This piece originally appeared in The Seattle Times on Oct. 30, 1996

Seattle Times endorsements: Legislative districts 41, 45 and 48

Politically, the Eastside is nearly the mirror image of Seattle. With a few notable exceptions, its legislative delegation is as staunchly Republican as Seattle's is Democratic. Here are our recommendations in Eastside districts:

41st District (Mercer Island, south Bellevue, Issaquah)

The 41st District, which includes parts of Bellevue and Mercer Island, is still a hardy Republican enclave but the constituents may be way ahead of the party on some issues.

None of the three GOP candidates for the Legislature support the Regional Transit Authority plan on the November ballot, but Mercer Island was the only suburban area to pass the RTA proposal in the 1995 election.

These endorsements do not break any new partisan ground.

Jim Horn, who has served eight years in the House of Representatives, is endorsed to replace Emilio Cantu in the state Senate. Horn is a durable, popular legislator whose experience makes him a contender for leadership. Democrat Frank Vulliet, an attorney, offers an appealing skepticism about state economic-development programs, but he is an unknown quantity who would benefit from an apprenticeship in local government.

Businessman Mike Wensman has put in his time on the Mercer Island City Council, and he is a real find for the Republicans in Olympia. He is endorsed for House Position 1 over Democrat Denine Brewer. Wensman is a dead-certain candidate for House leadership.

Ida Ballasiotes can serve two more years before term limits knock her out of House Position 2. No Democrat is going to accomplish that feat, including her opponent. David Silkroski, a Boeing engineer, is carrying the party standard but running such a low-profile campaign no one will notice. Silkroski believes the incumbent's focus on criminal justice legislation costs the district influence on other important topics, such as education.

45th District (Kirkland, Redmond, Woodinville)

Republican Rep. Kathy Lambert has three qualities that make her worth keeping in House Position 1 and, more importantly, in the GOP caucus: experience, a willingness to compromise and an education background as a teacher.

All three elements will be needed in Olympia as the Legislature grapples with OK-12 funding, school-construction needs and expanded access to post-secondary education at vocational, technical, community colleges and four-year institutions. Education is a top priority in the district.

Democratic challenger Trina Good is a recent college graduate who is employed as a marketing coordinator. She is a bright candidate but needs to be seasoned for elective office with more community activities and exposure.

In House Position 2, the Municipal League gave Democrat Dave Asher a rare rating of ``Outstanding,'' and that is an assessment we share. Asher is a budget analyst at the University of Washington and has a lengthy military background. Part of Asher's appeal, besides his number-crunching ability on higher-education issues, is his commitment to end ``governing by partisan bickering and posturing.'' The challenger commends incumbent Republican Rep. Bill Backlund for his efforts to introduce more efficiency in government through performance audits but faults the Legislature for its failure to implement the changes.

Asher's expertise is with tuition revenues and ways of raising money that take the heat off the taxpayer, such as the introduction of a $40 technology fee UW students pay. He wrote the legislation that was turned into law.

Backlund, an orthopedic surgeon, is an intelligent legislator, but there is an element of personal anger or frustration that translates in odd ways into his legislative work. His efforts to narrow the definition of child abuse by raising the threshold of physical harm was a disaster he blames on staff mistakes and poor communication. It's also a terrible idea.

48th District (parts of Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond)

There's no real contest in this heavily GOP district. Veteran Bill Reams outpolled challenger Max Henry by a 2-to-1 ratio in the primary and Rep. Steve Van Luven is unopposed. Due to term limits, however, this would be the last term for both.