As the longest-serving Speaker of the House in Washington history, Democrat State Representative Frank Chopp’s endorsement would mean a lot to any Democrat seeking election to a statewide office. In the race for Lieutenant Governor, the state’s top Democrat (a title that obviously eludes Jay Inslee) has made his decision.
Over the weekend, Chopp threw his support behind fellow Democrat House member Jim Moeller’s campaign. Incidentally, Moeller is the number three Democrat in the state House.
Of course, Chopp’s endorsement is a snub to former liberal House colleague (and current state Senator) Cyrus Habib. Habib announced his intention to run for Lieutenant Governor halfway into “serving” almost half a term in the Senate.
Though Chopp’s endorsement of Moeller may not have been much of a surprise, it still creates a rather awkward situation for Habib.
Perhaps Habib could console himself with the prospect of the apparent weakening of Chopp’s ironclad grasp over Democrats.
If that fails, Habib can rest assured that all his efforts to pander to the Washington Education Association (WEA) paid off. Moeller may have Chopp, but Habib has the sole endorsement of the Democrats’ favorite union – which could be worth a lot more money.
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