Putting John McCain, Barack Obama, Sarah Palin and Joe Biden aside, we should remember that there are many fascinating political races right here in Island County that will be decided in the Nov. 4 general election. If that date still seems far away, remember that our all-mail elections actually start three weeks earlier when the ballots are sent out, so we’re only one month away from deciding some important local races.
Primary election results from August are finally official and the numbers are interesting in Legislative District 10, which encompasses all of Island County and parts of Skagit and Snohomish counties.
Veteran State Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, has faced fierce opposition from the Leadership Council, a Republican group, which funded a number of pre-primary newspaper ads and telephone “town hall” meetings meant to undermine Haugen. But primary results suggest the opposition did not make much of a dent. Haugen collected 53 percent of the vote to Republican Linda Haddon’s 42 percent. Haddon, R-Oak Harbor, is an excellent candidate but faces a formidable task in trying to overcome Haugen’s lead with so little time remaining. A lot depends on how much money the Republicans want to continue pouring into the race.
For the 10th District House seats, veteran Oak Harbor Rep. Barbara Bailey, a Republican, made a strong primary showing for the Position 2 seat. She garnered 55 percent of the vote, while her two Democratic opponents combined for 45 percent. Patricia Terry of Camano Island was the top Democratic with 27 percent of the vote. While she will inherit Ann McDonald’s 18 percent of the vote, Terry has her work cut out for her. Too much of a one-issue candidate in the primary, she’ll have to expand beyond health care to have a chance against Bailey.
The race for House Position 1 is particularly interesting with two well-known and popular candidates butting heads. Tim Knue, the Democrat from Mount Vernon with Oak Harbor roots, managed only 47 percent of the primary vote against appointed Republican incumbent Norma Smith of Clinton. Two years ago Knue made an impressive but failed run against Bailey for Position 2, then took the advice of certain pundits and switched to Position 1 this year. In retrospect, that may have been the wrong choice.
Democrats trailing after the primary are hoping for a large voter turnout in November. If Obama can bring them out to the polls, then they have a chance. Of course, Republicans are now thinking the same thing. Nobody expected McCain to attract a enthusiastic outpouring of support, but the addition of the popular Palin to the ticket has improved their outlook for November. In the 10th District, anybody can still win with the right combination of hard work, financing and a little luck with the turnout in November.
