Seattle Times endorses Kagi and Ryu in 32nd Legislative District

By Evan Smith

Our news partner, the Seattle Times, has endorsed incumbent Democratic 32nd District State Reps. Ruth Kagi and Cindy Ryu for the August 2 primary election.

Kagi is running against fellow Democrat Wes Irwin, Republican David Schirle, and Libertarian candidate Alex Hart for Position 2, with the top two vote getters advancing to the November general-election ballot.

Ryu is running against Republican Alvin Rutledge and independent candidate Keith Smith, with the two leading primary candidates advancing to the November ballot.

The 32nd Legislative District includes the city of Shoreline, part of northwest Seattle, Woodway and nearby unincorporated areas of southwest Snohomish County, south Edmonds, the city of Lynnwood and part of Mountlake Terrace.

The Times said this about Kagi in a Saturday editorial:

State Rep. Ruth Kagi is a Washington treasure. In her 18 years in the 32nd Legislative District’s House Position No. 2, the North Seattle Democrat has been a champion of the state’s youngest citizens, advocating for the best education from their earliest moments to ensuring care when their families can’t provide it. 

Her leadership was recognized with appointment as co-chair of the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission to create a new department of children and families. 

Her liberal political leanings match her district well, but are tempered with a mature pragmatism that can get results when working with Republican colleagues in a shared interest.

See the rest of the Times editorial here.

The Times said this about Ryu:

State Rep. Cindy Ryu’s résumé — as a business owner, former Shoreline City Council member and mayor — makes her particularly suited to represent her community in Olympia.

Ryu, a Democrat, is chair of the House Community Development, Housing and Tribal Affairs Committee, putting her in the middle of issues important to a district that serves North King and South Snohomish counties. And she intends to expand her focus on serving those Washington citizens who are too often underrepresented.

Ryu has a credible challenger in Keith Smith of Lynnwood, who states no party preference. He has worked in retail management for 15 years and is a volunteer guardian ad litem in Snohomish County. . He has educated himself on the state’s challenge of basic-education funding and has an important interest in addressing efficiencies and effectiveness of the criminal-justice system.

See the rest of the editorial endorsing Ryu here.

Evan Smith can be reached at schsmith@frontier.com