Seattle City Council round up: Clark out, Sawant arraigned

Seattle City Councilmember Sally Clark has joined Nick Licata and Tom Rasmussen in deciding not to seek re-election this year. Clark has been on the council since 2006 and is its former president. Prior to her announcement, Clark was “registered to run for one of two remaining citywide seats as seven of the council’s positions move to election by geographic district in 2015.”

All nine of the council’s seats are up for election this year. The six remaining current city council members — Tim Burgess, Bruce Harrell, Sally Bagshaw, Jean Godden, Mike O’Brien and socialist Kshama Sawant —have active campaigns. Races where there are no incumbents include the 1^st Council District with eight registered candidates, the 5th Council District with six candidates and a citywide seat with four candidates.

As Shift has reported, candidates for the city council provide rather interesting—and disturbing—case studies into the who’s who of Democrat politics in Washington State. Candidates include:

1. Rob Johnson, executive director of Transportation Choices, a transit advocacy group that pumps funds into liberal campaign causes. Johnson is seeking to unseatcurrent council member Jean Godden.
2. Michael Maddox, a Democrat who helped lead the charge to establish a new taxing authority for city parksand executive board member of the 43^rd Democrats. Maddox joined the crowded race for Godden’s city council seat.
3. Jonathan Grant, executive director of the Tenants Union of Washington State. Grant announcedhe would seek one of the two citywide seats. He hopes to keep Licata’s far-left legacy alive following his retirement—clearly no one has explained to Grant that all of the other candidates/sitting council members have that covered.
4. John Persak, an active International Longshore and Warehouse Union member is taking on Tim Burgess. Persak said he decided to run because he doesn’t believe that Burgess is liberal enough… that’s not a joke, he said that.
5. Rod Hearne, the former executive director of Equal Rights, and Morgan Beach, who works for the American Red Cross and serves on the Seattle Women’s Commission. Both are taking on Kshama Sawant… not that there’s a lot of difference between Sawant and every other Seattle Democrat.

In other Seattle City Council news, Sawant was arraigned on her disorderly conduct charge yesterday. Sawant told the judge that she does not need a lawyer. She will represent herself during the trial. The socialist who never accepts responsibility for her actions also said that it’s not her who should be on trial, but Alaska Airlines. If convicted, Sawant could face up to a maximum of 90 days in jail or a $1,000 fine.