• Mayor: Mike McGinn vs Joe Mallahan
  King County Executive: Dow Constantine vs Susan Hutchison
  Seattle City Council
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• School’s in Session: Meet the Seattle School Board Candidates
• Bills on the Ballot
• Mary Bass vs. Kay Smith-Blum
• Notable APIs
• Unfortunates

Wilson Chin

WILSON CHIN, 49, attended Mercer Middle and Cleveland High School and has a Bachelor’s degree in marine botany from the University of Washington. He spent sixteen years volunteering at Kimball Elementary and is a board member of Schools First. Endorsements include: School Board member Cheryl Chow, former state Rep. Kip Tokuda, and Ruth Woo. Chin said his main focus is reducing the gap in achievement among different ethnic groups and says he will work to ensure that all students have access to a high quality, comprehensive education. He says he respects the rich diversity that all students possess; will promote collaborative leadership; and work to build a rigorous, accountable educational environment that successfully prepares college students, skilled workers and artisans. He’s a lifelong resident of Beacon Hill, served on principal, head teacher and grade-level teacher interview teams, provided data reports and analysis addressing achievement gap issues and served as past coach at the Seattle Chinese Athletic Association, which teaches leadership skills and sportsmanship for youth.

Betty Patu

BETTY PATU, 60, has a Master’s degree in educational administration and a bachelor’s degree in educational leadership from Antioch University. Patu spent 32 years in Seattle Public Schools, running educational programs to prevent dropouts, encourage college attendance and reduce gang violence. Her endorsements include: King County Councilmember Larry Gossett, State Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos, and the 37th District Democrats. Patu moved to Seattle from Samoa when she was 8, now living in the Rainier Beach neighborhood. Her main goals are to increase school safety and establish more school-community partnerships. She has worked to close the achievement gap, focusing on helping students make-up failing credits and dedicated her life to reducing cross-cultural tensions. Patu is a current board member at Rainier Beach Community Empowerment Coalition, Past President of Asian Counseling Referral Services (ACRS), Past Vice President, Rainier Beach Parent, Teachers, Students Association (PTSA) and Founder/President, Islanders Children & Youth Services (ICYS).

Mary Bass

According to the Seattle Channel, Bass, the incumbent vying for a third term in office, is running on her 8-year record for Seattle School Board Director, District 5. She cites the examples of her early support for ending the school district’s racial tiebreaker and her consistent advocacy for a student assignment plan based on neighborhood schools.

Kay Smith-Blum

Smith-Blum is running as an innovator. Her ideas include adding foreign language instruction to all elementary schools and the elimination of middle schools in favor of K to eighth grade. Among her five bold ideas are making “school hours the same as adult work hours” and requiring all students to participate in Chinese- and Spanish-language immersion programs. Co-owner of the Butch Blum clothing store, she also brings a business sensibility to her approach. For instance, she stresses Starbucks-like customer service, which would have the district tweeting community members with the board agenda.

The City of Seattle’s Proposition 1 concerns a seven-year property-tax increase for low-income housing assistance. This proposition would fund affordable housing and other housing needs of low-income households. It authorizes collection of regular property taxes above limits otherwise allowed by state law.

- Referendum 71: Domestic Partnership Law

On May 18, 2009, Governor Christine Gregoire signed the Domestic Partnership Law, which provides the same state rights and responsibilities to domestic partners that are afforded to legally married couples. This November, voters can Approve the law or Reject it in Referendum-71.

- Initiative 1033: Freeze on State Budget

Tim Eyman’s Initiative-1033 proposes that state and local government should permanently freeze spending at this year’s level. It also states that the state and local governments should not reinvest in public services and restore those lost, but instead help property owners pay their property taxes. Critics say I-1033 will make it harder for people to dig out of the recession; will force deeper cuts and lock them in for years; and threaten education, health care, and other basic services and may have unintended consequences. In 1992, Colorado became the only state in the nation to impose a revenue limit like the one in I-1033. By 2005, Colorado voters – led by a bi-partisan coalition of business leaders, teachers, seniors, healthcare providers, and firefighters – voted to suspend the law for five years.

• Corey Murata, running for Shoreline School Board
• Lloyd Hara, running for King County Assessor
• Cindy Ryu, Shoreline City Councilmember and Mayor,
• running for re-election
• Sally Chen, running for Redmond City Council
• Conrad Lee, City of Bellevue Council Position
• Marilyn Strickland, Tacoma City Councilmember,
• running for Mayor
• Melissa Ponder running for Des Moines City Council
• Fred Chang running for re-election to Port Orchard City Council
• Patsy Bonincontri, running for re-election to Bellevue City Council

OTHER RACES:

Port of Seattle Commissioner Position 4

Tom Albro vs. St. Rep. Max Vekich

Albro is non-partisan with 42 percent of primary votes. Endorsements: Seattle Times, The Stranger, Washington 46th District Republicans.

St. Rep. Vekich is non-partisan with 28 percent certified votes. Eendorsements not recorded.

With sights on the horizon-Running for election in 2010

Sharon Tomiko Santos, Bob Hasegawa, Chris Marr, and Steve Hobbs will be running for re-election next year.