When I moved back to Seattle in 1990 — sick of work and life in Washington, D.C. — George H. W. Bush was the new president, and Seattle had just elected a new U.S. representative from the 7th District, a former psychiatrist and state legislator named Jim McDermott.
I tried hard to like McDermott. He was always friendly to me (and everyone else), and I agreed with him on most issues. I admired his opposition to U.S. wars (at least when a Republican was in the White House), and I appreciated his staunch advocacy for a single-payer health system.
But over the years I couldn’t help but notice that McDermott, in one of the safest Democratic seats in the country, never actually did anything.
Nearly three decades later, McDermott, now 79, has finally announced his retirement. After an entire generation in Congress, he’ll primarily be remembered for three things: his unsuccessful push for single-payer, his illegal exposure of illegal activities by then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich and his staunch, if futile, opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, which earned him the nickname “Baghdad Jim.”
In hindsight, McDermott was right about Iraq. But for all his noisy, usually fruitless advocacy, he was remarkably ineffective at the normal things long-term Congresspeople achieve.
He has no signature legislation to his name. For all his seniority, he never rose to any position of real power, even in his own caucus, let alone the House. If Seattle interests wanted money, legislation or favors from Congress, they went to one of the senators, Patty Murray or Maria Cantwell, because they got things done. McDermott didn’t, and for at least the last decade, a lot of local Democrats have been quietly, impatiently waiting for Sunny Jim to go away.
Now he has, and the Democratic vultures who would replace him have wasted no time circling, smelling a rare chance for a lifetime sinecure in Congress.
Possible competition
Rep. Brady Walkinshaw got in first, announcing even before McDermott formally announced his retirement.
Mayor Ed Murray had been angling for the job for years, but he has another new job now. Since he and a number of his allied City Council candidates share Walkinshaw’s political consultant, Christian Sinderman, it’s a safe bet Walkinshaw checked with Murray before announcing.
In short order, he’s already raised more than a quarter-million dollars, and at 31, he’s young enough to pile up lots of seniority in a long congressional career.
As an appointee to the state House who has never actually faced a competitive election, Walkinshaw is also exactly the kind of “moderate” Democrat the local establishment loves: a reliable vote who doesn’t really ever do anything and is notably more conservative than Seattle voters.
Jim McDermott, at least, had a personality and took strong progressive stances on issues. That, not his ineffectiveness, was why he never got much traction in his own party. Walkinshaw is much more their style.
A number of other Democrats are now campaigning for the seat, including one who shares Walkinshaw’s blandness: Metropolitan King County Councilmember Joe McDermott.
Another campaigning is 37th District Sen. Pramila Jayapal, who is relatively young and extremely ambitious and has a formidable local network.
Former U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan is on most observers’ lists, but that’s been true for most prominent local jobs in recent years; she officially declined to run last week.
There’s a strong push for local socialist icon Kshama Sawant, including a post urging her to run from Bernie Sanders’ office, which, especially this year, would be a huge advantage. At least one prominent local Democrat thinks there is “zero downside” to her jumping in the race, but as yet, she’s expressed no interest.
Other names being bandied about: former mayor Mike McGinn, 46th District Rep. Gerry Pollet, Seattle City Councilmember Mike O’Brien, King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski and ambitious Port of Seattle commissioner Courtney Gregoire.
Jayapal and Sawant don’t live in the district (which no longer includes South Seattle), but, amazingly, that’s not a requirement for Congress.
What to expect
To wage a competitive campaign, candidates will likely need to raise at least a million dollars. Local voters will likely skew left this fall, with a presidential race and potential ballot measures on a statewide minimum wage hike, paid sick leave and a carbon tax driving progressive turnout.
The best-case scenario? A crowded primary with real choices.
The worst-case? A choice between two mainstream Democrats in November, either of which would spend the next three decades enriching their friends and blandly continuing to use Seattle’s safe, wealthy district to do absolutely nothing.
GEOV PARRISH is cofounder of Eat the State! He also reviews news of the week on “Mind Over Matters” on KEXP 90.3 FM. To comment on this column, write to MPTimes@nwlink.com.