By Joe Veyera
The Municipal League of King County has released its 2014 Washington State Senate and Legislature candidate ratings, with current 36th Legislative District representatives receiving high marks.
The ratings divide candidates into five categories — Outstanding, Very Good, Good, Adequate, or Non-Qualified — in an attempt to answer the question, “How well might a candidate do the job?” To determine the candidate ratings, over 50 community volunteers reviewed candidate questionnaires, studied public records, spoke with their references, and conducted candidate interviews. Each candidate was then rated by committee members on four measures: involvement, character, effectiveness and knowledge.
In the 36th district, which includes Ballard, Magnolia, Greenwood, Queen Anne, Interbay, Belltown, along with portions of Phinney Ridge and Fremont, the incumbent candidates received higher ratings in all three races on the November ballot.
For the pair of State House positions, Democrats Reuven Carlyle and Gael Tarleton received outstanding and very good ratings respectively, while their challengers, Republican Leslie Klein and Libertarian Paul Addis, were rated as not qualified, and adequate. Klein was the only candidate in the 36th district to decline to be interviewed, or fill out a questionnaire.
In the senate race, Democrat Jeanne Kohl-Welles, who has represented the 36th district since 1994, received an outstanding rating, while Republican challenger Sarina Forbes was rated adequate.
The ratings do not consider a candidate’s political affiliation or their standing on specific issues, but instead assess their ability to be effective in office.
For more information on the ratings, or to read each candidate’s questionnaire, click here.
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