Seattle's "Election Night Sex Rodeo 2011!!!" (SLOG, with photos)

Any predictions for tonight, Mr. Pelz? "I'm only here to rant," he said.

STRANGER ELECTION CONTROL BOARD:

The blow-by-blow accounts are all below. Long story short: State voters decided—with a $22 million assist from Costco—that state-run liquor stores must close and, in June of next year, large grocery stores can begin to carry hard liquor. Meanwhile, Tim Eyman's anti-light-rail, anti-tolling measure is failing by a narrow margin, and the SEIU's health-care worker initative is passing easily.

So liquor and health care are looking up; initiative trolls, not so much. MORE...

Joel Connelly: WA "Election 2011: The hottest races"

Joel Connelly (SeattlePI.com):

Light rail across Lake Washington, tolls to pay for rebuilding the S.R. 520 bridge, and the future of state-run liquor stores top the Election 2011 ballot, along with a spotty list of high-profile races across Western Washington.

Here is what you will miss if you are part of the 53 percent of registered voters who, according to Secretary of State Sam Reed, will NOT mail in ballots by midnight on Nov. 8. The hot issues and races: MORE...

Howie P.S.: Best soundbite from the story:

The key question: Which is more distasteful, having Washington in the liquor business or letting a big company buy an election?

Seattle: "Godden, Hague could face tough re-election in Nov."

Chris Grygiel (SeattlePi.com):

Two-term incumbent City Councilwoman Jean Godden captured just 46 percent of the vote in early primary returns Tuesday evening, suggesting the incumbent seen as most vulnerable in November could be in for a tough re-election fight.

Godden's foe in November will most likely be long-time City employee and manager Bobby Forch, who as running second for the Position 1 seat with 24 percent.

All of Godden's Council colleagues who are up for re-election easily made it into the general election: Bruce Harrell will face former financial journalist and Municipal League Chairman Bradley Meacham; Sally Clark (who was getting 71 percent of the early primary vote) will face off with Dian Ferguson; Tom Rasmussen will run against accountant Dale Pusey, and Tim Burgess against architect David Schraer. (Harrell, Rasmussen and Burgess each only faced one opponent and did not have to run in the primary).

Meanwhile King County Council incumbent Jane Hague also looks to be in trouble. She was getting just 39 percent of early votes. She'll face either Richard Mitchell or John Creighton (Mitchell appeared to have the edge in early returns). The other County Councilmember up for election, Joe McDermott, will run against Diana Toledo. County voters were also easily approving the renewal of Proposition 1, the Veterans and Human Resources levy. The six-year measure to pay for programs to assist veterans and their families, as well as general human services programs, would cost the owner of a $400,000 home $20 a year in property taxes. MORE...

Seattle: "Taking on a City Council Incumbent is a Daunting Task"

Photo: David Bloom

John V. Fox and Carolee Colter (Seattle Displacement Coalition):

Well, it looks like all five Seattle City Council incumbents - Bruce Harrell, Jean Godden, Sally Clark, Tom Rasmussen and Tim Burgess - will be seeking re-election this fall. It’s a daunting task in Seattle to run against and defeat an incumbent.
(SNIP)
As we head into the 2011 council election, there’s plenty of voter dissatisfaction with the status quo. But lacking another fiasco like Rick’s Strip Club, it’s inherently difficult for challengers to win under a system of at-large elections and in the absence of publicly financed campaigns. By contrast, with district elections, a challenger could substitute people power for money, and blanket a district with doorbelling, mailings, and issue papers—nearly impossible in city-wide elections.

Incumbents accumulate tens of thousands of dollars from “the establishment” and downtown interests even before the campaign begins. They draw press attention every time they cast a vote or break ground with golden shovels at a public works project, while challengers struggle for endorsements, funding and media coverage.

We followed closely David Bloom’s campaign for City Council two years ago and while he was not running against an incumbent, he was an outsider up against a candidate backed by the establishment and corporate power—the eventual winner Sally Bagshaw.

Bloom raised about $50,000 before the primary. To get there, he spent 6 months on the phone begging for money and building a list of some 600 contributors. He pulled down the majority of key group endorsements and shook a lot of hands in public places. He set up a website and Facebook page and hired a good campaign manager. His volunteers waived signs and planted them everywhere.

He was a credible candidate with a progressive pro-neighborhood message. Yet few primary voters even knew who David Bloom was. He spent most of his funds on cable TV ads no one saw and then could not afford to blanket voters with even one bulk mailing. His second-place finish in a crowded primary carried him through to the final, but with only 18 percent of the vote to Bagshaw’s 51 percent, few took his campaign seriously after that.

In hindsight, our advice to challengers; concentrate like Bloom on fundraising, but raise even more, say, $80,000 before the primary. Cut drastically all expenses except what you’ll need for at least three bulk mailings, including at least two hard hitting pieces right before or even during the period voters mail in ballots. There is no other way to become known. The press might write one piece about your race before the primary, but say little about the distinctions between you and your opponents.

Also you’ll have little space or time to distinguish yourself, so speak almost exclusively about one or two hot-button issues featured prominently on your website and mailings--issues that voters truly care about. MORE...