Evan Smith: Can McConnell get Democrats’ endorsement?

By Evan Smith

ShorelineAreaNews Politics Writer

When the 32nd Legislative District Democratic Committee met last week to nominate State Rep, Maralyn Chase for State senate, Rep. Ruth Kagi for re-election and former Shoreline Mayor Cindy Ryu for Chase’s seat, Shoreline City Councilwoman Doris McConnell told the group that she might run against Ryu. She added that she might come back to the Committee to seek an endorsement.

Can the Committee endorse a candidate after it had nominated another candidate? Don’t State Democratic Party rules require local Party organizations to nominate only one candidate for each position?

True, but 32nd District Democrats tell me that Party rules allow local organizations to set local rules on endorsements. District Chairwoman Carin Chase said recently that King County Democrats allow dual endorsements, although the Party considers only one to be the Party nominee, but Snohomish County Democrats don’t allow dual endorsements.

Since the 32nd District crosses the county line, this could bring two different sets of endorsements.

Carin Chase said that in Snohomish County only the Party nominees are endorsed candidates,

However, she said, current 32nd District Democratic rules allow for dual endorsements.

That seems to mean that, unless the 32nd District Democrats change the rule, while Ryu is the nominee and only endorsed candidate in Snohomish County and the nominee in King County, McConnell could also be an endorsed candidate in King County if the District PCOs decide to endorse her.

A “nominee” is the Party’s choice for the office. An endorsement simply means that the party organization approves of a candidate. State Democrats and their local committees began naming nominees after the State adopted the top-two primary, under which there are no State-recognized party nominees.

Republicans don't always pick nominees or even endorsed candidates. The chairman of a Snohomish County Republican committee in a district that has two Republicans seeking the same position told me recently that his committee wouldn't endorse candidates. Another district Republican chairman said his committee hadn't yet decided whether to make endorsements.