GOP Takes a Hit on Eastside
With Fred Jarrett's switch to the Democratic Party, there are no suburban Republican legislators left on the Eastside. "The loss of GOP power in the affluent suburbs has been one of the state's major post-millennial political trends," say David Postman and Andrew Garber in a recent Seattle Times article.
Jarrett, of Mercer Island, has represented the 41st LD in the state House since 2001. He will be running for the state Senate next year as a Democrat, hoping to replace Democrat Brian Weinstein, who announced he will not be running again. Few expect that Jarrett will have any difficulty winning. His moderate stances on education, choice, civil rights and transportation are consistent with the voters in his district.
