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Peter Callaghan is a local columnist. He’s covered the
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Peter
Joe Turner has covered state government and transportation
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Les Blumenthal has been covering Washington, D.C. for The News
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state. Before joining The News Tribune, he spent 13 years working for
The Associated Press in Seattle, Illinois and Washington, D.C. Email Les
John Henrikson is a local news editor who oversees political coverage. He's worked as a journalist in the
Northwest for 19 years, supervising coverage and reporting on local and
state government, the environment and growth. Email John
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Our Washington, D.C. correspondent Les Blumenthal caught up to U.S. Rep. Adam Smith, D-Tacoma, today to ask him about his plans for the future. (And see my earlier post about state Rep. Tom Campbell, R-Roy, running for the 9th Congressional District seat.)
UPDATE: Brad Shannon at The Olympian reports state Rep. Zack Hudgins, D-Tukwila, would be interested in the 9th District seat, but he would not run against Adam Smith. “If it’s an open seat, then I’m very interested in running,’’ Hudgins told Shannon.
UPDATE NO. 2: it's really, really official now. I got an e-mail from Adam Smith's political director.
Joe,
Below is the official statement in response to the rumor you inquired about earlier.I am not taking a position with the Obama Administration and will run for reelection in 2010. I love my job and living in Tacoma and will continue to serve in Congress. I have strong ties to the District and have no intention of relocating to Washington D.C. My family lives in Tacoma, my two children - Kendall and Jack - go to Tacoma public schools, my wife is the PTA president and we love the neighborhood where we live.
I explored my options after the election and quickly concluded that the best decision for me and for the constituents I represent is to continue to serve in Congress. Serving in Congress affords me the best opportunity to help the President confront the challenges we face as a nation and also continue to serve on behalf of the district I love.
I just wanted to let you know I have just joined Adam's team as Political Director. Drop me a line if you need anything else!
Stacie
Stacie M. Anderson
Political Director
Adam Smith for Congress
stacie@electadamsmith.com
www.electadamsmith.com</blockquote>Here's what Les got earlier today:
By LES BLUMENTHAL
WASHINGTON - Just got off the phone with Rep. Adam Smith who said he was going to run for re-election in 2010 and would not be taking a job in the Obama administration. Smith, who chaired the president's Washington state campaign, had long been rumored for a slot in the administration, perhaps as an assistant secretary of defense.
But while Smith said he had some discussions with the administration early on, he concluded he could best serve the new president by staying in Congress. He chairs the House Armed Service's subcommittee on terrorism and unconventional threats and just returned from a trip to Syria, Israel, Lebanon and Iraq.
Of his talks with the administration, Smith said "it was something I had to explore. But I concluded this is the best place for me. There is no question I am going to run for re-election. I love my job. I love Tacoma and I love the 9th District."
Click to see a photo of Smith's recent Iraq trip, which Les will write about for tomorrow's paper.
