Mike McGinn Tries To Make The Tunnel Cost Nickels

Photo of Mike McGinn by Flickr user bmaryman.

Mike McGinn, local enviro and an increasing threat to Greg Nickels's re-election effort, is doing his damnedest to make Nickels pay for lobbying so hard for a waterfront tunnel. The Times has a report on McGinn's strategy today, while Publicola points out McGinn supporters have launched a new anti-tunnel website.

McGinn is still a dark horse candidate according to pollsters; back on July 16, the KING5/SurveyUSA poll showed McGinn claiming a mere 8 percent of likely voters, versus Nickels's 26 percent. That said, incumbents are heavily benefited by name recognition leading up to the primary.

And McGinn is scoring some crucial press for his tunnel opposition. The debate over replacing the Viaduct is long, but there still doesn't appear to be a public consensus over the replacement option, despite the efforts of tunnel supporters to create the opposite perception. Publicola reports this afternoon that McGinn and city council candidate Mike O'Brien, also a tunnel opponent (or at least vocal skeptic), are paying to poll for public attitudes towards the tunnel.

All of which suggests McGinn sees a real opportunity in opposing the tunnel, the most expensive and disruptive replacement option, and one widely opposed by enviros. According to the West Seattle Herald, the 34th District Dems have currently split their endorsement for mayor between Nickels and McGinn. And the Stranger is leaning strongly towards McGinn, with a long article appearing in the current issue.