Hominid Views

David Postman reports today that three separate groups have joined together to target Luke Esser for defeat.

Seattle-based groups pushing for gun control, abortion rights and gay rights formed the Save the 48th Committee and will begin a TV ad campaign against Esser Sunday.

The committee is composed of the Ceasefire Action Committee, Equal Rights Washington PAC, and Planned Parenthood Votes. In an announcement, the groups said it is the first time they have banded together.

Their new PAC is focused on defeating Esser and replacing him with Rep. Rodney Tom, a former Republican who switched parties this year and filed to run against Esser.

This is fine by me, because I live in Esser’s legislative district (LD), and it is time for Luke to go. The other night Luke knocked on my door, and Kathy and I got into a pleasant, if slightly confrontational, conversation with Mr. Esser. I asked him about his vote against adding sexual orientation to the non-discrimination laws. I asked if his floor motion offered right after that vote—to pull the defense of marriage bill out of committee—wasn’t a cynical act. I asked him why he didn’t support the 2004 transportation package. I asked him why he was against adding HOV lanes and mass transit to SR 520. I asked about replacing the floating bridge. I kept asking, asking and asking some more.

I think he finally realized that my persistent questions had knocked about six houses out of his door-to-door campaigning that evening, and he politely excused himself.

Ultimately, the problem for Esser is that he is MUCH too conservative for his district. He is not pro-choice in a district that went for Clinton twice, Gore and then Kerry. He believes that his constituents are against gay marriage, against adding sexual orientation to the discrimination laws (i.e. “anti-gay rights”). But I believe he is about to find out that he is wrong.

You see, the 48th LD is largely contained within the 8th congressional district (CD). In fact, the 48th makes up the most liberal part of the 8th CD. The recent Constitutent Dynamics poll of the 8th CD breaks some responses and characteristics down by Bellevue (i.e. a good proxy for the 48th LD), rural King and Pierce counties. In Bellevue, Darcy Burner leads Reichert 51% to 42% with 2% undecided. Bush’s rating is 65% disapproval, 32% approval and 3% undecided in Bellevue. In Bellevue, 32% identify themselves as Republican, 32% as Democratic and 36% as independent. The 48 LD is no longer GOP territory, and this year all signs say the independents will break heavily in favor of the Democrats.

But Rodney Tom could sure use your help. I have a fundraising button for Rodney Tom on my sidebar and below. Please consider using it to make a donation or to volunteer to help Rodney Tom defeat Luke Esser.