WA-SUSA: McKenna leads Gregoire, Inslee

[Seattle]

I'm not surprised. As others have said it has to do with name recognition. McKenna, once perhaps the most popular republican ever in Washington (he won King County with 53% of the vote in 2008) has now taken a considerably more conservative stance on many issues, especially Healthcare, which has really alienated alot of Democrats and left leaning independants from him (I was a former supporter).

I think he would have passed through the Republican primary with his previously very moderate positions just fine and would have been a shoe-in for election against pretty much any democrat. Now, not nearly as close. Voter turn out in Seattle urban areas and close suburbs (and Olympia/Bellingham) will be a key factor for a Democrat win here, which is what turned a 50-50 senate race into a 52-48 one last November.

Saying that, I think Democrats are slightly favored to win, assuming Inslee is the Democratic candidate and he makes no gaffes, since he will presumably be running on Obama's coattails, especially in urban areas.

[Seattle]

I'm not surprised. As others have said it has to do with name recognition. McKenna, once perhaps the most popular republican ever in Washington (he won King County with 53% of the vote in 2008) has now taken a considerably more conservative stance on many issues, especially Healthcare, which has really alienated alot of Democrats and left leaning independants from him (I was a former supporter).

I think he would have passed through the Republican primary with his previously very moderate positions just fine and would have been a shoe-in for election against pretty much any democrat. Now, not nearly as close. Voter turn out in Seattle urban areas and close suburbs (and Olympia/Bellingham) will be a key factor for a Democrat win here, which is what turned a 50-50 senate race into a 52-48 one last November.

Saying that, I think Democrats are slightly favored to win, assuming Inslee is the Democratic candidate and he makes no gaffes, since he will presumably be running on Obama's coattails, especially in urban areas.

Perhaps there's more going on behind the scenes... Reichert was polled after all. Maybe McKenna has reason to believe Reichert is a serious candidate and is adjusting accordingly.

If anything, Reichert isn't much more conservative than McKenna.... He wouldn't be consistently elected in the 8th if he was. I think it is possible that the Democrats make the 8th even more democratic, since they are mad that the 3rd will probably only swing to the democrats in a good year. Then Reichert might run.... but I always assumed it would be for the senate.

[Seattle]

Lol.... duh. I read your post wrong....

Still, I'm not convinced that Reichert would be able to win a primary over McKenna - even if McKenna was more moderate than him.

It sure will be interesting to see the polls later in the summer when Gregoire announces her retirement.