Murray Endorses Pedersen

The Seattle Times is reporting that outgoing State Rep. Ed Murray (D-Capitol Hill) is endorsing Jamie Pedersen, one of 6 candidates vying to replace Murray in the 43rd District. The district includes Capitol Hill, Montlake and Wallingford. Murray is running for the State Senate and had previously said that he wouldn't make an endorsement in the race because he knew all the other candidates and was "friends" with them all. But after the Washington State Supreme Court upheld the state's Defense of Marriage Act earlier this summer, Murray apparently decided that only a gay man—both Murray and Pedersen are gay—can represent gay interests; and that the 43rd is a gay district. To wit:

"'I hadn't considered doing this. But once the marriage decision came out it was like political earthquake in the gay and lesbian community,' Murray said. 'The community has an opportunity to move forward with yet another leader.'"

Um, Ed, this isn't 1985. Last I checked, it doesn't take a gay to respresent the interests of gay constituents -- and the 43rd is hardly an all-gay district. What's more, Murray's logic that gay marriage is somehow the tipping point -- the biggest issue in the 43rd -- is moronic. There are plenty of straight people who live in the 43rd; in fact, we are the majority—and almost all of us support gay marriage. So what's your point? The other candidates in the race are Jim Street, Stephanie Pure, Lynne Dodson, Bill Sherman and Dick Kelly.