Local News

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

Good Morning. Happy Friday.

Republican gubernatorial candidate
Rob McKenna

Rob McKenna getting out more. I had a long chat with Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob McKenna the other day. You may have heard some of this already. McKenna plans to work for a law firm here or in Silicon Valley. He is talking to a half dozen law firms and he is very interested in regulatory law, particularly digital privacy and other such issues. McKenna waxed philosophical about the future of the Republican Party, national and  local. Obviously, Republicans here have to appeal, he said, “to an increasingly diverse state.” He thinks voters in blue states like Washington favor a libertarian approach to topics like a woman’s right to choose. One of the questions for candidates like McKenna, however, is how does one take a more libertarian approach on social issues and not lose the GOP base?

I asked McKenna about his wife, Marilyn, who turned into a prolific tweeter during and after the 2012 election, tweeting messages not always in sync with her husband’s positions on the issues. For example, she tweeted after the election about her support for gay marriage. McKenna explained that his wife felt differently about that topic. McKenna wouldn’t say if he would run again in 2016. He only mentioned the things candidates have to give up, how long they have to run (almost two years for such a post) and then never said never.

Poll breaks reveals troubles with the Republican brand: Republicans in Washington state are wondering, as any party would, what is wrong with the image or brand of the state GOP.  Republicans have not won the Washington’s governor’s race for three decades. Frequent pollster for Republicans Bob Moore released a new survey that shows voters are more troubled by a sense that Republican policies favor big business and the rich more than concern about a social agenda.

Fun tweet about Gov. Jay Inslee from Peter Callahan.  The point, of course, is that Inslee has lived in Eastern Washington. He was a lawyer in Selah, Yakima County, a state legislator and a congressman from the 4th Congressional District.

How much do you like waiting days or weeks for elections officials to count ballots? Ummmmm. Every election year begs the same question. Does Washington state, high-tech center of the known universe, count ballots on Election Days slowly, too slowly or just right? One lawmaker told The News Tribune that he has plans to speed things up. Read this.

We have a new Facebook page, so friend or like us. Thanks.