By now, your voter's pamphlet and ballot for the August 16 primary and special election should have arrived in the mail. And while you probably didn't crack the cover on it as soon as it showed up in your mailbox, the deadline isn't far away, and besides, voter's pamphlets can be kind of a snore. So we wanted you to be prepared and educated, so you can vote on-time, and with all the information.
Because it's just for the primary election, only office races with more than two candidates will be available for voting. Those with just two hopefuls (one incumbent and one challenger) will be on the November ballot.
Today, we'll be focusing on one of the two City Council races with more than one candidate: Position 1. We're not endorsing any one candidate, we just want you to have the facts. Which are these:
City Council Position 1:
Incumbent: Jean Godden
Challengers: Maurice Classen, Bobby Forch and Michael Tayor-Judd (MTJ).
About the Candidates:
Photo courtesy of Jean Godden's campaign site. Jean Godden: Godden's two main sticking points are that she stands up to the Mayor, and that she is in favor of the tunnel. She also likes to remind the people of Seattle that she worked for many years as a reporter, and that she still carries that dedication and diligence to facts in her decisions. She is leaning heavily on the fact that she is an incumbent, which may not be enough. She's endorsed by the Washington Conservation Voters, the King County Democrats, and the King County Realtors.
Photo courtesy of Maurice Classen's campaign site. Maurice Classen: Unlike Godden, who seems to be sticking with the status quo, Classen's campaign relies on his youth and newness. He is billing himself as a fresh candidate who can come up with solid solutions to fiscal problems, without slashing funding for his main areas of concern--domestic violence prevention and aide, and transit. He is very much a "Seattle Guy", down to his support for the Sonics and views on "common sense criminal justice." Classen an attorney as well as a teacher at the UW School of Law, and is also endorsed by the King County Democrats, as well as the 43rd dems. At Candidate Survivor, he was vivacious and charming, but seemed slightly less prepared than his counterparts.
Photo courtesy of Bobby Forch's campaign site. Bobby Forch: With two decades of civic experience, much of it spent working for SDOT, it's sort of a surprise that Bobby Forch hasn't run before. He hasn't specifically stated his position on the tunnel one way or the other, but he has clearly outlined a plan to ensure that taxpayers aren't stuck with expenses regarding other city contracts. His priorities, though, are transportation, promoting economic growth and police accountability. He has been very vocal in his criticism of the handling of this year's officer-involved violence, and has a clear plan for how to renew the public's trust in SPD. He spent a lot of time before Candidate Survivor began, meeting people and smiling a lot. He was likable, and brought a lot of supporters with him. He and MTJ tied to beat out Classen and Godden in the final round.
Photo courtesy of Michael Taylor-Judd's campaign site. Michael Taylor-Judd: Many have criticized the Mayor for focusing too much on the flaws of the deep-bore tunnel--particularly those in City Council who seem ready to get the thing built already. But that's not stopping MTJ, who is staunchly opposed to this transit unfriendly option for replacing the Viaduct. But he's not a one-track candidate: Taylor-Judd wants to put to work his lengthy career in non-profits and political campaigns to increase affordable housing and dense, functional urban areas, as well as protect funding for transit and schools. During Candidate Survivor, he and Bobby Forch tied as the victors in this race with their strong answers to tough questions, and ability to connect with the youthful audience. Additionally, he admitted during the show that he, along with Position 3 challenger Brad Meacham, he had been shut out of many endorsements for his anti-tunnel stance. However, this will likely win him some votes from those who feel similarly.
Conclusion: This is a tough race. All of the challengers bring to the table very important experience, which seems to trump Godden's time spent sitting on the Council. They are also all in favor of legalizing marijuana within the City, though the challengers seem much more likely to make it actually happen. Additionally, the challengers are all far more critical of the City Council than incumbent Godden, which may line up nicely with how the voters see the Council. In the end, it will probably come down to which candidate's priorities best match those of the voters. Will it be transportation? Domestic violence prevention? The tunnel? That's your call.
