Leaders emerge from crowded 8th District primary
July 21, 2010
By Dan Catchpole
UPDATED — 10:00 a.m. Aug. 4, 2010
[Ed. note: The spelling of a name has been corrected.]
Eight men and women are running in the Aug. 17 primary election for Washington’s 8th Congressional District. But already, only two have any real chance of winning the general election — the incumbent, Republican U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert, and his main Democratic challenger, Suzan DelBene.
Both Reichert, a former King County sheriff, and DelBene, a tech-savvy businesswoman, have developed strong — and well-financed — campaign organizations. Each candidate has raised more than $1.6 million.
Only one other candidate, Democrat Tom Cramer, has reported any campaign contributions with the Federal Elections Commission. Cramer has raised just under $60,000.
Jobs and the economy
DelBene’s and Reichert’s campaigns say they are focused on the general election in November, and both campaigns are talking the most about two issues — jobs and the economy.
DelBene said she would support financial system reform, infrastructure improvement (in part, to boost imports and exports through Puget Sound ports) and investment to support small and new business growth, such as increasing access to credit.
Suzan DelBene
In promoting her policy positions, DelBene, 48, is touting her business experience as an executive for several technology companies, including Microsoft and Drugstore.com.
Reichert supports free trade agreements, controlled federal spending, and targeted investment for research and development, according to Darren Littell, his campaign spokesman.
Vulnerable or not?
While the district has never elected a Democrat, DelBene’s supporters are confident she can overcome Reichert, a third-term incumbent.
There is an anti-incumbent mood in the electorate, said Sandeep Kaushik, the communications director in 2008 for Reichert-opponent Darcy Burner.
DelBene’s campaign has been trying to tap into that mood across the district, which spans the eastern parts of King and Pierce counties.
Typically, Pierce County and south King County have been more conservative, but DelBene is campaigning there. While Burner’s campaign headquarters was in Bellevue, DelBene set up shop in Renton. Already, she has been endorsed by the mayor of Eatonville.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has targeted the district as part of its Red to Blue campaign to pick up Republican seats.
Even the National Republican Congressional Committee has reportedly identified Reichert as one of nine vulnerable Republican House members.
Dave Reichert
But political experts see Reichert as likely safe.
“If the Democrats were going to take Reichert out, they had to do it two years ago or in ’06,” said Ron Dotzauer, a Seattle-based political consultant.
While the district has become more centrist — voting for the last three Democratic presidential candidates — Reichert is a moderate conservative with an environmental streak, Dotzauer said.
A challenger has to give voters a compelling reason to vote an incumbent out.
The predominant national issues are the economy, and voters’ perception of politics being driven by partisanship and lobbyists, according to Matt Barreto, a political scientist at the University of Washington.
To beat Reichert, DelBene will have to connect him to those sentiments via local issues, Barreto said.
Other candidates
Both DelBene and Reichert have challengers in the 8th District primary.
The other Democrats are Cramer, of Redmond; Keith Arnold, of Auburn; and Boleslaw (John) Orlinski, of Bellevue. Orlinski came to the U.S. from Poland as a young man in the 1980s after working for several years in the anti-communist movement there, according to his website.
The other Republican candidates are Ernest Huber, of Issaquah, and Tim Dillon, of Bellevue. Running for the Independent Party is Robin Adair, of Bellevue. Caleb Love Mardini has no party affiliation listed.
Dan Catchpole: 392-6434, ext. 246, or editor@snovalleystar.com.
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One of the Republican candidates name is not correctt: “In other Republican candidates” it should read Tim Dillon not Tom Dillon.
Hello all,
I just wanted to let everyone know my name is Tim Dillon
Best Regards,
Tim Dillon
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