Why did this debate, between a powerful Democrat who's the speaker of the Washington State House and an upstart Socialist challenger, take place in front of a weight machine in a crowded fitness room? Why did it only last fifteen minutes? Well, the Eastlake Community Council was hosting. They had other stuff on their agenda.

"We need more," said Amanda Varona, who came up to me afterwards, frustrated. She lives in Greenlake—just inside the border of the 43rd District, which also includes Capitol Hill and the U-District. "They need more than [about] ten minutes."

Varona said she's leaning heavily towards voting for Chopp: "I blame a lot of our problems on those dastardly Republicans," she said. But, she added, this debate is important. The only other agreed-to debate in this race between now and election day, currently, is to take place for a taped in-studio Seattle Channel segment. Spear's campaign says they want more debates. Chopp, who beat Spear by 59 points in the primary election, told me he'd have to think about participating in another one.