It's been a bruising year for King County Executive Ron Sims. He drafted rural-land-use restrictions that sparked lawsuits and a rural rebellion, touted the virtues of a possible Southwest Airlines move to Boeing Field, and stood behind his embattled elections director even after revelations that numerous ballots in last fall's election were mishandled.

County Councilman David Irons is betting these controversies will give the Republican Party he represents its best chance in more than a decade to win back the county's top administrative job.

It won't be easy. Democrat Sims, nearing the end of his second term, is still a political powerhouse. If Irons is to get his less-familiar name and message out to voters, he'll not only have to make the case that he would be a better manager, he'll have to raise a lot more money before the Nov. 8 election.

Neither candidate has serious opposition in Tuesday's primary.

Although Sims has been politically wounded, people disagree just how badly .

An audit of the elections office is continuing. The county may spend another $70 million to install its accounting, payroll and human-resources computer systems after the original $39 million project was botched.

Ron Sims, 57


Party: Democrat

Residence: Seattle's Mount Baker

Occupation: King County executive

Personal: Married, three sons

Background: Was a County Council member when appointed to fill the county executive's post vacated by Gary Locke when he was elected governor. Decisive re-election victories in 1997, 2001, but lost campaigns for governor and U.S. Senate.

Top three endorsements: King County Labor Council, Washington Conservation Voters, NARAL Pro-Choice Washington

Campaign Web site: www.ronsims.com

Michael Nelson, 66


Party: Democrat

Residence: Boulevard Park

Occupation: Investor

Background: A free-market advocate, he has run for a variety of offices since 1980, from Legislature to governor, as a Libertarian, Republican and Democrat. He has never been elected.

Top three endorsements: None reported

Campaign Web site: None reported

Karen Rispoli, 47


Party: Democrat

Residence: Seattle's Green Lake

Occupation: Life and leadership coach

Personal: Single

Background: This is her first run for public office. Rispoli has worked as a leadership coach, paralegal and investigator, and produced hats and signs with the equal-sign logo of the Human Rights Campaign.

Top three endorsements: None reported

Campaign Web site: None reported

David Irons, 53


Party: Republican

Residence: Sammamish

Occupation: King County Council member

Personal: Married, three daughters

Background: He was a telecommunications executive and Issaquah School Board member when he defeated slow-growth advocate Brian Derdowski in the 1999 GOP primary.

Top three endorsements: Alki Foundation, Citizens' Alliance for Property Rights, former state Sen. Dino Rossi

Campaign Web site: www.davidirons.org

Many rural residents were enraged by tough land-clearing restrictions in the Critical Areas Ordinance drafted by Sims, and his poor showing against Christine Gregoire in the Democratic primary for governor (he didn't win King County) raised Republicans' hopes that he may not be invincible in this election.

Despite those problems, Sims says he has a positive story to tell. A charismatic campaigner, he touts his success in maintaining essential county services while dealing with a $135 million budget gap over several years.

He won County Council approval of an ordinance requiring county contractors to offer the same benefits to domestic partners they give to spouses. He has set up a partnership with many of the region's largest employers and medical providers in an innovative attempt to rein in rapidly rising health-care costs.

If re-elected, Sims says he will work to control pollution in Puget Sound, preserve another 100,000 acres from development and extend Sound Transit's light-rail system. "We've got to make investments," he says. "There's no free lunch."

Irons, who runs a Bremerton-based telecommunications company, says Sims failed to move decisively to restructure the Elections Section in the wake of problems in the 2004 gubernatorial election. Irons wants Elections Director Dean Logan fired, and he advocates amending the county charter to put elections in the hands of an elected auditor.

At a more basic level, Irons' campaign is about who can better manage the county and its large bureaucracy. "We can do a lot better," he says, "whether we're talking transportation, the elections department, whether we're talking environmental regulations and protecting the environment and salmon. We can do a lot better."

Irons, a Sammamish resident in his sixth year on the council, has mailed a number of "micromailings" to voters in selected neighborhoods about issues of concern to them: to Seattle residents under the Boeing Field flight path, for instance, about the prospect of a Southwest Airlines terminal there, and to Klahanie-area residents about the county's failure to build sidewalks on Issaquah-Fall City Road before a new school opened.

Sims has mailed a flier to voters around the county labeling Irons "a George Bush-Dick Cheney conservative who wants to bring his right-wing agenda to King County government."

Sims and Irons both say Sims started the campaign with a lead among likely voters, but Irons claims more recent polling shows the candidates "dead even."

In fund raising, it's not so close. Sims has raised more than $500,000, nearly twice as much as Irons, and has spent it more slowly.

Sims reported a $331,417 cash balance Monday, compared to Irons' $39,527.

"Ron did the smart thing and he hasn't spent any money," said lobbyist Martin Durkan Jr. before Sims' first big mailing. "He's a savvy, well-matured politician and he knows that money is the mother's milk of politics and once you spend it you don't have it."

Sims campaign spokesman Christian Sinderman says Irons' heavy spending shows "a clear lack of momentum and, frankly, poor financial management."

But Irons says he has deliberately spent money to set up phone banks, recruit volunteers and show that he is a serious contender. "Rather than sit on the money, I've taken the direction that I'm going to run this race and win this race before three or four weeks before the election," Irons said.

Michael Nelson, a perennial Libertarian candidate for public office, switched to the Democratic column after the Libertarian Party failed to qualify as a "major party" listed on the primary ballot.

Nelson, an investor from unincorporated Boulevard Park, favors taller buildings in downtown Seattle and is "skeptical" of tough new environmental restrictions in the rural areas. He says he wants to make King County "the leading free-economy county in the nation."

Also seeking the Democratic nomination is Karen Rispoli, a life and leadership coach from Seattle. In a prepared statement she said she wouldn't broker deals, limit public access to government information or cover up corruption.

Shoreline real-estate agent and Green Party member Gentry Lange isn't on the primary ballot, but will be on the general-election ballot in November. Lange, who managed the late Andy Stephenson's aborted campaign for secretary of state last year, wants King County to stop using Diebold's software to count votes because he believes it lacks adequate safeguards.

He used Seattle's recent Hempfest as his nominating convention, circulating petitions there.

Lange has reported $1,650 in donations to his campaign; Nelson and Rispoli have none.

Keith Ervin: 206-464-2105 or kervin@seattletimes.com