not make a solid run.

Still, several politicos hope if they cast a candidate in the right light, they have a chance to beat Sims and they think one way to do that is by not calling themselves Republicans.

Lobbyist/consultant Jamie Durkan has been talking to Finkbeiner about running as an independent because an independent would have a better chance. Finkbeiner, who has not decided if he will run at all, says he would not run as an independent.

There is also a possibility that a group of political activists will present a charter amendment to voters this year asking them if they want county offices to be nonpartisan. Any independent running on the ballot next to that might fare pretty well.

Sims says he is fired up about the coming campaign. He is not taking anything for granted. He is ready to tout the county's successes in hard times, ready, as he put it, to rock and roll.

Yet, a campaign, a vigorous airing of the issues, while it might not be Sims' favorite scenario, would be useful and productive for everyone else.

Joni Balter's column appears regularly on editorial pages of The Times. Her e-mail address is jbalter@seattletimes.com