Redistricting plan would take Lake Forest Park out of 32nd Legislative District, bring in Lynnwood and northwest Seattle

By Evan Smith

Contributing Writer

The State’s redistricting plan would take Lake Forest Park out of the 32nd Legislative District and bring Lynnwood and part of northwest Seattle into the District according to maps released Friday.

The District now includes Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Kenmore and part of Kirkland in King County, and Woodway, south Edmonds and nearby unincorporated areas of south Snohomish County.

The redistricting plan would bring part of northwest Seattle and the whole City of Lynnwood into the District, and move Lake Forest Park, Kenmore, Woodinville and parts of Bothell and Kirkland into the 46th District, with northeast Seattle.

The plan released Saturday would take Democratic State Rep, Ruth Kagi out of the 32nd District, but Kagi told the Everett Herald Thursday that she planned to sell her Lake Forest Park home and move to somewhere within the District’s new boundaries. That way she would be able to run in the 2012 election for an eighth two-year term representing the District.

The State redistricting commission plan released Thursday includes newly drawn legislative districts in Western Washington. The commission plans to release plans for legislative districts in Eastern and Central Washington and a plan for Congressional districts in a few days.

By law the commission must complete its work by the end of December, If not, the State Supreme Court redraws the boundaries.

The commission has members chosen by the State House and Senate majority and minority caucuses. The four party appointees choose a non-partisan, non-voting chairman.

The new parts of the 32nd District, like the old parts, consistently elect Democrats, northwest Seattle overwhelmingly, Lynnwood by smaller margins.