We endorse: In rural/suburban Pierce County, 5 look good for House, none for Senate
The rural outposts and suburbs outside the South Sound’s urban core have several good candidates eager to serve in the Washington Legislature. This should be a point of pride for communities in Pierce, South King and North Thurston counties.
But we regret that one key position will go without our Editorial Board’s recommendation this year. At stake is a four-year Senate term to replace longtime Sen. Randi Becker of Eatonville, who’s retiring.
The finalists for the District 2 Senate seat are a pair of Graham residents: Republican Jim McCune and Democrat Rick Payne. Both declined to interview with us; therefore, we can’t consider endorsing them.
On paper McCune is more prepared to represent the district that includes Spanaway, Orting, Roy, Yelm and JBLM. He served eight years in the House and is finishing his second term on the Pierce County Council. But his reactionary style of politics won’t win him influence in Olympia.
Payne is a perennial candidate who once ran for Legislature on the Marijuana Party ticket. He advanced to the Nov. 3 general election as the sole Democrat in a crowded primary field of six. It’s a shame that one of the moderate Republicans didn’t get the opportunity.
We have no such qualms about the one contested House in the 2nd District, where JT Wilcox, R-Yelm, wins our endorsement for Position 2, as he did in the primary.
Wilcox, 57, is widely admired for his steady demeanor by colleagues on both sides of the aisle. The House minority caucus leader is a strong advocate for businesses and unapologetically conservative, but he’s made clear that party loyalty doesn’t trump decency. He booted Rep. Matt Shea from the caucus last session after an independent report concluded Shea was involved in domestic terrorism.
Veronica Whitcher Rockett, 37, is Wilcox’s challenger. The vice chair for Thurston County Democratic Women says being a full-time caregiver gives her an ear for working family struggles. She wants to ensure Washington’s budget crisis isn’t solved on the “backs of children, seniors and the working poor.”
But Wilcox’s proven leadership over a fractious caucus is well-documented. Credit a lifetime working on his family’s commercial farm for helping him deal with excessive amounts of you know what.
Voters in the 30th District — which covers Federal Way, Milton, Algona, Pacific and parts of Auburn and Des Moines —should send attorney Jamila Taylor, 44, to Olympia to replace Rep. Mike Pellicciotti, who’s running for state treasurer instead of the Position 1 seat.
Taylor, D-Federal Way, serves on the city’s Human Services Commision and has devoted her career to equitable justice, education and healthcare access.
Republican Martin Moore, 36, is a Federal Way City Council member with a compelling life story — adopted from Bulgaria by a local family at age 8 — but Taylor’s experience representing crime victims, along with her resume of professional and civic nonprofit work, tells us she’d be ready on day one.
For Position 2, Jesse Johnson, 30, is hands-down the best pick, as we said before the primary. After serving three years on the Federal Way City Council, the public school counselor was appointed to the Legislature last year to replace Rep. Kristine Reeves.
In his short stint Johnson made fast work addressing homelessness, foster youth concerns, behavioral health and equity issues.
Republican challenger Jack Walsh, 62, owner of an ice-cream business, also has a record of civic work: He led a successful effort to keep retail marijuana out of Federal Way. Walsh has a good handle on business priorities but can’t match Johnson’s proven political force.
When it comes to the 31st District’s Position 1 seat, the Legislature should be thankful Rep. Drew Stokesbary is back on the ballot; the Auburn Republican represents the growing district that includes Enumclaw, Buckley, Bonney Lake, Sumner and Edgewood.
As we’ve said before, the 35-year-old attorney and chief budget writer for House Republicans is a necessary foil for majority Democrats. Stokesbary has earned a third term.
Challenger Katie Young, 29, is a first-time candidate who earnestly champions progressive values, but her experience as a freelance theater worker can’t compare with Stokesbary’s contributions as ranking member on the House Appropriations Committee.
For the Position 2 seat vacated by Republican Morgan Irwin, we’re rescinding our primary election pick of Republican Eric Robertson of Alderton. It has since come to light that Robertson, a retired Washington State Patrol trooper, was at the center of an alarming incident during his previous two-term House tenure.
Two young Black men testified at a committee hearing in 1995. Robertson decided one looked suspicious for keeping his hand in his pocket; he asked troopers to watch the 19-year-old because a “sixth sense” told him he might be an armed threat. Robertson said it had nothing to do with the man’s skin color, and he hasn’t budged on that now.
Rescinding an endorsement is extremely rare, and our Editorial Board struggled over whether to reverse ourselves on a qualified candidate. But we couldn’t get past Robertson’s unregretful refusal to address racial profiling or the possibility of implicit bias 25 years later. Not when the Legislature and society as a whole are in the midst of a seismic racial reckoning.
The alternative is Democrat Thomas Clark. A Navy veteran and retired Boeing engineer from Lake Tapps, Clark cites his extensive experience with regulatory agencies as preparation for legislative service.
Clark’s lack of depth on the budget crisis and other issues was concerning during his Editorial Board interview. But on reflection, we think he’s worth taking a chance on.
ABOUT OUR ENDORSEMENTS
The News Tribune Editorial Board interviewed candidates and did other research before making our picks for the 2020 election. Endorsements are intended to promote civic discourse and encourage voters to dig deeper. Board members who sat in on legislative endorsement sessions include: Stephanie Pedersen, TNT president and publisher; Matt Misterek, editorial page editor; Karen Irwin, editorial writer; Matt Driscoll, local news columnist; and Pamela Transue, community representative and former president of Tacoma Community College.
This story was originally published October 1, 2020 at 3:00 PM.