The candidate filing period for this summer’s primary election has officially closed and the race for retiring State Senator Adam Kline’s seat is the 37th district is jam packed with hopefuls.
Five Democrats and a Republican have filed to run for the open seat that includes Seattle, Skyway and Renton’s downtown neighborhoods.
Kline, 69, announced his intention to not run for re-election in January, after serving since he was appointed to the senate in 1997. He has since won reelection twice.
“I’ll miss the action here, the engagement on issues important to the extraordinary people of Southeast Seattle,” he said in a press release at the time.
Running for his seat are Claude Burfect, John Stafford, Pramila Jayapal, Sheley Secrest and Louis Watanabe, all from Seattle and all preferring the Democratic Party, and Rowland Martin, from renton, who prefers the Republican party.
Also in the 37th, incumbent Pos. 1 Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos is running for re-election. Santos, who prefers the Democratic PArty, is being challenged by John Dickinson, who also prefers the Democrats, and Daniel Bretzke, who prefers the Republicans.
Postion 2 Representative Eric Pettigrew, who prefers the Democratic Party, is being challenged by Tamra Smilanich, who prefers to remain non-partisan.
In the 11th District, which includes most of Renton, Pos. 1 Representative Zack Hudgins, a Democrat is running unopposed for re-election while Democrat Steve Bergquist is being challenged by Sarah Sanoy-Wright, who prefers the Republican Party.
Renton also includes parts of the 41st District, which stretches primarily to the north of the city, but includes the Kennydale neighborhood.
In the 41st, Incumbent Democrat Tana Senn is being challenged by Bill Stinson, who prefers the Republicans, for her Position 1 seat while incumbent Democrat Judy Clibborn is being challenged by Alex O’Neil, who gives no party preference.
The primary is scheduled for Aug. 5 in races with more than two candidates. The top two candidates, regardless of party preference, move on to the general election Nov. 4.
