Tacoma’s first-ever congresswoman? That has a nice ring to it. But Strickland should move to 10th District
Marilyn Strickland’s exit from South Sound politics turned out to be more like a coffee break.
With her pre-Christmas announcement that she’s running for the open 10th Congressional District seat next year, Strickland parlayed her credentials as a two-term Tacoma mayor into instant frontrunner status. Suddenly she’s the presumptive heir to U.S. Rep. Denny Heck.
Granted, it doesn’t take much to command attention when joining an election against a trio of third-stringers. (Raise your hand if you’ve heard of Joshua Collins, Nancy Slotnick or Ryan Tate.)
But Strickland, who served as Tacoma mayor from 2010-2017 followed by two years as CEO of the Seattle Metro Chamber of Commerce, figures to bring energy, name recognition, fundraising prowess and a sharp centrist sensibility to the race.
Don’t be surprised if Strickland’s entry chills the ambitions of other Democrats with solid pedigrees, including several state legislators reported to have interest after Heck said he wouldn’t run for reelection in 2020. Her case is strengthened by landing the early endorsement of former Gov. Chris Gregoire, among others.
We’ll reserve judgment until a full primary field forms up, but there’s no denying the appeal of sending a Tacoma woman to Congress for the first time in history.
Meantime, she would be wise to deal with one drawback and keep it from becoming a liability.
Strickland isn’t a resident of the 10th District. She should move there as soon as possible to demonstrate commitment to voters there.
To be fair, nothing in the U.S. Constitution says that candidates or members of Congress must live in the district they represent; all that’s required is state residency.
A 2017 analysis by The Washington Post found that 22 members of Congress were registered to vote in districts other than the ones they represent — including Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Seattle, now in her second term as congresswoman for Washington’s 7th District. Jayapal has since moved into the 7th.
Strickland, likewise, says she will move from her 6th District home in downtown Tacoma and relocate to the 10th District, though she’s vague about the timeline. ““Hopefully, I’ll do it after I’m elected,” she told News Tribune reporter James Drew, adding that moving is a “pretty big, disruptive event.”
Yes, it is. Many things are disruptive about seeking a political office 2,700 miles away. But there should be no “hopefully” about it.
The 10th District comprises most of Thurston County and runs north into Pierce County, bracketing Tacoma. Created after Washington gained a House seat in the congressional redistricting of 2011, it’s sometimes known as the “Denny District” in honor of Heck; it was pieced together to make election a shoo-in for the veteran Olympia Democrat – and subsequent Democrats, as well.
State Republican honchos are now trying to cast Strickland as unfit for the district, saying she has “Seattle values.” That’s absurd. She’s a product of Tacoma schools and has well-established 253 bonafides, both as an appointed and an elected official, advocating for everything from libraries to public transit to economic development.
“She was very good at letting Tacoma be Tacoma,” local GOP strategist Alex Hays told the TNT in 2017, as Strickland prepared to leave the mayor’s office.
By moving to the 10th, however, Strickland could defuse any claims of opportunism and prove she’s willing to sacrifice for the privilege of representing the district. Even more so if she does it by the time her campaign shifts into high gear this spring.
It would be a good-faith gesture to the people whose votes she needs to win, and would show confidence befitting her frontrunner status.
This story was originally published January 2, 2020 at 10:30 AM.