State Legislature: Democrats close to control of Senate

By Andrew Garber, Emily Heffter and Nick Perry
Seattle Times staff reporters

STEVE RINGMAN / THE SEATTLE TIMES State Sen. Jim Horn, representing the 41st Legislative District of Bellevue, Mercer Island, Newcastle and North Renton, lets out a cheer last night with other Republican supporters during presidential results being announced at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue.

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Democrats made a major push this election to regain the state Senate, which Republicans won in 2002 with a one-seat majority, 25 to 24. In the House, Democrats have a more comfortable six-seat majority, 52 to 46.

Although both parties maintained they were poised to win the House and Senate, the Democrats' hold on the House did not appear in danger early last night.

The Democrats' thrust to regain Senate control appeared to boil down largely to two fights in Vancouver and the Eastside's District 41, where incumbent Republican Sen. Jim Horn was trailing his opponent, Democrat Brian Weinstein.

Both parties have poured money and manpower into those races. To win the Senate, the Democrats must gain at least one seat and not lose any they currently hold.

Kurt Fritts, head of the state Senate Democratic Campaign Committee, said the trends favor his party gaining control of the Senate, though he said, "We're not declaring victory."

Senate Majority Leader Bill Finkbeiner, R-Kirkland, said there were still a lot of votes left to count. "It's a little too early for them to be counting their chickens," he said.

A Republican effort to unseat incumbent Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, in the 10th District, was too close too call. In a similar effort in District 25, GOP candidate Rose Hill was trailing state Sen. Jim Kastama, D-Puyallup.

There's more at stake than bragging rights. Having one party in charge means it gets to pick committee chairs, decide what legislation will get heard or buried and enjoy tremendous sway over how state tax dollars are spent.

All 98 House seats and 26 of 49 Senate seats were on the ballot this year. Most were held by incumbents, who typically have an edge over challengers. That focuses the battle for control on a handful of open seats and an occasional incumbent in hotly contested "swing districts" where neither party dominates.

The two Senate races getting the most scrutiny last night were between Republican Horn and Democrat Weinstein in the Eastside's 41st District, and state Sen. Don Carlson and Democrat Craig Pridemore in the 49th District in Vancouver.

In District 41, Weinstein was leading incumbent Horn, chairman of the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee. Environmental groups, including Washington Conservation Voters, have targeted Horn, criticizing his views on transportation.

Republicans had predicted Democrats wouldn't have a chance against Horn. The district covers Bellevue, Mercer Island, Newcastle and northeast Renton. The two candidates combined raised almost $500,000 for their campaigns.

Carlson and Pridemore were neck and neck late last night. Democrats say Carlson, chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee, is vulnerable because he's a Republican in a largely Democratic district. And Pridemore, his opponent, is a popular Clark County commissioner.

Republicans acknowledge the district leans Democratic but say Carlson has strong name recognition and has been re-elected repeatedly.

Although it appears Democrats will retain control of the House, several seats were hotly contested.

House races being watched by both parties include District 45 and District 1 in King County and District 26 in Pierce County. All three races were too close to call.

In District 45, Republican Jeffrey Possinger, an attorney, was trailing Democrat Larry Springer, the former mayor of Kirkland. The Position 2 seat became open when Rep. Laura Ruderman, D-Kirkland, decided to run for secretary of state. The district covers parts of Redmond, Kirkland, Woodinville, Duvall and Carnation.

In District 1, Position 2, Republican Joshua Freed, a family and marriage counselor, was trailing Democrat Mark Ericks, a former Bothell police chief.

The incumbent, Democrat Jeanne Edwards, did not run for re-election. The district covers portions of northeast King County and South Snohomish County, including areas of Bothell, Woodinville, Mountlake Terrace and Brier.

Rep. Pat Lantz, D-Gig Harbor, in District 26, Position 1, was leading Republican Matt Rice, a physician. The candidates have sparred over medical-malpractice lawsuits, with Republicans saying Lantz, chairwoman of the House Judiciary Committee, has blocked tort-reform efforts. Democrats call the criticism an unfair attack by special interests.

In South King County, Democrat Pat Sullivan was leading Republican Rep. Jack Cairnes in District 47, Position 2. District 47 covers parts of Kent, Covington and Auburn.

Eastside

In an area that has shifted from safely Republican to one of the hottest battlegrounds in the state, Democrats were holding onto gains made two years ago and threatening further inroads — despite strong, well-financed Republican efforts to win back two House seats lost in 2002.

In the 48th District, two moderate House incumbents were facing strong challenges.

Democratic Rep. Ross Hunter was surviving a well-funded charge from Republican James Whitfield in the Position 1 race. Republican Rep. Rodney Tom, meanwhile, was holding a slender lead over Democratic challenger Debi Golden for Position 2. The district includes Medina and parts of Bellevue, Kirkland and Redmond.

In the 41st District, Republican Rep. Fred Jarrett was leading Democratic challenger Lance Ramsay in Position 1, and Democratic Rep. Judy Clibborn — a surprise winner two years ago — was leading Republican charter-school proponent Fawn Spady in Position 2.

In the 45th District, Position 1, Republican Rep. Toby Nixon was leading Democratic challenger Robert Adair, an 82-year-old World War II veteran. The district includes Woodinville, Duvall, Carnation and parts of Redmond, Kirkland and Sammamish.

In the 5th District — which includes parts of the booming communities of Issaquah, Sammamish, Snoqualmie and North Bend — newly minted Republican Sen. Cheryl Pflug was leading Democratic challenger and Sammamish Mayor Kathy Huckabay.

Pflug was appointed to the Senate this year after incumbent Dino Rossi stepped down to run for governor.

In the House races, Republican incumbents Jay Rodne and Glenn Anderson were leading their Democratic challengers, respectively Jeff Griffin and Barbara de Michele.

In the 32nd District, Democratic Rep. Ruth Kagi was leading Republican challenger Margaret Wiggins in Position 2. Democratic Rep. Maralyn Chase was unopposed. The district includes Kenmore, Lake Forest Park, Shoreline and Edmonds.

Snohomish County

In the 38th District, Rep. John McCoy, D-Tulalip, was holding off his challenger, Republican businesswoman Kim Halvorson, in his bid to retain his Position 1 House seat.

Halvorson decided to run against McCoy — a leader in the Tulalip Tribes — because she said he spent too much of his first term pushing tribal issues. McCoy maintains his tribal proposals would help everyone, and he points to other accomplishments in his first two years.

"I feel comfortable," he said last night, adding that he was surprised the race wasn't closer. "I think that [voters] recognize that I am working for the entire district."

Halvorson was also surprised the race wasn't closer.

"It's not looking good," she said. "We ran a great race and we need to just wait and see until everything is counted."

One of Boeing's largest unions, Machinists Local 751, endorsed Halvorson in August. Though the union later issued a co-endorsement of both candidates, the early vote of confidence gave Halvorson — a political newcomer — more legitimacy in a historically Democratic district.

However, Halvorson attributed McCoy's lead to the district's Democratic leanings.

In the 38th District Position 2 House race, Democrat Mike Sells was leading four-time candidate Erv Hoglund.

In the 39th District, Sen. Val Stevens, R-Arlington, was holding on to her seat, staving off Monroe Democrat Susanne Olson, a high-school teacher. who decided to run because she thinks Stevens is too conservative.

A controversy over ball fields on protected agricultural land dominated the 44th District, Position 1, campaign between Rep. Hans Dunshee, D-Snohomish, and his Republican opponent, Seattle police Officer Mike Hope.

Hope would push for a change in state law to allow ball fields on fallow farmland.

Dunshee would not, although he supports making an exception for several fields that were built illegally by local teams and farmers.

Boeing worker Stephen West was trailing against three-term incumbent Rep. John Lovick, D-Mill Creek, in the race for the 44th District, Position 2, House seat.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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