Monday, April 17, 2006

The 43rd starts to heat up

As has been mentioned here previously, I serve as the Vice Chair for Programs in the 43rd District Democrats.  Thus, it is with more than passing interest that I note the commencement of a series of reports on Slog, the blog created by The Stranger, in which the competitors for what has been Ed Murray’s seat in the State House of Representatives will describe their policy emphases and discuss the LD’s issues with readers, bloggers, et al.

Today, Eli Sanders opens the proceedings with a posting and comment thread on former 43rd District Democrats chair Dick Kelley.  Dick’s campaign website can be found by clicking here.Additional Democratic candidates in the 43rd will present themselves to the Slog community every day this week:

• Tuesday  =  Bill Sherman
• Wednesday  =  Jim Street
• Thursday  =  Stephanie Pure
• Friday  =  Lynne Dodson

The sixth Democratic candidate for the seat, Jamie Pedersen, was the subject of an article written by Sanders in the April 6-12 dead-trees version of The Stranger, but has not participated in an interactive medium such as a blog.  I hope he’ll do so at some point, just as I hope there will be articles/profiles on paper about the rest of these estimable candidates.

I strongly encourage interested readers to pop over to Slog to participate in the discussions with and about the 43rd LD candidates this week.  We’re still a long way from the September primary, and there will undoubtedly be many words spilled around the Seattle blogosphere on this race (as well as the State Senate race here in the 43rd), but it’s not too early to start educating ourselves about who’s in the running.

Before wrapping up, I’d also like to note that the 43rd District Democrats are already starting to plan Candidate Forums on the House and Senate races.  We’re looking to do something big—too big for our usual LD meeting place, with media invited to cover it—most likely in July.  And our August LD meeting, when primary endorsements are voted on, promised to be a rollicking affair as well.

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Disclaimer:  I have endorsed Dick Kelley and participate as a volunteer in his campaign.  Eventually, I’ll put up a button or other graphic to display that fact prominently on the site.  That said, I will enthusiastically and unabashedly support whichever Democrat wins the nomination in our primary.