TNT endorsements: WA House picks for Edgewood, Sumner, Bonney Lake, South King County | Opinion

Washington’s 31st Legislative District is in a strange spot. There’s no other way to say it.

Stretching from south King County — and places like Auburn and Enumclaw — through the rural Pierce County burbs of Edgewood, Sumner and Bonney Lake, District 31 doesn’t stop going — mostly via State Route 410 — until you reach the wilds of east county, Greenwater and beyond.

With a population of more than 150,000 residents and growing, District 31 often defies traditional stereotypes. If King County is synonymous with Seattle, District 31 isn’t that, certainly. But at the same time, much of the area is unlike anything Pierce County has to offer, with some corners of the district feeling more closely related to the likes of Kent and Federal Way than Tacoma or Puyallup.

Historically, the 31st District is a place where suburban sensibilities have given rise to what some might consider the quintessential PNW moderate Republican: Its residents aren’t wild about taxes but trend progressive to none-of-my-business on social issues. Elections are largely dominated by educated suburbanites in search of good schools, safe streets, square footage and as few of those big-city problems as possible — with some small-town flair is thrown into the mix for good measure. While recent court-mandated redistricting efforts shook things up a bit, electorally, changes in the district are likely to be negligible.

This year, voters in the reconfigured District 31 will weigh two races for state House.

One feels like a formality.

The other?

That’s where things get interesting.

State House, Pos. 1 — District 31

Republican Drew Stokesbary had been an up-and-comer in state GOP politics for so long that it started to feel disingenuous to refer to him as such in recent years.

Luckily, Stokesbary settled the matter in 2023 when he ascended to the role of House Republican Leader after JT Wilcox stepped aside.

It’s not hard to understand why Stokesbary’s GOP colleagues selected him for the important position.

In a two-candidate race headed straight for general election ballots in November, it’s probably the same reason Stokesbary again earns the TNT Ed Board’s strong endorsement this year.

First elected in 2014, Stokesbary maintains a boy-wonder air, even if the absurdity of the notion is defied by the former King County Council policy aide’s slowly graying hair and experience in the state capitol.

More importantly?

Over the last decade, Stokesbary has become one of the most respected members of either chamber or party, particularly when it comes to budgetary matters and the finer points of actually getting things done in the state Legislature — which, as it turns out, is fairly important.

Sara Sutterfield, a local artist and Wilkeson resident, filed to run as a Democrat in the race — ensuring voters have a choice when casting a ballot, even if it’s a David vs. Goliath affair.

Sutterfield’s compassion and concern for the community are commendable, and her motives appear pure. We applaud her bravery and willingness to throw her hat in the ring as an untested candidate for public office; that takes guts and resolve.

Still, Sutterfield can’t match Stokesbary’s policy chops or experience. He has served District 31 admirably since he arrived on the political scene a decade ago.

In the view of the TNT Ed Board, Stokesbary deserves voters’ continued support.

State House, Pos. 2 — District 31

If voters are searching for an example of how redistricting has changed the political landscape in Western Washington, they need look no further than the 31st Legislative District.

In February, when longtime state House Rep. JT Wilcox announced his retirement, Orting Mayor Josh Penner quickly launched a campaign to replace him in District 2, complete with the former House Republican leader’s explicit endorsement.

Then a funny thing happened: A federal judge put an end to a simmering and partisan redistricting dispute by signing off on a fresh political map with redrawn boundaries for 13 districts across the state.

Suddenly, Penner didn’t reside in Wilcox’s old stomping grounds anymore; he was bumped to the 31st.

Penner’s fledgling campaign for the open House seat in District 2 was dead in the water — at least until May, when Rep. Eric Robertson, a Republican from Sumner, announced he would not seek reelection after completing the second term of his second stint in the Legislature representing the 31st.

Enter Penner (again), who’s now running in his new home district, this time with Robertson’s full-throated support.

In the TNT Ed Board’s opinion, Penner is the most promising and prepared candidate in a field of four political hopefuls who will appear on primary ballots, none of them slam dunks.

The 2000 Sumner High School grad and U.S. Marine Corps veteran earns our endorsement this election season.

Brandon Beynon, a local Republican with a background in real estate and construction — perhaps best known for his viscerally evocative “Let’s Go Brandon” campaign slogan — also will appear on the primary ballot.

So will Democrats Brian Gunn, who unsuccessfully ran for state House in 2012, and Bill Thomas, who did not respond to invitations to participate in the TNT Ed Board’s endorsement process this year.

If elected, Penner, who served in Iraq as a Marine and has served residents of Orting as mayor since 2018, will have a steep learning curve in the state House. All rookie state representatives do.

If given the opportunity, it’s a challenge Penner promised the TNT Editorial Board he would embrace.

Penner’s resume suggests he has the tools necessary to be an effective legislator, representing a community he knows well, no matter how the district map is drawn.

The trick, of course, is doing it.

In our view, District 31 voters would be wise to give Penner the opportunity.

The News Tribune Editorial Board is: Matt Driscoll, opinion editor; Stephanie Pedersen, TNT president and editor; Jim Walton, community representative; Amanda Figueroa, community representative; Justin Evans, community representative; J. Manny Santiago, community representative; Bart Hayes, community representative.

This story was originally published July 17, 2024 at 10:40 AM.