Q-Seattle Events: Tacky Tourist Clubs: SEAMEC bestows early endorsements in three races

SEAMEC, the Seattle Metropolitan Elections Committee, has released early endorsements for three key primary races.

The group rates candidates on their support for a range LGBT issues. Ratings are based on interviews and/or responses to a questionairre. Endorsements are approved by a two-thirds super-majority of the group's Steering Committee.

(Quotations below are from a SEAMEC email announcement which is not yet available on their new and vastly improved [other than the rather stingy member-only areas] website.)

Two endorsed in 43rd legislative race

In the hotly contested 43rd District legislative race, the group has bestowed a dual endorsement on two of the five Democratic candidates. (The candidate who wins that primary is expected to face only token opposition in the general election.)

Both Jamie Pedersen, a Seattle lawyer, and Lynne Dodson, an educator and labor leader, are endorsed by the group. They both received a perfect SEAMEC rating of 5 bestowed by the Steering Committee "which takes into account not only the candidate's verbal support of LGBT issues but his or her actions and public history of support for or hostility to the LGBT community".

SEAMEC notes that two of the other 43rd District candidates, Jim Street and Bill Sherman "gave outstanding interviews, garnering perfect scores of AAAAA on topics relating to equality, marriage, families, health care, and awareness."

Rodney Tom endorsed in key Eastside race

Rodney Tom won SEAMEC's endorsement in his campaign for the 48th District Senate seat. The district encompasses parts of Bellevue, Kirkland, and Redmond, and all of Medina, Clyde Hill, Yarrow Point and Hunts Point.

Tom recently switched parties after several years in the legislature and will be running against incumbent Republican Senator Luke Esser.

SEAMEC notes,

In his interview, Tom said "[My race] could very well be the most important race for the LGBT community in Washington State this year." We agree. His opponent, Senator Luke Esser, holds a leadership role in Senate Republican Caucus and has actively campaigned against LGBT equality including a motion to adjourn the Senate in 2005 rather than address the Anderson-Murray anti-discrimination legislation, effectively killing the bill that year along with many other bills that had yet to be addressed.

Murray endorsed for seventh time

SEAMEC has endorsed Ed Murray in his campaign for the Senate seat from Seattle's 43rd District. Murray is expected to face only token opposition in his quest to move from the House to the Senate, where he would take the seat once occupied by his mentor, Cal Anderson. It's the seventh time Murray has received the endorsement.

SEAMEC notes

Murray's exhaustive campaign for the Anderson-Murray Anti-Discrimination act proved triumphant this year, passing both houses in the legislature and having been signed into law by Governor Gregoire. Murray has proven himself a well-rounded and effective leader on other important issues as well. His leadership on the House Transportation Committee has been praised by the governor, the press, and his fellow legislators, among others.