Despite a nationwide gain for Republicans the state of Washington will have bucked the trend, big time, with Democrats ultimately losing very few incumbents. And for the first time since the vote counting began, the incumbent Supreme Court Justice Richard Sanders is losing and the trend says he will actually lose that race to a much more progressive Charlie Wiggins. Sanders authored a scathing opinion for the Court against gays and their right to marry. I was involved in politics fifteen years ago, when Richard Sanders first won his seat in an odd race against a then Governor Mike Lowry appointee. Thanks to Sanders’ name familiarity with the chicken restaurant chain he won that race and has held on ever since.
For someone who claims to be a libertarian his opposition to gay rights is far from it. It has been difficult to see him in office all this time and so I cannot express the relief to finally see him losing. If only this trend can continue as the vote counting does.
John Koster, representing the American Christian Taliban Party, also lost in a close race for congress in Northwest Washington’s 2nd district. I guess he can revel in the fact that he came so close against the incumbent congressman. I revel in the fact that he has lost since his religious politics stretch back into the mid-90’s and his current campaign manager, Larry Stickney, ran the unsuccessful statewide campaign R-71, which sought to void domestic partnership benefits. This election ended up turning out so much better in Washington state than anyone ever expected.
