Kagi gets ‘outstanding’ rating from Municipal League; Ryu, Cann, Crocker, Farrell named ‘very good’

Corrected 7-8-2012 10:47pm

By Evan Smith

Incumbent Democratic 32nd District State Rep. Ruth Kagi has achieved the King County Municipal League’s highest rating: “outstanding.”

The Municipal League announced ratings of candidates for legislative positions Monday.

The League gave its second highest rating, “very good” to 32nd District Democratic incumbent State Rep. Cindy Ryu, to Democrat Sylvester Cann, who is challenging appointed Democratic State Rep. Gerry Pollet in the 46th District and to Shelly Crocker and Jessyn Farrell, two of the six candidates seeking the position that State Rep. Phyllis Kenny now holds.

Democratic 46th District incumbent Rep. Pollet got the League’s third highest rating, “good.” Pollet and Cann will be alone on the Aug. 7 primary ballot. No Republicans or independents are seeking the position. The League reported that its committee had interviewed both candidates but that Pollet had not completed the League’s questionnaire.

Democrats Dusty Hoerler and Sarajane Siegfriedt, who are running against Croker and Farrell, both got the “good” rating. “Democratic-Republican” Stanley Lippmann was rated “not qualified.” The League said that it had insufficient information to rate Republican Scott Hodge, who neither interviewed nor submitted a questionnaire. The six candidates will be on the primary ballot, with the top two vote getters, regardless of party, advancing to the Nov. 6 general election.

Kagi will face Republicans Eric Alvey and Robert Reedy in the primary, with the top two of the three advancing to the general election. The League rated Reedy “not qualified” and said that it had: insufficient information to rate Alvey. League evaluation committee members interviewed Kagi and Reed but reported that only Kagi had completed the League’s questionnaire.

Ryu’s Republican challenger Randy Hayden got the fourth highest rating: “adequate.” Both candidates had interviews, but only Ryu completed the questionnaire.

The League did not rate 46th District Democratic incumbent State Sen. David Frockt because Frockt is running unopposed.

The 32nd District includes Shoreline and part of northwest Seattle in addition to Woodway, south Edmonds, most of Lynnwood, and part of Mountlake Terrace.

The 46th District includes Lake Forest Park, Kenmore and northeast Seattle.

The Municipal League rates candidates on “involvement, effectiveness, character and knowledge.”  The League says that it tries to determine whether candidates would be effective in the office they seek and how well they could serve the community.

The League says, “Political affiliation or the stance a candidate has on any particular issue is not considered as part of the League rating process.”