Local News

The Seattle Times political team explores national, state and local politics.

Happy Friday, Everyone

The debates: So admit it, you watched both debates. You have no known life. I did, too. Who won the vice-presidential debate? And, if you don’t like that question, Who made the case for the Democratic or Republican ticket? The whole idea of a vice-presidential debate, of course, is to figure out which candidate could serve if something happened to the man at the top of the ticket. So who won? Incumbent vice president, Democrat Joe Biden? Or the new kid, the young buck, Rep. Paul Ryan, the Republican, with big ideas for the budget? Some pundits say it was draw. Some say Biden dominated. What did you think?

Moving right along, What about the governor’s debate? Who made the case that he is the right guy to lead the state the next four years? Did either man win/lose any converts in their latest go-round? There were no visible gotcha moments. Some say this debate was low-key compared to the earlier debate in Yakima — and compared to the more feisty veep debate.

The ads, oh my gosh, the ads: We could fill the Politics Northwest briefing all day with the latest ad from the many campaigns. Every candidate or campaign — pro or con — for a ballot measure that isn’t up on the air now is missing a big opportunity. Ballots go out next week.

From Brian M. Rosenthal. You knew this was coming: The Jay Inslee campaign, which for months has been touting the former congressman’s relationship with former President Bill Clinton, is up with an ad featuring the Big Dog. The 30-second spot uses footage from a Clinton-Inslee fundraiser in Seattle last month, which raised about $750,000.

The 41st district Senate race: All of a sudden, the seat currently held by state Sen. Steve Litzow, a moderate Republican from Mercer Island, is supposedly in play. Maureen Judge is the Democratic challenger who is trying to make hay out of a procedural vote that took place the night of the budget coup in Olympia.

Here is her ad:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjNrPph7Dj8&feature=youtu.be

Litzow, who once served on the political action committee board of the National Abortion Rights Action League, has an entirely different approach to this race.

Here’s his ad. You can pretty much hear the birds chirping.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUCJY3KG0ds&feature=youtu.be

Speaking of the Legislature: With some significant turnover in Olympia — for example, the top Senate Republican budget writer, Joe Zarelli, has left his job — other folks are vying to move up in the world. State Sen. Andy Hill of Redmond wants to be the next Republican budget lead. “I think I have the right background in education and the right background to go do that job.” On the Democratic side, Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown is gone; word has it that state Sen. Ed Murray, D-Seattle, might take over her job.