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Friday, December 12, 2008

Politics Meanwhile, in the KC Elections Director Election...

Posted by Erica C. Barnett on Fri, Dec 12, 2008 at 5:18 PM

KC Elections director candidate Chris Clifford has filed a challenge to current elections director Sherril Huff's voter registration, alleging that she does not live in King County, a requirement for the office. Huff is a longtime resident of Bremerton; her campaign staff says she signed a lease on a home in Seattle this week in order to run to keep her current position.

Clifford, however, insists otherwise, alleging Huff not only doesn't live in Seattle ("So what, she spent one night in an empty house?"), she neither has a working Seattle phone number nor knows her own street address. "She lives on 66th Avenue North, and she listed it as 66th Avenue," Clifford says. He says he'll pursue his challenge in court, if necessary (which, because Huff would conceivably be the one who would review his residency challenge, he thinks it will be). Huff's campaign consultant, Christian Sinderman, says Huff "moved before she filed."

Clifford says he doesn't care how long his challenge takes. "I'm not going to let [King County Executive] Ron Sims and Sherril Huff, the two criminals in this case, decide the pace at which it moves," he says.

Clifford—whose own number, ironically, has a San Diego area code—is actually the chair of the North Bay Redevelopment Project Area Committee, a San Diego planning group that has no residency requirements. Asked whether this wasn't similar to, if not more egregious than, what Huff (a Kitsap County resident willing to move to King County to keep her job as elections director) was doing, Clifford responded, "I'm very proud of my work down there." He added: "Until [Huff] pulled this crap, the only opinion I had of her was a high one. Now I think she's more foul than Pat Davis"—the Seattle port commissioner Clifford is leading an effort to recall.

Besides Clifford and Huff, the candidates who've filed for elections director so far include former county council member David Irons, fired former elections director Julie Anne Kempf, state senator Pam Roach, and someone named Bill Anderson.

Comments (16) RSS

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Luckily Seattle population is dwindling and homeowners fleeing, eviscerating the revenue honey for Smarter Than the Average Mayor Greg Nikkels and his herd of wannabes.

Posted by Joey, I'm So Sorry.. on December 12, 2008 at 5:24 PM

So that's why I don't know who she is.

Interesting.

Posted by Will in Seattle on December 12, 2008 at 5:27 PM

There isn't a 66th Avenue N in Seattle. There is a 66th Avenue South, however. So where does she really live?

Posted by litlnemo on December 12, 2008 at 5:50 PM

According to the Times her new place is in Rainer Beach, so I would suspect its really 66th Ave S.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/lo…

Posted by Amanda on December 12, 2008 at 6:41 PM

David Irons??? I thought we rid ourselves of his mom-beating ass.

Posted by i like my mom on December 12, 2008 at 8:07 PM

David Irons won the ballot drawing lottery and will appear first on all the ballots. At least that is what I make of this candidate listing on the King County Elections website, which is not in filing order:

http://your.kingcounty.gov/elections/con…

Posted by Richard Pope on December 12, 2008 at 11:47 PM

This kind of residency wouldn't fly for the Seattle School District. In fact, they'd pay someone to stalk you and then throw your kid out of school mid-year if you tried to pull what Huff is pulling.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/hi…

Posted by hmmmm on December 13, 2008 at 12:46 AM

It's not illegal to move in order to run for a political office (Ask Pam Roach!). I will now vote for Sherril Huff because she is the only sane candidate in the race.

Posted by J.R. on December 13, 2008 at 12:06 PM

I'm still wondering why anyone voted for this stupid election process in the first place. This was all so predictable.

Posted by Cascadian on December 13, 2008 at 12:07 PM

@ 9 -- Agreed it's foolish, but I'm wondering what will happen if/when Sims & Co. succeed in maintaining STATUS QUO (Huff) with as little as 1/10th the number of voters who marked their ballots for CHANGE (Charter Amendment 1) just a month ago.

Posted by RonK, Seattle on December 13, 2008 at 3:07 PM

@10: What? What will happen? Enlighten us...

Posted by J.R. on December 14, 2008 at 4:51 PM

And . . . pray tell, what is wrong with "status quo." Huff is the one and ONLY candidate with both elections technical background and solid management experience, both needed to lead what is the 12th largest jurisdiction in the USA in our important election process. She has lead a team of career service election officials (some would say bureaucrats) to conduct a series of post-2004 elections, all successfully. That's what we need. A known quantity that can deliver open, transparent, and honest elections. I say, let's keep the forward progress going. No need to re-invent the wheel, and certainly no need to risk a test drive with unproven, and by my book, unqualified, candidates in such an important position.

Posted by Melia Young on December 14, 2008 at 7:47 PM

Melia @ 12 -- I will stipulate that Huff is the most qualified, the Elections office is on a favorable track that should be continued, and the whole I-25 thing is a crock.

The said, it's also the case that the manner of Huff's attempted installation -- nullifying the repeatedly expressed will of the voters -- could end multiple careers, and even tilt King County's partisan balance (and with it, the state) from blue to red.

Can is possibly be worth that? No.

Do we have any good options now? No.

Posted by RonK, Seattle on December 14, 2008 at 8:16 PM

So long as Roach doesn't win due to name familiarity ... and being evil.

Posted by Will in Seattle on December 15, 2008 at 12:56 AM

If you would like to know a little bit about me, visit my website:

www.thebillandersonsite.com

Thanks Bill Anderson

Posted by Andersonbill on December 15, 2008 at 12:18 PM

Since when is having the ballots tallied in King County slower than Mississippi - the entire STATE of Mississippi - a sign of being qulaified? That is what Huff accomplished in the presidential election. Please..vote for someone qualified and experienced: Dave Irons. He is a great guy and very qualified.

Posted by Jeny on January 9, 2009 at 6:00 PM