The Race is On

Filing week came to a close last week on June 6. Who is involved in state races is now set and the AIA Washington Council is reaching out to political candidates. Among the candidates the Council supports is Sue Lani Madsen, who is running in the 7th district. If Madsen wins she would be the only Washington state legislator in the architectural profession. Madsen is the founding partner of Madsen Mitchell Evenson Conrad, pllc.

The Secretary of State’s office makes it easy to view who has registered at their website. The site will allow searches both by Federal and State office; the Governor’s race is under the Statewide Office label. Make sure to click on the Legislative Offices tab to see who is running in your district.

Washington has races this year for all nine congressional seats, nine statewide office, three state Supreme Court positions and numerous legislative and local races. The races have drawn heaps of candidates this year.

The new top-two primary may be the reason for the increased amount of candidates. As of April 2008, Washington will allow the two candidates with the most votes to move on to the general election, even if they are from the same party. The primary election is Aug. 19, and the general election is Nov. 4.

In addition to the primary modification, candidates also no longer list their party affiliation, but instead list a preference. These changes have been the source of some confusion and amusement that may make the new primary system short lived. Regardless of the outcome, results of the 2008 elections promise to be interesting. Stay posted for new updates on AIA involvement.