32nd Legislative District Dems endorse challenger Sutton over incumbent Rep. Ryu

Sutton, Smith, Ryu
32nd LD Pos 1

By Evan Smith

The 32nd Legislative District Democrats have endorsed challenger Shirley Sutton over incumbent State Rep. Cindy Ryu.

At an endorsement meeting June 10, District members voted against endorsing Ryu by a 55 percent to 45 percent margin and in favor of endorsing former Lynnwood Councilwoman Sutton by a 64 percent to 36 percent margin.

Democrats Ryu, Sutton and Keith Smith are running in the Aug. 4 primary for Position 1 in the 32nd District. No Republicans or independents have filed for the position. The top two candidates in the primary will advance to the Nov. 3 general election.

Ryu, whom 32nd District Democrats had endorsed in her past elections, said Wednesday that she attributes her loss of the district Democrats’ endorsement to her past support of former Democratic State Rep. Ruth Kagi. District Democrats declined to endorse Kagi, longtime chairwoman of the committee on early learning and social services in the State House of Representatives, when she won her last term in 2016.

Ryu said that she thinks that she had inherited the target that the 32nd District organization once had on former State Sen. Darlene Fairley and later had on Rep. Kagi.

She added that the organization may be making itself irrelevant.

District party rules say that endorsements are to be grounded in public policy positions, not in personal likes or dislikes.

Carin Chase, the district’s state committee representative, said Thursday that the district doesn’t poll members regarding the reasons for their votes.

Chase noted that people stayed at the meeting until 11:40pm to complete the endorsement process.

District Democrats also endorsed incumbent Democratic State Rep. Lauren Davis for re-election to Position 2.

This week Sutton was also endorsed by the King County Democrats.

Evan Smith can be reached at schsmith@frontier.com