Evan Smith: 32nd District Democrats endorse Eggen, Hara

By Evan Smith

ShorelineAreaNews Politics Writer

The 32nd District Democrats have given early endorsements to Shoreline City Councilman Chris Eggen and King County Assessor Lloyd Hara for the 2011 election.

The Democrats made the endorsements at their March meeting.

The 32nd Legislative District includes Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Kenmore, Woodway, south Edmonds, part of Kirkland and unincorporated areas of north King and south Snohomish counties.

Both Eggen and Hara are incumbents who have registered with the State Public Disclosure Commission as candidates for the non-partisan offices that they now hold. Registering with the PDC allows them to raise and spend money for the Aug. 19 primary and Nov. 8 general election.

Candidates file for ballot positions June 6-10.

Neither Eggen nor Hara has an announced opponent for the election.

Eggen had the local Democrats’ endorsement in 2007, when he won his first term on the Council by defeating former Councilman Paul Grace for the position being vacated by then-Councilman Rich Gustafson.\

Hara won a four-way election in November of 2009 for the last two years of the term left vacant when former assessor Scott Noble resigned after pleading guilty to vehicular assault. Hara, who was then a Seattle Port commissioner, had Democratic Party endorsement in the 2009 election for assessor.

Eggen is one of three Shoreline Council members whose positions will be on this year’s ballot. Councilman Terry Scott announced last week that he would not seek a second term. Councilwoman Doris McConnell has yet to announce her plans.

Scott had the Democrats’ endorsement when he defeated then-Councilman Bob Ransom in 2007. McConnell defeated the Party-endorsed candidate, then-Councilwoman Maggie Fimia in 2007. McConnell then unsuccessfully challenged the party-endorsed candidate, Cindy Ryu, for a then-vacant position as a State representative.

Jesse Salamon, a prosecutor for the City of Seattle, has registered his intent to run for the Shoreline Council. He has not committed to running for a specific position. The 32nd District Democrats will consider endorsing Salamon at their April 13 meeting.

The District Democratic Committee will also consider endorsing Richard Mitchell for the King County Council position representing Kirkland and the rest of the 6th Council District, the District now represented by Councilwoman Jane Hague, who has registered her intention to run for re-election.

The County Council position representing Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Kenmore, Bothell, north Seattle and the rest of the 1st District is not on this year’s ballot. Councilman Bob Ferguson is in the middle of the four-year term that he won in 2009. He has announced that he will run for State attorney general in 2012.

Also on this year’s King County ballot will be the position of elections director, which Sherill Huff has held since the position became an elected one in February of 2009, Her only announced opponent is Clifford Greene, who ran for secretary of state in 2008 under the “Party in Commons” label.

Positions with three or more candidates appear on the primary ballot. Positions with only one or two candidates appear only on the November ballot.