Attorney Rod Dembowski appointed to vacant King County Council seat.
The Seattle attorney was selected over two Shoreline contenders to fill the vacancy created after Bob Ferguson was elected state attorney general.
From our news partner, The Seattle Times
The Metropolitan King County Council on Monday appointed attorney Rod Dembowski to fill the seat left vacant when Bob Ferguson became attorney general.
Dembowski was selected in a 5-3 vote, with Council members Larry Gossett, Jane Hague and Kathy Lambert voting no. Dembowski beat out two other finalists — Democratic State Rep. Cindy Ryu, a former Shoreline mayor, and Shoreline City Councilman Will Hall, a Snohomish County land-use analyst.
Dembowski was sworn in immediately after the vote.
Council member Pete von Reichbauer, who may have been the deciding vote, said he was finally convinced Dembowski was the right choice when Ferguson on Sunday endorsed Dembowski at a campaign event.
It should be a spirited campaign this fall, if two or all three of these folks vie for the seat. All three are well qualified.
ReplyDeleteRep. Ryu is the only one with experience in the State Legislature, and she's made an impressive impact there, especially for a new member. She's also been a mayor of a large city, Shoreline, though it was a tumultuous time during her tenure, when healing was a better choice. Councilmember Hall was the "swing" vote when he came to the council in 2009, the year that last of those involved in the controversial firing of former City Manager Burkett-and installation of one of their defeated candidates to replace him-lost their re-election bids, including Ms. Ryu. Since then, the council has been working in harmony, and he deserves credit for that "conversion." Mr. Hall has substantial council experience from a staff perspective as well a from volunteer service on the Planning Commission, which has a substantial workload along the lines of the City Council, which he's followed that up with, chairing the commission and being a past Deputy Mayor.
Lastly, Mr. Dembowski has a breadth of experience, none elective from what I could tell, but he was the most political of the three in his council interview, ticking off different groups of endorsers in what looked planned. He has raised the most money of the three, and he now has incumbency to add to his advantage.