Gerry Pollet, one of two Democrats seeking to replace Rep. Jim McIntire in Seattle's 46th District, made a big deal about getting his party's "nomination" among precinct committee officers. But just how significant is that?

The Secretary of State's office won't let him put that on the ballot.

Scott White is the other Democrat.

McIntire is running for state Treasurer instead of seeking reelection to the House.

Pollet Wins “Nomination” Vote in 46th District Open Seat
By Democratic Party Precinct Committee Officers

Public interest attorney and environmental leader Gerry Pollet won the vote of Precinct Committee Officers (“PCOs”) in the race for the open State House seat in the 46th District at a “nominating convention” held last (week) in North Seattle.

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At a candidates forum held immediately before the vote, Gerry Pollet asked his opponent Scott White to “live the change” we are working for on campaign finance and abide by a voluntary $100,000 limit for each candidate in the race. He also asked White to stop taking large campaign contributions from businesses with direct financial interest in legislation, such as drug companies, timber companies or developers and their lobbyists. “We have the opportunity to spend our time talking to the voters of the 46th about issues and how to serve our community, instead of lobbyists. We should walk the talk of campaign finance reform,” said Pollet.

White refused to accept the offer to voluntarily limit the candidates spending in the race to a total of $200,000 and refused the proposal to stop taking contributions from businesses with direct financial interest in legislation. White has only $5,000 more cash on hand than Pollet as of the last filings with the PDC. Pollet will not accept contributions from businesses which have active legislative agendas for their own financial interests – e.g., drug companies, gravel mine operators seeking to operate where the Maury Island Marine Reserve will be impacted, etc.

The PCO “nominating” convention remained highly controversial as a top down requirement of the State Party which was not inclusive of the District’s full membership (five times larger) and did not give any voice to the thousands of Democrats elected as delegates and alternates at precinct caucuses. When the PCO only vote was adopted, White had been in the race for 8 months and had the names of many of the PCOs on his endorsement list, while Pollet had been in the race only a month – fueling the concern that the vote was deliberately slated to favor one candidate. White supporters have urged, and many knowledgeable Party leaders have read the rules as potentially leading to the potential for, the PCO only vote be used to cut off resources of the 46th District and State Party; and, to bar the District’s broader membership from advertising the results of its own endorsement on Sample Ballots later this year.

“I am committed that this vote will not be used to cut off any resources or undermine our District’s broader and more democratic endorsement process,” said Pollet at the meeting. “I promise to share any resources received from the party with any endorsed candidate and to fight for our more open and representative endorsement process to go forward in June.”

The PCO vote was not one person – one vote. Instead it was weighted by delegates each precinct elected at caucuses in February. Pollet and many others in the district believed that this makes this vote really only a bizarrely weighted straw poll akin to super delegates instead of the actual delegates having a vote.

Pollet won the vote by 3 votes – out of a weighted vote total 329 to 326. However, one Pollet vote was not counted (with 6 votes) even though it was signed, because it was on the wrong color ballot. “We could have protested, but we had won,” said Pollet supporter Betty Means. “This is the Democratic Party, presumably we stand for counting votes based on the clear intent of the voter, not throwing their vote out if it is on the wrong color slip of paper.”

Pollet was nominated by King County Council Member Bob Ferguson, whose district includes much of the 46th, and seconded by a group of the PCOs who have done much of the work building the district’s membership and outreach.