We endorse: Dammeier again for Pierce County executive, but no pick for sheriff
It took a moderate Republican to snatch the Pierce County executive office from Democrats for the first time this century and only the second time ever. That was 2016, and the politician who did it was Bruce Dammeier, a pragmatic statesman who will never be mistaken for a Donald Trump disciple.
Dammeier, 59, earned our endorsement in a hard-fought contest four years ago, and we’re doubling down on the Puyallup resident now.
Challenger Larry Seaquist, 82, is a salt-of-the-earth Democrat who, like Dammeier, launched a distinguished public service career in the Navy. But the Gig Harbor resident and former three-term state representative is running a campaign largely centered on Trump administration divisiveness and dysfunction; he’s not been effective making those sins stick to Dammeier.
In many respects, Dammeier has proven to be the same approachable negotiator and savvy deal-maker who won respect in the Legislature. He helped mediate an uneasy peace between Ruston and Tacoma over the stalled Point Ruston development. He unveiled a $275-per-employee credit for job creators, sending a message that “Pierce County is open for business” while Seattle was engulfed in its Amazon head-tax fiasco.
His local roots spread deep and broad: raised in University Place, ran the family business in Lakewood, served eight years on the Puyallup School Board followed by eight in the Legislature. For a non-Tacoman to be elected county executive was an historic achievement.
And yet Dammeier hasn’t quite been the “game changer” we predicted he might be.
That’s partly because COVID-19 has scrambled the rules of the game. Under his leadership, the county wisely switched from a one- to a two-year budget cycle. But now the county has $158 million in federal CARES Act funding to spend before the end of the year; only about one-third has been allocated so far.
“I love my country,” Dammeier told us in a joint endorsement interview with Seaquist, “but I don’t don’t want to give any of (the CARES funds) back to the feds.”
With so much budget uncertainty around the corner, he needs to make good on that.
Dammeier’s first term has also been marked by some disappointing lapses of judgment. Allowing a lucrative photo/video production contract for the husband of his executive assistant had an air of nepotism. A whistleblower complaint filed by a former senior adviser, a Black woman, raises questions about an alleged “Boys Club” culture in Dammeier’s inner circle. There’s no question he went out of bounds by blasting her on social media.
Seaquist hasn’t seized the opportunity to provide a compelling alternative. Six years removed from legislative service, he has thrived on the sidelines, coaching Democratic candidates, convening focus groups and teaching college classes. But his big-picture thinking doesn’t translate as well to immediate policy proposals.
Dammeier, by contrast, is all about policy. He says his top priority in a second term will be leading a county of 3,000 employees and a $2.4 billion budget through a pandemic and economic recession. He has the right skills and temperament for that tough work.
But can he become a more inspirational leader? Dammeier should use his bully pulpit on issues such as racial justice, especially after the embarrassment of the county’s Manny Ellis homicide investigation. He should use it to champion stable funding for behavioral health — a dedicated one-tenth of one-percent sales tax, not just supplemental budget adjustments.
Teddy Roosevelt once said: “Too often men who believe in moderation believe in it only moderately and tepidly and leave fervor to the extremists.”
Dammeier has room to grow into a more fervent moderate. We’re placing a second bet on him to do just that.
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For Pierce County sheriff, voters face a difficult choice between a pair of department insiders.
Difficult because Cyndie Fajardo and Ed Troyer are both dedicated public servants with 30-plus years in the department. Also difficult because both are embroiled in investigations that raise concerns about their fitness to be the county’s law enforcement leader.
Before the August primary election, we made the hard decision not to endorse any of the four candidates but promised to reevaluate before November. We’ve since re-interviewed both finalists, debated the pros and cons of both, and ultimately landed in the same uncomfortable place.
Fajardo, 62, boasts a superior management record, advancing to lieutenant and being loaned out to run Steilacoom’s public safety department for four years. She has strong support from the rank and file and admirably pledges to hire more women and people of color into deputy jobs and leadership roles.
But Fajardo led a drug unit that was shut down and recently investigated. She was found to have coordinated a plan to falsify police reports to protect an informant. She can’t talk much about it because another review is pending; it will determine whether she lied, provided lax supervision or violated any of a dozen department policies.
Troyer, 59, enjoys a larger public profile, serving as spokesman during the two-decade tenure of Sheriff Paul Pastor. The former patrol deputy is quick on the scene of major crimes, sharing what he knows in front of reporters and TV cameras. He has the support of Pastor and exudes a what-you-see-is-what-you get love of community.
But Troyer is inextricably tied to the Manny Ellis investigation, which was yanked from the county and now being handled by the state. He fed the early narrative that Ellis was aggressive and not fatally choked by cops — a narrative weakened by citizen videos that later surfaced. He says he was just communicating what he was told at the time, but welcomes police reforms and looks forward to release of the complete investigation.
Is it possible that concerns swirling around the candidates will ease once all the facts are in and their respective investigations closed? Sure, anything’s possible. But that’s not going to happen before Election Day.
One of these two will soon be elected sheriff. Regrettably, we can’t recommend either of them under these circumstances.
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 in this set of interviews include: Stephanie Pedersen, TNT president and publisher; Matt Misterek, editorial page editor; Karen Irwin, editorial writer; Matt Driscoll, local news columnist; Pamela Transue, community representative and former president of Tacoma Community College; and Jim Walton, community representative and former Tacoma city manager. Read more about the candidates in our online Voter Guide.
This story was originally published October 17, 2020 at 8:00 AM.