January 2010

By Peter Masundire

Eric Liu, a Madrona resident and former Speech Writer for President Clinton, announced Tuesday that he is running for State Senate as a Democrat, to represent the 37th Legislative District, a position currently occupied by Senator Adam Kline, also a Democrat, who is running for re-election.

“I work hard as a private citizen to help youth and families find their potential and create opportunity,” said Liu Tuesday morning as he announced his entry into the race. “But over and over, I’ve seen that the Legislature is the arena for making a lasting impact. On the issues that matter to our families, we in the 37th need an energized, effective advocate in the Senate. It’s time for change in Olympia.”

Reached by phone in Olympia on his way to chair a hearing on a bill that would ban assault weapons, Senator Adam Kline said “I welcome Eric to the race,” and “I trust that people understand that for 14 legislative sessions, I have been a very energetic champion for low – income families and have a practical, not philosophical, experience in addressing issues that face residents of the 37th Legislative District. I stand for a progressive agenda where the wealth pay their fair share of taxes and I have never been shy to say it. People know what I stand for.”

Eric Liu has been a resident of the 37th Legislative District for ten years, lives with his family in Madrona, has served as co-chair of two Seattle Schools levy campaigns and helped open neighborhood libraries throughout the district as a longtime Seattle Library Board member.  He’s a lecturer at the University of Washington and also serves on the Washington State Board of Education. Liu is a former speechwriter and domestic policy advisor to President Bill Clinton, and is the author of acclaimed books on the power of mentorship, progressive patriotism, and service.  He worked as an executive at RealNetworks, and went on to found the Guiding Lights Network to promote mentoring and community.

Liu said he believes his range of experience will bring a needed new perspective to Olympia, “where an increasingly polarized environment has hurt efforts for tax reform, prevented full funding of education, and weakened efforts to protect the environment.”

“They say it’s grim in Olympia right now. That’s exactly why I want to contribute,” said Liu. “This is the time for innovative thinking and people-powered partnerships – to help small businesses and homeowners, create green jobs, modernize transit, foster safe places, and ensure that all our kids get a fair shot in life through great schools.”

Senator Adam Kline was first appointed to the senate in January 1997 and was elected in November that year. Since then, he was re-elected in 2002 and 2006. Kline is the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and also serves on the Labor, Commerce & Consumer Protection and the Ways and Means Committees. Before he was appointed to the state senate, Adam Kline was a lawyer in private practice where he represented people injured in auto collisions, especially the victims of drunk drivers. He has volunteered as a pro bono lawyer for the ACLU, was a co-founder and chair of Washington Conservation Voter’s local chapter; served as a board member and chair of the political-action committee of NARAL, the pro-choice advocacy group; and was a member of the Legislative Committee of the Washington State Trial Lawyers Association. He retired from his law practice in 2004, to take a job as an organizer with the Laborers Union. Adam and his wife, Laura Gene Middaugh, live in the Mount Baker area.

Kline said that his interests are varied but include civil, legal and criminal issues, education, environmental protection, healthcare and social services.  “I stand for Public safety that does not violate our civil liberties,” he said. “For example, after 9/11, I used my power as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee to kill a particularly evil bill: HB 2416, which would have expanded the authority of police to wiretap phones during investigations of “terrorist acts” and led a bipartisan majority, 32-13, to defeat the Governor’s broadly-worded proposal on Anti-Terrorism measures, which we felt would have criminalized too broad a spectrum of activities, including some non-terrorist acts and dissent.”

The 37th Legislative District stretches from Maddison Street in the north all the way parts of Renton in the south and includes all or portions of portions of the following communities: Rainier Valley, Madrona, Beacon Hill, Rainier Beach, Mount Baker, Leschi, Columbia City, Capitol Hill, Skyway and Renton.

Even though they are both Democrats, under the “top two primary system” where the two candidates who receive the most votes in the Primary Election qualify for the General Election, regardless of party affiliation, both could advance to the November general election. If no-one else enters the race, the two of them will not be on the August Primary but will face off in the November General Election.

State Senators are elected for a four year term and the official filing date for this race is in June 11, 2010.  The 37th Legislative District is also represented by two State Representatives, Sharon Tomiko Santos and Eric Pettigrew.

Peter Masundire is a long-time Rainier Beach resident and active member of the community. He is a member of the Executive Board of the 37th Legislative District Democrats and has worked on a number of local and federal political campaigns. Peter served as the media and communications coordinator for the state’s grassroots Obama campaign and was elected as an Obama delegate to last year’s Democratic National Convention.

Also by Peter Masundire:

• Decision ‘09: Big Night for SE Seattle (11/4/09)
• Candidate for King County Assessor Opens Columbia City Campaign Office (10/2/09)
• The Rise & Fall of Mayor Nickels: What Happened & How Did He Win Southeast? (8/25/09)

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