Much attention has been placed on the Sims-Irons race, and rightly so. For those of us in Snohomish County, though, there's plenty of important races to vote in and watch. I'm happy to provide my two cents on who I think you folk ought to be voting for. Being a partisan sort of fellow, this list will bear some resemblance to the Snohomish County GOP endorsement list, but there will be enough differences to make it worth your while to read both. So, lets get on with it, shall we?

Snohomish County Council District 1 - John Koster
The Republican majority on the Snohomish County Council since 2001 has kept the county from becoming simply King County North--there's been no oppressive CAO regulations, no tax increases, and the lowest unemployment in the state. John Koster has been a key part of that, and certainly deserves another term. His opponent is not particularly threatening.

Snohomish County Council District 5 - Jeff Sax
Another key part of that Republican Council has been Jeff Sax, who has a tougher fight ahead of him. Dave Somers, the Democrat he knocked off in 2001, is running against him again, presumably appealing to those who want to see draconian CAO regulations, higher taxes and higher unemployment. Also running, as an independent, is Greg Stephens, who claims to have previously been a Republican (despite having supported Somers in 2001), but whose main claim to fame is his kooky push to turn 42 square miles of unincorporated Snohomish County into the "city of Maltby". Reelecting Sax will ensure that the county doesn't fall back into the hands of those who would turn us into King County North.

Snohomish County Council District 4 - Eva Davies
Eva Davies started the race against liberal Democrat incumbent Dave Gosset just to fill a space on the ballot, but a surprisingly strong showing in the primary has given her campaign life. Eva is an immigrant from Germany, who understands better than most of us the danger of the European-style policies that some would pursue. She would also be the only woman on the council, and her strong focus on families as the basic unit of society is something too often missing in local politics.

State Court of Appeals - David Hulbert
I already covered this race here, but I want to reiterate this. We all know how important it is to elect judges with the bizzare, conservative notion that the law means what it says. Hulbert is the only conservative candidate in the race, and has more experience than any of his opponents.

Everett Mayor - Ron Gipson
For years, Everett has been run by the same group of people, all nearly indistinguishable members of the Democrat machine, which has put an intense drag on the city's prosperity while the rest of the county has moved ahead. Ron Gipson offers a refreshing change of pace, and most importantly, a true heart for the city of Everett. He's not a Republican, but he's reached out to Everett's Republicans, and to other groups generally ignored by Everett's elite.

Everett Port Commissioner - Fred Taucher
Another way to turn Everett into the prosperous, independent city it ought to be is to have a bustling port. That's something veteran and successful businessman Fred Taucher can do. Unlike his opponent, Taucher actually has international trade experience. He speaks Japanese and German, and is committed to making bringing the world's ships to Everett--rather than serving as a condominium developer, which it's been doing recently.

Lynnwood City Council - Martin Nelson
Nelson has served ably on the council for many years. His opponent is a Howard Dean Democrat who hasn't lived in the country for 10 years.

Charter Review Commission
There are 15 commissioner spots up for election and you vote for 3 in each council district, who will examine the county charter and propose changes to the voters in 2006. It is important to elect people who are committed to checks and balances and property rights to these positions, so I encourage you to check out the GOP's endorsements. There are three folks I'd like to highlight, though.

Eric Earling - District 3
Eric is a friend of mine and of Sound Politics (and an onetime contributor). He's a former staffer for Slade Gorton and a current member of the Bush Administration, in the Department of Education. He's also been endorsed by a remarkable variety of people, from Democrat County Executive Aaron Reardon to his 2007 opponent Republican Sheriff Rick Bart. Eric's easily one of the most qualified people running for the commission in the entire county.

Tom Walker - District 3
Tom is a young guy just getting into politics, so he doesn't have Eric's resume--but he does have something no one else in the district does--the unique perspective of youth. In a commission of 15 people, additional perspectives like that are very valuable, and Tom is a sharp guy who is worth your vote.

Dan Matthews - District 2
Dan has been fighting to good fight for years, for example, as a Navy Pilot in Vietnam and Desert Storm. More to the point, he did so going head-to-head with Patty Murray way back when they both served on the Shoreline School Board. More recently, Dan has served as the county coordinator for I-912. He is a good friend of mine and a great candidate who you will likely see sometime in the future as well.

There are lots of other races going on. If there's a race you're curious about that you don't see in my list, or in the GOP's list, feel free to drop me a line at tim -at- timothygoddard -dot- com, and I'll see what I can do for you.

Cross posted a the Flag of the World.