Kagi apparently to face Reedy in 32nd Legislative District, Ryu to meet Hayden

By Evan Smith

Incumbent Democratic 32nd District State Rep. Ruth Kagi appears to be headed for a race against Republican Robert Reedy in November.

Kagi holds 70 percent of votes from the Tuesday primary counted through Thursday afternoon. Reedy holds 21 percent, with fellow Republican Eric Alvey apparently eliminated with 9 percent of the primary votes.

Kagi had 75 percent of the votes in the King County part of the District – Shoreline and northwest Seattle – and 63 percent in the Snohomish County part of the district – Woodway, south Edmonds, nearby unincorporated areas of southwest Snohomish County, most of Lynnwood and part of Mountlake Terrace.

In the other 32nd District house race, Democratic incumbent Cindy Ryu and Republican challenger Randy Hayden move to the general election after running alone in the primary. Ryu holds 70 percent of the primary vote to 30 percent for Hayden.

Ryu had 74 percent of the King County vote and 65 percent in Snohomish County.

Officials had received ballots from 40 percent of registered voters in the King County part of the district through Thursday but had counted votes from only 30 percent of voters in the area. Officials had received ballots from 37 percent of voters in the Snohomish County area and counted ballots from 25 percent of registered voters.

Kagi is seeking her eighth two-year term in the Legislature. She is chairwoman of House committee on early learning and social services, and a member of the House Ways and Means Committee.

Reedy was an unsuccessful candidate for the Mountlake Terrace City Council last year.

Ryu is seeking a second two-year term. She won an open seat in 2010, just a year after losing a bid for re-election to the Shoreline City Council. She said a few weeks ago that many voters who thought she obstructed action on the Council now appreciate her as a questioning legislator. She was a co-sponsor of a bill to eliminate some outmoded tax breaks, a bill that failed because it didn’t get a two-thirds majority. She was a plaintiff in a lawsuit that resulted in a King County Superior Court judge holding the voter-approved two-thirds requirement unconstitutional. The State Supreme Court expects to rule on an appeal in the next two months.

Hayden said in July that he can’t come close to Ryu’s $72,500 raised but he will compensate by talking to a lot of voters.