The New 8th Looks Republican to Me
The base for Darcy’s candidacy was her roots in Redmond, Kirkland and the north end of Bewllevue .. the land that Microsoft built. That was part of the old eighth, where she lost to Reichert.
Now she lives in the new first. Now, her chances depend on the lack of an incumbent, on the chance that no more credible Democrat (such as Suzan DelBene) and the very real possibility the Republicans are too intoxicated by their wierd tea to run a viable candidate.
Darcy is a self proclaimed Netroots candidate … an agent of a community that sees itself as effective as the tea party but progressive and lots brighter, Her memes are antiwar, rich to pay taxes, gay rights, union rights, no corporate personhood, etc.
I do not claim to be an expert but .. do these memes fit the new eighth?
If anything the lines look as if they were intended to cut Darcy out. Look at the Canadian border! Notice how deftly Bellingham, home of Western Washington University, is carefully excised. While I do not have many real data, I have driven in Darcey’s new outback during political seasons … what I saw was a lot of Dino Rossi signs and Tea Party fan clubs carrying signs to assure that Jesus gets re elected before he is resurrected.
If you look to the south, the new eight does include Redmond, but is Microsoft the land of progressive voters? Remember, a LOT of the younger Microsofties live in Seattle or down South in Issaquah. What Darcy does get are the uber rich maxi mansions of Medina and Hunts Point. Hardly a hot bed of 99ers there.
from Sound Politics’ Jim Miller
” The state is gaining a seat, and so all the district lines are being redrawn. Republicans have a chance to pick a seat in the redrawn 1st district, “
from PUBLICOLA:
Fundraising king Laura Ruderman, and moderate state Sen. Steve Hobbs quickly announced that they’re all still in and fundraising.
DelBene was apparently encouraged by the new district map which turned the 1rst into more of a swing district than a Democratic stronghold—giving her centrist profile more viability to make it through a contested primary of liberals and then take on a Republican like John Koster who she could easily paint as too right wing for the moderate district. The other moderate Democrat in the field, state Sen. Steve Hobbs, was certainly a winner yesterday too, but DelBene, a successful Eastside dot com entrepreneur, will have a fundraising and cash advantage on Hobbs. Hobbs is currently at the bottom of the fundraising pack (he’s raised about $53,000) while DelBene was able to put $2.3 million of her own money into her 2010 campaign.
DelBene only got 13 likes on her status update. However, one thumbs up came from Kelly Evans, a big deal Seattle Democratic consultant and key member of Gov. Chris Gregoire’s kitchen cabinet.
The other notable FB reaction? Progressive former state Rep. Brendan Williams—who resigned from the legislature in anger in 2010 because the Democratic caucus wasn’t liberal enough for him—posted this blatant shot at Democrat Denny Heck, who was essentially coronated as the Democratic candidate from the newly created 10th Congressional District yesterday: “Wonder what chances are for a candidate who doesn’t just mouth platitudes about middle-class values but is actually PART of the middle-class, with published POSITIONS on all issues. Hmm . . .
“It may easily be the most evenly divided congressional district in the United States of America,” said former U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton, the Republican who negotiated the congressional maps with Democrat Tim Ceis, the former Seattle deputy mayor. (Seattle Times)
David Goldstein SLOG
The new 1st CD is less Democratic than originally expected, and geographically huge. It’s gonna take a lot of hard work to run this race right. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a couple more hopefuls drop out well in advance of the primary, and possibly one more—current Department of Revenue director Suzan DelBene—jump in.