Drug Test
Attorney and drug reform advocate Roger Goodman is running for state house rep in the 45th district—Redmond, Kirkland, Woodinville.
W/ last month’s announcement that eastside Republican state house senator Bill Finkbeiner was resigning, Democrats started talking about a Democratic revolution on the eastside. (In addition to Finkbeiner’s resignation, GOP state house rep Rodney Tom announced he was switching parties). Meanwhile the Republicans started scampering to plug leaks as new ones sprung up. For example, 45th district Republican rep Toby Nixon abandoned his state house seat to run for Finkbeiner’s open senate seat—which left Nixon’s GOP house seat vacant.
And that’s where Goodman comes in. I’m excited about getting Goodman in the state house because he’s a smart, progressive, powerhouse when it comes to a key issue: drug reform.
Goodman’s work as director of the King County Bar Association’s Drug Policy Project has come to both Eli Sanders’s and my attention in the past year.
Goodman’s campaign will certainly test how much traction drug reform has outside of progressive enclaves like Seattle.
Hat tip: Northwest Progressive Institute.
This is exciting news. Goodman is a great advocate because he has been able to fuse a pragmatic focus on a single campaign to a much broader view toward social justice. Anyone who tries to paint him into a single-issue corner will find themselves sadly mistaken, as I think his experience and eloquence speak to issues that are much more wide ranging. I wish there were more people like him who could not just take back legislative districts from Republicans, but also take back the Democratic party from its rudderless corporate liberals.