Marty Kaplan, AIA, was in a tough three-way race for Seattle City Council. He was running against an entrenched incumbent and a popular challenger. He was able to garner about 15% of the vote. Marty put issues on the table that other candidates were not able to articulate, such as city planning and development’s impact on jobs, economic development and strengthening of neighborhood communities.
Matt Gregory, AIA, was also in a difficult three-way primary race for Kirkland City Council. He received roughly 24% of the vote. Matt was successful in getting the endorsement of the Seattle Times. The Times noted Gregory’s experience as an architect and on the planning commission as making him well qualified for the post.
Theodore Roosevelt once said, “It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena…”
The AIA|WA congratulates Marty and Matt for being courageous enough to put themselves in the arena, for tackling the tough issues in their communities and for putting positive visions before the voters. While they may not have found success before the electorate, their communities are better for them having been in their races.
Another architect running for local office this year, Jim Merritt, FAIA, did not have a primary in his bid for Tacoma Mayor. He automatically advances to the general election in November. You can follow his campaign efforts at his website: http://www.merrittformayor.com. You can also listen to an online interview with Jim at http://themelononline.com/podcast/2009/JimMerrittFINAL.mp3. In the interview he discusses how his work as an architect positively impacts the community and prepares him for public service.
Are you interested in supporting quality candidates for public office? You can through the Architects PAC. APAC researches candidates running for office in Washington State and supports those who can best help implement the larger vision for Washington architects. Read more about APAC and how you can support its efforts at: http://www.aiawa.org/apac.html.
