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Believe it or not, before 1994, Washington's 4
th and 5
th Congressional District of Yakima and Spokane, respectively, sent Democratic representatives to Congress, not so for our 8
th Congressional District. Since it's creation in 1990, this moderate Suburban Seattle district has only been represented by Republicans. Somehow, Rod Chandler, Jennifer Dunn, and now
Sheriff Dave
Reichert have shown at least the
appearance of being bi-partisan. By that token,
Rodney Tom is jumping into the race.
Tom was a moderate Republican in the State House of Representatives, who jumped across the aisle and ran for State Senate as a Democrat, beating more
strident Republican Luke
Esser. Tom will now challenge
Darcy Burner for the Democratic nomination. Burner last year, narrowly lost to
Reichert. Tom thinks he can bring some of his supporters from campaigns past along with Democrats who think that
Burner did not
adequitely answer Republican charges of being too inexperienced in the public sector or who may be uncomfortable with some of her more Liberal views. I believe that the 8
th Congressional District is the only one to have one party represent it thought it's entire
existence (Seattle's 7
th had
Republican Jack Cunningham elected in a special election to replace Brock Adams in 1977), hopefully that little quirk will be changed in the next election cycle.