Politics 43rd District Race Candidate Interviews
We’re in the conference room right now at Stranger HQ doing our endorsement interviews with the six candidates in the 43rd District House race. Some quick quotes…
Stephanie Pure just said that she would work well in “the 43rd District threesome” with Frank Chopp and Ed Murray. I’m trying not to picture that…
Dick Kelly: “I’m not gay.” Neither is Frank Chopp, Stephanie.
Bill Sherman: “As the only candidate here with young kids…”
Pure: “People of the same sex should be able to marry…” The WA Supremes agree with you, Stephanie—as they pointed out we’re free to marry opposite-sex partners whenever we like.
Lynn Dodson: “I’m not married anymore. I don’t think it’s the greatest institution in the world. But if you want it… I’m not gay… at the moment.”
Dick Kelley, Bill Sherman, and Jim Street are arguing about who has the best environmental qualifications. It’s riveting stuff.
Kelley: “Saving Puget Sound before it dies is incredibly important.”
Jamie Pedersen: “I have talked with a few more than three thousand identified voters, and I have yet to talk with a voter who identifies campaign finance reform as an important issue.”
Dodson: “No one is going to be bought for $700 or $1400.”
Pure: “I’m a working person, an independent candidate, a younger person… I would love to see publically financed campaign.”
Pure: “Teachers aren’t teachers. They’re public thugs out to get your children.” (To be fair: Pure was characterizing the attitude she encountered in Olympia in regards to education, not Dodson, the teacher who wants to be sent to Olympia.)
Dodson: “Gary Locke said education was important. He was the ‘education governor—and he systematically undercut education at every level.”
Street: “I believe that we should legalized marijuana.”
Dodson: “I believe we should we legalized marijuana.
Pure: “Legalize marijuana.”
Kelley: “Legalize marijuana, and perhaps some other drugs too.”
Pedersen: “Legalize marijuana.”
Sherman: “Don’t legalize marijuana.”
Pedersen: “I firmly believe that we need to tear down the Viaduct and build a cut-and-cover tunnel.”
Sherman: “I am on the record supporting the tunnel”
Dodson: “I don’t think there’s been enough sitting down and looking at the alternatives.”
Kelley: “I’m not for the tunnel… the legislature came to premature closure on this.”
Pedersen: Where did Ed Murray and Frank Chopp screw up? “Wal-Mart [Fair Share] and leaving domestic partners out of the transit bill.”
Dodson: “Labor is not one thing. There are so many different labor organizations, and they have so many different priorities.”
Kelley: “I seem to be the only person in this race talking about low-income housing and human services… There are people in this district who can’t afford to live in this district.”
Pure would vote for Kelley if she had to drop out, Kelley would vote for Pure. Pedersen would have to talk to the candidates about marriage.
When is Stephanie going to file...?!