Crawling Back

The Republican Party on the Eastside has been destroyed.  Once holding all twelve seats in the four eastside districts, Republicans are now only 3 for 12.  The way to change this outlook is one step at a time, brick by brick, and we can start by helping to elect Toby Nixon in the 45th and Steve Litzow in the 41st to the State House of Representatives.

Nixon is a former State Representative who barely lost a race for the State Senate in the ’06 Democratic tidal wave.  He is smart, experienced, balanced, and has grown into a superior legislator.  The Microsoft Program Manager has got the ability to be a heavy weight for the eastside and do some serious damage as member of the minority party in Olympia.   What was once a not so impressive candidate for office has learned along the way and is one of the better prepared challengers this election cycle.  

Toby is running against freshman Roger Goodman who doesn’t have much to show for his two years in Olympia, and is too liberal for what is still a center to right legislative district that stretches out to Duvall, Carnation, and the most rural parts of King County.  What Goodman lacks in substance, Nixon will provide ten times over.

Steve Litzow lives in the heart of the 41st and serves as a member of the Mercer Island City Council.  Councilmember Litzow is an accomplished business man who once worked for Procter and Gamble and a Paul Allen startup company.  He is impressive, polished, smart, articulate, and would represent what is a moderate swing district very well.  The problem with the 41st is that Republicans have not put up an impressive candidate that has the right ideological tinge to win in past elections.  Steve Litzow is an excellent candidate, a centrist who will vote the right way on growth and economic issues. 

His opponent, Marcie Maxwell, has a long resume of activism on behalf of teacher’s unions as a school board member in Renton.  Maxwell is not as impressive as her resume.  The 41st is an independent district who needs a leader that will think outside the box, not somebody who will do the bidding of interest groups that constantly put the plight of teachers above the needs of our kids.