Everything Is Political … in South Seattle: Endorsement Season, Coming at Ya

It's primary election endorsement season, which, if you hate yourself but love being informed, is a wonderful time to be a news consumer. In Seattle, we get told how to vote in primaries by one of two news outlets, depending on our political leanings. If you're in the center or anywhere right of it, The Seattle Times tells you who to vote for. If you're on the left, you listen to The Stranger's Election Control Board (SECB). (Because the South Seattle Emerald is a nonprofit, it cannot endorse political candidates.)

A lot of things determine who makes it through the primary — endorsements from other politicians, fundraising, and backing from unions or the business lobby, to name a few — but for years, getting the nod from one of these two news outlets has been essential to making it to the general. 

Is this good for democracy in our city? Does it frame what an acceptable candidate is in a way that excludes useful ideas? Probably not and probably, respectively, but it is what it is. Just what is it this year, though?

Enlightening, Informing, Engaging, and Endorsing

When it comes to the Times, the editorial board predictably endorsed conservative Seattle City Council President Sara Nelson, who is looking to keep her citywide seat in District 9, and Burien Mayor Kevin Schilling, who is a big fan of sweeping homeless encampments and cutting spending, over progressive Edwin Obras for the State's 33rd Legislative District. 

In Seattle City Council District 8, where newly elected progressive Alexis Mercedes Rinck has been kicking ass and taking names (see her Seattle Shield B&O tax reform proposal), the paper chose to endorse … no one. I suppose it beats endorsing unhinged anti-homeless knick-knack saleswoman Rachael Savage, but still, it's an unconventional move.

In District 2, home to the South End, the Times was forced to weigh in on an ostensibly all-progressive race. The Times editorial board went for Seattle Department of Transportation Policy Manager Adonis Ducksworth, who said a few key things that perked up their ears: that he wants more police, wants to more closely audit anti-violence nonprofit organizations working in the South End, and is at least open to reforming tenant protections. 

Other than the above, the Times has yet to weigh in on the city attorney race, but it has endorsed attorney Janis White for Seattle School Board District 5, and it has endorsed King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci over progressive darling and fellow King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay.

It Says Its Word Is Gospel, but Should It Be?

The Stranger, meanwhile, held the progressive party line, right? Kind of. The SECB endorsed Transit Riders Union General Secretary Katie Wilson in her mayoral race against Harrell, but that's no surprise. She used to write a column for them, after all. The SECB was also in favor of Zahilay over Balducci, and in Seattle City Council races, it opted for challenger Dionne Foster over Nelson in District 9, and Councilmember Mercedes Rinck over anyone else in District 8.

In other races, however, The Stranger eschewed demonstrably more progressive candidates to endorse Seattle Department of Housing attorney Eddie Lin in District 2 and prosecuting attorney Erika Evans in the city attorney race. 

Those choices prompted the Stranger alums behind The Burner to publish an anonymous op-ed, written by a "Longtime Stranger Fan, Onetime SECB Member" (Rich Smith, judging from the writing style), taking the paper's new management to task for a lack of progressivism. So much drama!

But listen, if you want some straight talk, allow us a moment of shameless self-promotion. We're hosting a primary election debate with all four District 2 candidates on Monday, July 21, 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Rainier Arts Center. The candidates will sit down, say their piece, and then make their case about whose piece is most complete. 

It's going to be fun and, most importantly, comprehensive. I'll be the moderator, and I'll be making sure we hear from all four candidates. If you come, you'll learn about the other District 2 candidates I haven't mentioned yet: union man Jamie Fackler and restaurant-industry veteran Jeanie Chunn, who absolutely deserve your attention.

Ann Davison Wants Out … of the Consent Decree

While polls are pretty bad for Davison, a local police watchdog Glen Stellmacher brought to our attention that Davison just filed a motion to sweep away the last tidbits of the federal consent decree that the Seattle Police Department (SPD) has been under since 2012.

The filing basically toots SPD's own horn for a few thousand words, but it's not like Judge James Robart had a long list of asks for them. If he agrees that the city has made progress on the two main things he requested, accountability and crowd control policies, it would mark the end of nearly a decade and a half of federal oversight of our police force. Stay tuned.

They Raced the L8, and the L8 Did Not Win

Last week, I reported on a very silly race organized to call attention to the extreme tardiness of the No. 8 bus route thanks to bottlenecks on Denny Way. Enjoy the video embedded below for an update on who won.

Got something *political* I should know? Tell me about it: Tobias.CB@SeattleEmerald.org.

The South Seattle Emerald is committed to holding space for a variety of viewpoints within our community, with the understanding that differing perspectives do not negate mutual respect amongst community members.

The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed by the contributors on this website do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of the Emerald or official policies of the Emerald.

Tobias Coughlin-Bogue is a writer, editor and restaurant worker who lives in South Park. He was formerly the associate editor of Real Change News, and his work has appeared in The Stranger, Seattle Weekly, Vice, Thrillist, Thrasher Magazine, Curbed, and Crosscut, among other outlets.