Category Archives: General

A protest vote for president not even an alternative

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Sammamish Comment focuses on elections that are specific to Sammamish. Accordingly, it doesn’t ordinarily consider Statewide and Federal races, nor statewide initiatives.

This election is unusual because of the divisive nature of the heads of the Republican and Democratic tickets. Donald Trump’s candidacy in particular has down-ballot implications for the Republicans because he is so divisive. The same can’t be said for Hillary Clinton, despite her divisive character.

Because of that, Sammamish Comment is deviating from its past a bit. In addition to making endorsements in the State Legislative races for those districts that cover Sammamish (the 5th, 41st and 45th), for the first time The Comment will hazard into the presidential arena.

A colleague summed up the choice between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton nicely: “When you add everything up, you still get less than zero.”

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Sammamish chooses Tacoma for annual retreat

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City_of_SammamishSammamish selected the Hotel Murano in Tacoma for its annual retreat Jan. 19-21. The decision was announced Tuesday by City Manager Lyman Howard.

This was the location last year.

The City was leaning toward returning to Suncadia Lodge in Roslyn, east of Snoqualmie Pass until Sammamish Comment revealed the plans.

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The Vision Thing

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  • Tonight is the first of three debates between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, beginning at 6pm PDT.

“The Vision Thing” was George H. W. Bush’s lament about which he was having trouble articulating when he was running for President the first time.

George H. W, Bush had trouble with The Vision Thing. Photo via Google images.

George H. W, Bush had trouble with The Vision Thing. Photo via Google images.

Bush, well qualified from his decades of public service, and at the time two-term vice president to Ronald Reagan, went on to win election in 1988. But the “vision thing” dogged him throughout his first term. He couldn’t create a “vision” to synopsize his goals for the American people.

He lost reelection to Bill Clinton in 1992, an election in which a third party candidate—Ross Perot—hurt his reelection chances.

It’s a lesson Hillary Clinton should take to heart.

Like it or not, Donald Trump has no trouble articulating a vision, regardless of how repugnant some find it and how mangled his syntax.

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Certified Aug. 2 primary results for Sammamish area; November election is next

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King County Elections today (Aug. 16) certified the results of the Aug. 2 primary. The top two winners, regardless of party affiliation, advance to the Nov. 8 General Election.

The 8th Congressional District and the 5th, 41st and 45th Legislative District include Sammamish.

Sammamish Comment isn’t covering state-wide races. These results may be found here.

In the Sammamish area, two State Senate races are too close to project a winner for the November General Election: those in the 5th and 41st.

Sammamish Deputy Mayor Ramiro Valderrama, running as a Republican for Position 1 in the 45th LD House, received only 38% of the primary vote. He advances to November.

The Comment has projected winners in the November election in the chart below. The August primary typically serves as proxy for the November election.

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Aug. 2 primary results affecting Sammamish; Valderrama loses big to Goodman

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Ramiro Valderrama isn’t going anywhere. His thumping in the Aug. 2 primary for State House in the 45th legislative district means Valderrama will remain on the Sammamish City Council for the next two years.

Here are the election night returns for the Aug. 2 primary for those legislative races involving Sammamish.

Sammamish is covered by parts of the 5th LD (the Klahanie area); the 41st LD (basically south of SE 8th St.); and the 45th (basically north of SE 8th St.).

Election night returns typically are within a point or two of the final returns, which are reported about three weeks later to allow for absentees and overseas (military) votes to be returned. The primary whittles down those races where more than two candidates appear on the ballot. In state races, even when there are only two candidates on the ballot, the race is run in the primary.

The primary outcome is a good indicator of the November election results.

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