Six candidates have filed to run for King County elections director in an election that will be held without a primary — and, apparently, with gloves off.
…
Julie Kempf, who was fired as King County elections superintendent after she was accused of lying about why thousands of ballots were mailed late in 2002. She denies she lied.
Kempf said she decided to run after she was threatened by political opponents who didn’t want her to run. She declined to offer details of the threats. “If you give in to a threat, they’ve won already,” she said.
Wow. The word “delusional” doesn’t quite cover it.
I thought making the elections director an elected position was supposed to increase the quality of the candidates. So far, we’ve got a “raging bullshiter“; a carpet-bagging state senator with a penchant for irate outbursts; a crackpot civic activist with his own residency issues; and a software guy who nobody has heard of.
Then there’s the incumbent, Sherril Huff, who’s doing us all a “solid” by throwing her hat in the ring. I don’t know what her political beliefs are, and I don’t care. Like Dem chair Dwight Pelz said:
“Sherril Huff isn’t the Democratic candidate in this race, she’s the competent candidate in this race.”
What about Ellen Hansen and Lloyd Hara, aren’t they in?
The antics between that pistol-packing grandma and the raging bullshitter will be too precious.
Pass the popcorn.
On the other hand, all we need at this time in history is yet another local right wing freak show.
Why oh why did the voters of King County bring this on themselves?
yelling loser boy, the voters of King County are like you.
You call Roach a carpet bagger, yet Huff moved to King County on WEDNESDAY!
I’m just sayin of course…
“I thought making the elections director an elected position was supposed to increase the quality of the candidates.”
With all due respect, Will, what on earth made you think that?
Everyone: Don’t say Roger Rabbit didn’t warn you! For those of you who voted for this idiotic scheme, let me say again, you will regret the day you traded a professional election administrator for a politician.
Hansen and Hara are not going to run …. I believe out of frear of oach, Huff has become the unity candidate.
Good enough for me. Pam Roach should be moving to Illinois where she would fit right in.
There is a speak out on the floor of the legislature about penises in the record from her. I swear, pleas the skilled searchers find it for reprint.
She is for sure raving nuts …. very right wing, a homophobe and Mormon to boot.
Penis speech, really, please find it.
I hope to heck Huff wins this election.
Even if she does win it is only a matter of time before some unqualified crank manages to get elected to the post. Particularly with the nuttier part of the State and County GOP having a major axe to grind with the County.
Ron Sims and some other folks had a meeting last Tuesday afternoon with the serious candidates. After the meeting, Ellen Hansen, Jason Osgood, Lloyd Hara, and Alex Fisken opted not to file for the position. A bloody two by four was discovered in the meeting room later.
@7…CS…
“…some unqualified crank manages to get elected to the post.”
Speaking of Ron Sims, are you?
The Piper
@9
Well Ron wasn’t exactly unqualified when he was chosen to replace Gary Locke 12 years ago. The crank part seems to have come in the past couple of years. Ron’s been a little out there ever since he lost the 2004 primary in the governor’s race.
I’m thinking more along the lines of what Roach might try to do should she get herself elected.
ratcityreprobate’s account @ 8 includes multiple errors of significant fact … but is certainly on-target in its overall drift.
Right wing idiot @ 3
I didn’t vote for this freak show moron.
Can’t wait until Stefan Sharkansky issues his kiss-of-death endorsement. Think he will go with Crazy Roach or Crazy Kempf. Post 2004, Julie Ann Kempf was pal-ing around with Sharkansky -her delusion feeding his conspiracy theories. Losers and nuts always stick together. Look at the loose-knit band of cranks who have been trying to recruit a non-bonkers opponent to run against Nickels…
@ 8 + @ 12 — heard similar things. This was definitely a Sims/Pelz job of making sure there was only one D candidate (that is Huff, who is a Sims appointee and very loyal to Ron).
In some ways impressive that others fell into line so quickly. In other ways, does this make us any better than the clear manipulation of Chicago-style politics where it is all back room deals, not allowing people to actually vote for themselves on who they’d like to see in office? Huff is certainly qualified, but Hara was too. The others considerably less so.
This will still be a wild election but Huff will win in a landslide. Almost can’t come up w. another result. King County is an extremely Democratic county. Huff will have the backing of the whole Democratic establishment and a ton of cash. The much smaller Republican base will be split by Roach/Irons and the others will get less than 5% each (OK, maybe Kempf gets more, but not much more – 10% max.). This race is over, but there there will certainly be a lot more shouting before Huff wins by a huge margin.
JULIE ANNE KEMPF — QUEEN OF FORECLOSURES
I wonder if Julie Kempf will ever learn to pay her mortgage on time? Her house has been in foreclosure seven times since 2002. Each time, she manages to catch up on her mortgage somehow, right before the trustee’s sale is scheduled to take place.
One might think Kempf’s constant foreclosure crises are the result of maybe not having a regular income since Ron Sims fired her as Elections Superintendent. However, Sims fired Kempf on January 2, 2003, and she had been in the position for three years at that point in time.
The first two foreclosure notices were filed in 2002 — namely February 5, 2002 and October 3, 2002, when Julie Kempf was still working at her former high-paying Elections Superintendent position! So the lack of earnings would not have had much to do with her delinquent mortgage payments, at least back in 2002.
It is sort of interesting that Kempf’s second foreclosure notice was filed on October 3, 2002 — shortly before Kempf’s office (allegedly) failed to timely mail out absentee ballots for the 2002 general election. That was the reasons Sims gave for firing her. Wonder if the pending foreclosure distracted her attention from performing her duties?
20020205003106 02/05/2002 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE SALE KEMPF JULIE ANNE NORTHWEST TRUSTEE SERVICES LLC
20021003001387 10/03/2002 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE SALE KEMPF JULIE ANNE R CHASE MANHATTAN MORTGAGE CORP (+)
20031211002398 000 – 000 12/11/2003 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE SALE KEMPF JULIE ANNE R NORTHWEST TRUSTEE SERVICES LLC TRUSTEE
20040726002224 000 – 000 07/26/2004 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE SALE KEMPF JULIE ANNE R NORTHWEST TRUSTESS SERVICES INC
20050307001111 000 – 000 03/07/2005 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE SALE KEMPF JULIE ANNE E NORTHWEST TRUSTEE SERIVCES INC
20070615002666 000 – 000 06/15/2007 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE SALE KEMPF JULIE ANNE E REGIONAL TRUSTEE SERVICES CORPORATION R
20080717001152 000 – 000 07/17/2008 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE SALE KEMPF JULIE ANNE R T D SERVICE CO TRUSTEE E
Will, reading the Stranger article does not indicate Clifford is a non resident. Clifford has been working on open government issues in this area for years. Records show he was born, raised, lives, and votes in King County, Washblog.com shows that in their archives. READ the words in the article.
You guys sure didn’t call him a crackpot when he went after Pat Davis. The “crackpot” argued his own case at the Supreme Court and won 9-0.
Huff, based on the Seattle Times article, says she spent at most one night in King County. What would you be saying if a Republican was pulling the same stunt Huff is pulling now?
readthewords @ 16
Okay, Will shouldn’t have called Clifford a crack pot. But does he have any shot at this position? The Democratic establishment united behind one candidate, and the Republicans are split between Roach and Irons. And there are a lot more Democrats than Republicans in King County. Clifford and Kempf will make interesting sideshows.
Will, I don’t know where ECB dug up the San Diego number, but Clifford has no residency issues. He filed with a local address and phone #, and he’s an authentic longterm resident.
If you believe that the Democratic LD organizations have any impact, this election has been scheduled for exactly the wrong time (gee, what a surprise). Most of the LDs schedule holiday parties instead of meetings in December — come on out to the 43rd District Dems party tonight!. Then in January, they’ll be busy with their biennial reorganization. There may not be the time (or the list of eligible members) to make an endorsement prior to the mail-drop of ballots.
Then again, as was amply demonstrated by House races in the 43rd (2006) and the 36th (2008), LD Dem organizations may not be all that influential.
Clifford heads a board in San Diego that does not have a residency requirement. However, there is a residency requirement for the Elections Supervisor position and Huff does not meet it. It is odd that Sims and the Democrats feel that an office dedicated to policing voter fraud should be held by a person who commits fraud by placing her name on the ballot. Apparently old style Chicago politics is acceptable when it is done by the PC and liberal Democrats of King County. At least in Chicago they have the decency to respect the voters intelligence and commit fraud in the back rooms. Sims obviously has such contempt for the intelligence of the voters in King County that he does not find it necessary to hide his maneuvers from our sight.
Does anyone find it funny that the residency requirement for a Garfield sophomore is more stringent than for this position.
Lots of misinformed commentary about residency requirements The requirement for county office is that one be registered to vote in the county and live within the county boundries. The registration deadline is January 3, so Sherril Huff beat it by over three weeks.
Harry Tuttle @ 21 — Sherril Huff plausibly meets one plausible reading of the residency requirement as set forth in statute … but does not meet the residency requirement as set forth by Sherril Huff’s Elections Office (which states that all requirements must be met at the time of filing).
Sherril Huff has announced she will recuse herself as to Sherril Huff’s challenged registration, so we’ll soon find out which Sherril Huff subordinate rules on the question, and how he or she interprets the rules.
There’s a long and colorful local history of dodgery around residency requirement, however, so it shouldn’t be a big hairy deal in this case.
Do you really think this will be decided by a subordinate of Sherril Huff’s? Expect this to be litigated and take a look at the ruling by the State Supreme Court in the case invovling the mayor of Wenatchee. In that case the court overturned an election. Huff doesn’t pass the smell test. As a matter of law, the court has ruled that residency requirements are not mere technicalities. Huff will be out.
Bob Anderson @ 20, 23
I am familiar with the case about the Wenatchee mayor. The city of Wenatchee had a one year durational residency requirement in order to file for municipal office. That mayor had not met the requirement and was removed.
By contrast, King County merely requires that a candidate be a resident at the time of filing. If Sherril Huff rented residential quarters in King County and actually lives in King County, then she is a resident. Even if she did this minutes before filing.
Same thing is true with public schools. A child becomes eligible to attend a given school district the very minute the child moves to that district. The question is not how long the child (and family) have lived in the district, but whether the child lives in the district.
I think I saw Ron Sims coming off the Bremerton Ferry Wednesday night driving a U-Haul loaded with Sherril Huff’s furniture.
So, the crackpots don’t think Chris Clifford should be called a crackpot. Hmm. I wonder why.
Clifford comes from the Yousefian school. Where you blame the government for your own personal ineptitude, and the business failures which go hand-in-hand with personal ineptitude.
Open government activist, my ass. Clifford is just an anti-government crank who was too stupid to make money selling booze to drunk spotsfans. Which is quite a feat, if you think about it.
Sorry. Yousoufian. Not Yousefian. As in, Armen Yousoufian, who blamed the failure of his ratty U District hotel on stadium taxes. Rather than noticing his competition was selling a superior product, Yousoufian blamed Ron Sims. And extracted hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars via endless lawsuits. Mixed Nuts like his “open government” pals Clifford and Kempf have literally wasted millions on frivolous lawsuits. Getting attention paid to one’s personal demons simply shouldn’t cost taxpayers so much money. At least Tim Eyman uses his own personal sugardaddy to wage his ongoing ego jihad.
Richard Pope @24, you might want to take a look at the Supreme Court decision again. Guy removed as mayor made same lame residency claim Huff is making, only his was a little stronger.
“allegedly living at 611 North Wenatchee Avenue does not constitute a change of residence”.
Blaine @ 26 & 27…neither Yousoufian or Clifford has never been found to have filed a “frivolous lawsuit”. Both have won at the State Supreme Court level. Clifford won the case himself against K&L Gates.
If they are both so “frivolous” why does one branch of the government you worship keep agreeing with them (the courts)? If they are both so anti government why would they use a branch of government to correct these wrongs?
Sounds like you are one of the bitter bureaucrats whose ineptitude and lies they exposed or one of those prick attorneys whose ass they kicked.
Richard Pope @24
Go back and check the case again. Sections 1 thru 6 of the Conclusions of Law. I am well aware that Wenatchee has a different residence requirement than King County, however, the court found that there are some basic facts that hold for all residency requirements in the state. I do not believe the claims of Huff fulfill the requirements the court has set.
The court found that a residence must be real with the intent of maintaining it in the future as the true residence and not some convenient change of address. The residency requirement is not a simple technical detail of a candidate’s eligibility and a technical remedy is not appropriate. Huff lives in Bremerton. Her husband lives in Bremerton. She rents a house in Skyway but that does not make it her residence. Neither does spending one night in the house (which does not have a bed as of Saturday).
Bob Anderson @ 29
I don’t think Sherril Huff has a husband. He died back in 1997. No one else is registered at Huff’s former address in Bremerton. And Huff was renting the premises at her former address in Bremerton as well.
Wenatchee required one year of residence at the time of the election. The fellow elected mayor was registered at a different address, outside of Wenatchee, for most of the year period in question. And he tried to retroactively claim residence at the address of his business in Wenatchee — apparently an internet service provider server location, where no one had ever slept — for the period in question. Which was sort of bizarre, given that he was custodial parent of a minor child who was going to school from an address outside Wenatchee and all that.
In this case, the question would be whether Huff would be a legitimate resident of King County by the election date in February 2009. That is the qualification set up in the King County Charter. The length of her residency does not matter for her legal qualification.
Pope @ 30 Richard you must meet all the qualifications at the time you file for office. The Declaration form states, “a registered voter and residing at”
Huff lied on her candidate declaration when she filed for office, and lied when she registered last Tuesday as a “resident” in King County. The County Charter does not trump state law.
@28: Armen Yousoufian did win his public disclosure lawsuit against King County, but his 2005 recall petition against County Councilmember Dow Constantine was thrown out by a KC judge as insufficient. And, as long as we’re talking about residency issues, Armen’s actual home in on Capitol Hill–he moved his voter registration to his Vashon Island vacation property so he could portray himself as a “rural” activist.
@32: A recall being declared insufficient is far from a legal action being declared frivolous. You may be right about his move but at least he “owns” the property on Vashon Island, that is more than Huff can say.
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