Incumbent Democrat Ron Sims is leading Republican challenger David Irons in the election for King County Executive. The current totals are updated here, and as I write, Sims has 55.5 percent of the vote so far, to Irons' 39.59 percent. This is a shift from earlier, when Sims had led by just eight percentage points. Interviewed earlier this evening by The Seattle Times, Irons stressed the race would take quite some time to play out, calling it a "marathon." Just now on KING5-TV Irons was shown saying the numbers would become clearer between 10:30 and midnight. I hope I'm proven wrong, but I think you can put a fork in this one.
UPDATE, 12:13 A.M., Nov. 9: Votes are counted from ninety-seven percent of precincts, and late absentees notwithstanding, it's definitely over. Sims is holding firm with a nearly 14 percent lead, 54.4 to 40.7, and a vote margin of nearly 40,000. No use crying foul over the attack ads linking Irons to Bush or the allegations (firmly disputed by Irons) that he once hit his mother. His defenses weren't strong enough, and his platform not specific or positive enough. Irons as the anti-Sims, and his own rather vague, rote embodiment of the crucial clean elections agenda was enough for some of us, but clearly not a majority of the county's electorate. Hopefully, some lessons will be learned.
12:47 A.M., Nov. 9: "Sims Withstands Challenge From Irons, Wins Third Term," Seattle Times. The Times story notes that Irons called Sims and conceded around midnight.
Posted by Matt Rosenberg at November 08, 2005 11:08 PM | Email ThisThe contest was over at that point.
Posted by: doc on November 8, 2005 11:12 PMLook at the bright side, the Shark will have lots of meat to feed on for a while...Cuz Sim's will just be more bold now.
Posted by: karl on November 8, 2005 11:18 PM
Listening to the shallow end of the gene pool reminds me why I dislike going to wackoland (that's Seattle for Sims supporters.)
However, being a gentleman Republican I'll wish Mr. Sims well and pray that he makes sound policies. Remember, there is life across the lake. Oh, and though it is early to say this:
"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" everyone, and "happy holiday" to you, Ron.
John S.
Issaquah
Give Simms credit for not running Irons parents statements day and night. Sims took the high road.
Anyway, Irons has all the time in the world to sue me, finding himself without a job once again.
Posted by: doc on November 8, 2005 11:28 PMKing County expected a 45% turnout...reports have been that it was much higher..
King County has only counted 25% of registered voters ballots so far. Looking at the conservative area's Mayoral races - King County is only reporting 15%so far.......
Could it be that King County is purposely not reporting a large number of ballots from conservative precincts? They've counted 25% and still have another 25%+ to count!
Why would they count like this?
Posted by: Deborah on November 8, 2005 11:41 PMun-by god-believable...
I kinda like that option better anyway, as the KC council was still going to be dominated by the caring people who brought us the CAO, even if Irons did win.
Posted by: Mitsubob on November 9, 2005 12:38 AMObvilously they can't allow that, so they continue to vote for the D's and forever be perplexed as to why nothing ever changes.
Posted by: Darth Dogbert on November 9, 2005 12:41 AMSims got 160k. Irons got 120k.
If the R's that voted for Rossi got off their lazy butt and actually voted, we'd be seeing a 70%-30% Irons landslide tonight.
More math and links at: http://spaces.msn.com/members/ThinkingMike/Blog/cns!1pedH7gUB488Xcla8ygQI3Ig!408.entry
Yeah, you can complain about it being an off-year. The point is the R's could have had this if they weren't such pathetically lazy non-voting wimps.
Posted by: Mike S. on November 9, 2005 01:23 AMI believe if Rossi had entered the race and run on reforming the King County Elections office he would have won handily. I know I would have voted for him.
Outside of that- Seattle sodomites get the government they deserve. Those dumb enough to run a business there are free to leave.
On the gas tax- If I had any contempt for the working family, this tax would embody the wrath against people who actually go to a job that makes our economy move. Once again Washington gets the government they deserve. At the end of all of this a commuter will have 50 cents less at the end of the day to pay for already expensive gas, a rising electric bill and a gallon of milk. The road projects will be completed, but the tax is forever and is the new floor for our blank check writing legislature.
At least we have performance audits.
Posted by: Andy on November 9, 2005 03:12 AMI spoke with some other voters at an election-night gathering. Several other voters indicated that they also had noticed the "D", "R", and "G" identification was missing from the printed ballots - but it is unsure whether this was a county-wide practice by Logan's office or only in certain precincts (i.e. swing districts where the Democrats, who "won the coin toss" in getting the first position on the ballot listing, could benefit by having the partisan ID omitted from the printed ballot).
NOTE: ABSENTEE BALLOTS INCLUDED THE PARTY IDENTIFICATION FOR PARTISAN COUNTY RACES. POLLING-PLACE BALLOTS, ISSUED TO VOTERS APPEARING AT THE POLLS, APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN "SCRUBBED" OF THE PARTISAN LABEL.
Could you look into this?
Ron Sims, congratulatioins. Keep looking over your shoulder.
Dean Logan, keep looking over your shoulder.
Seattle, congratulations. You get what you deserve...corruption.
Doc, congratulations, you get to gloat like a 13 year old boy.
As far as the good people of the state, enjoy the remaining measures of freedom you possess. Those, too, will be taken away soon.
Off to make money now. Later.
Posted by: Danny on November 9, 2005 05:12 AMThis was the one chance to replace Sims and the wimpy King County Republican Party could only find David Irons as a candidate.
I truly believe that it is time to gut and overhaul the King County Republican Party and the Washington State Republican Party!
If this does not happen then the rest of us better just get used to the eventual slide into a political system that will resemble California and Oregon.
Posted by: jaybo on November 9, 2005 06:05 AMIt's not that Seattle doesn't go for hardcore partisan politics, but rather that only the partisans from one side get to speak without having their homes and cars vandalized.
Posted by: Marc on November 9, 2005 06:06 AMAt 50% of eligible turnout, Irons percentage of the remaining uncounted ballots would need to be 60%, and if only 40% of the eligible voters return ballots, Irons would need to collect over two-thirds of the remaining uncounted ballots.
Given King County's history, it is unlikely that Irons will prevail.
Posted by: Ironman on November 9, 2005 06:28 AMYour analysis and prescription is a recipe for continued defeat at the hands of Democrats.
David Irons was leading in the polls and would have won if he did'nt have skeletons in his closet.
He was a poor choice and the Republican Party paid for it.
I am now seriously considering cancelling my republican membership and going independent.
Watch now as Chris Vance and his team endorse Sam Reed for the 2004 elections. In truth, it is the "selling out" of washington republicans that have cost us in this state. When you look at what they stand for, you really can't distinguish them from the democrats.
Posted by: jaybo on November 9, 2005 07:34 AMAmong Sims and company’s many advantages is a complicit press (PI, Times and the TV stations), who would rather talk about lost baby whales in the Sound than do some serious investigation into what’s going on. I think the so-called journalists around here might be afraid of what they’ll find.
...and in response to Claire...
quoting her: King County is a progressive county.
No, Claire, KC is a socialist county. Progressive is just a term you leftists like to use to describe yourselves as you sit on your mountaion top looking down on us bumpkins. Socialism isn't progressive, it is suppressive, and tends toward corruption and tyranny, as we have seen proven over and over again, and you have ignored over and over again.
Quoting again: believe that god tells them how to vote
What's so "progressive" about religious bigotry? Sounds like Faithophobia to me.
Although I've been an independent for years, Chris Vance and the weak leadership of the Republican Party (including Sam Read) is costing us dearly in this state. They offer only token opposition, which is somewhat more interesting than NO opposition, but the results are the same in the end.
In the meanwhile, don't get too hopeful about serious change around here, because it ain't gonna happen while Vance is running the Republican Party!
Posted by: Mr Write on November 9, 2005 08:16 AMNext time, instead of putting up a weakling candidate and resorting to last minute trickery, the Republicans should try to nominate somebody who actually knows how to win an election.
Chris Vance and the Republican Party in Washington know as much about the tactics of winning an election as does a puppy dog. Until the Republican Party makes them hit the road for good, it will always lose in King County.
The results speak for themselves.
Posted by: Swifter on November 9, 2005 08:49 AMSwifter:
I would agree that Vance needs to go.
Soon enough everyone will see that he
is on his way out.The chances for a better
state chairperson are pretty good.Not
withstanding J Vander Stoep's belief
that he has the right to pick who the
next chairperson should be.
I know the person is voted in by the
state committee. Vander Stoep thinks
in is own twisted mind that he will be
able to forced down everyone's throat
whoever the chosen one might be.He
wont be able to this time.
However as far as King County is concerned
You have to place a lot of the blame on
the King Gop Leadership for what continues
to happen here.There we know better than you
mentality continues to drive people away.
I seriously think it caused a lot of voters
on the south side to sit out the election
and it hurt David Irons big time.
The bigger problem with the King Gop
Leadership is there are to many people
willing to go along with whatever they
say or do.I would ask those of you that
blindly follow this crowd.What has it
really gotten you over the past 10 years?
Posted by: phil spackman on November 9, 2005 09:28 AM
RWR showed the way in '80 and '84. Gingrich picked up the torch in '94.
The lesson:
LEADERSHIP + CONSERVATISM WINS
Leadership:
Holding core beliefs that result in a vision then having the ability to communicate that vision and turn it into action.
Remember 1979, Russian in Afghanistan, Americans held hostage, double digit inflation, double digit interest rates, the misery index, Carter suggesting we learn to accept the decline of American.
Remember Reagan, he believed in the core of America, in the dream the promise of America. He smile, quipped and said we can do this.
By the end of the decade, inflation interest rates and unemployment at all time lows. The Soviet Union was gone, GONE! just two years before academics were writing articles on how we had to learn to get long and accommodate a world with the Soviets.
Reagan lead. None of the elites believed him. The media, academics, professional politicians, professional foreign policy wonks, all poo pooed him, many actively opposed him. He'd smile, and say "there you go again," and won.
Conservatism:
The belief in the foundations of this country, liberty, limited government, unlimited possibilities resonates with a majority of the people.
The nanny staters who occupy the Seattle area have decide they like to be cared for, liberty scares them.
Conservatism wins when presented. Too many republicans are too scared to articulate the conservative message, they are are afraid of being called radical racist sexist homophobe.
Rossi articulate a conservative message and nearly (or really did) win a very blue state.
We don't need to send up candidates who might be acceptable to the crowd on capital hill.
Send up Leaders with a conservative message.
Posted by: JCM on November 9, 2005 10:45 AMKing County offers the best quality of life in the state? Are you serious? I guess that is true if you live under a rock somewhere in Seattle and never go anywhere else. You couldn't pay most of us enough to live there with the crime, corruption, traffic, socialists, etc. It's tough enough just to visit to watch a sporting or theatre event.
Please post again - I hear that laughter is good for you.
Posted by: Anyothercounty on November 9, 2005 11:01 AMWhat Claire means by "quality" is big brother and the nanny state take care of her.
As long as the food stamps, medical coupons, and welfare checks keep coming who needs liberty and justice?
Posted by: JCM on November 9, 2005 11:06 AMIf you really think that what is happening in The White House had anything to do with yesterday's election in Washington State, then you need to put down that hash pipe and let your mind clear a little.
Posted by: jaybo on November 9, 2005 11:30 AMKing County has only counted 301,154 ballots and still has approximately 200,000 left to count? Sims is ahead of Irons by only 39,552 ballots...and there are still 200,000 ballots remaining to count?....(and we know they are counting ballots from conservative areas last..)
Why did Irons concede so early?
Posted by: Deborah on November 9, 2005 03:55 PMWith that said, I hope that the alternatives are explored to form a new county ASAP, but before that is championed, I suggest doing the homework so it is not an effort in vain - then update the website for Cascade County.
Posted by: KS on November 9, 2005 09:15 PMThe people of Seattle (who were the ones who basically re-elected Sims) are Facists.
Posted by: JJ on November 11, 2005 09:17 AM