Congressman Jim McDermott will not run for Re-Election

In our bi-monthly Seattlemag.com column, Knute Berger–who writes regularly for Seattle Magazine and is a frequent pundit on KUOW–takes an in-depth look at some of the highly topical and sometimes polarizing issues in our city.

Congressman for Life, Seattle Democrat Jim McDermott, has chosen not to run for re-election in 2016, thus shattering the silver ceiling for Seattle politicians who have national ambitions. 

The white-haired, 79-year-old McDermott has decided that there is life after Congress after all. The end of his 14-term tenure in the House of Representatives represents the end of a political barrier that has checked the ambitions of many Seattle liberals for decades.

McDermott has been lionized as a principled lefty who has advocated for universal health care, opposed the war in Iraq—and spoke out about it from Baghdad—and been a left-coast whipping boy for the far right. He has also been criticized for not being legislatively effective and for simply being around too long in a position that has become a kind of liberal sinecure. The Seventh Congressional District is the bluest of blue Seattle, running from Burien to Shoreline and encompassing much of Seattle proper, mostly north of Madison Street and west of I-5. It even includes Vashon Island, recently claimed to be the most liberal place in America.

The great parlor game of 2016 immediately becomes, who will step up to take “Sunny Jim’s” spot? Or rather, who won’t step up. An already declared candidate, state Rep. Brady Walkinshaw, announced he was running for the seat before McDermott’s retirement plans were even proclaimed. But breaking through the silver ceiling will involve names like Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, former Mayor Mike McGinn, King Co. Exec Dow Constantine, former U.S. attorney Jenny Durkan, Seattle city council member Kshama Sawant, former county exec Ron Sims, and scores of politicians to be named later in a swirl of speculation.

As David Jarman put it in a story for the Daily Kos blog, “now the floodgates are unleashed.”

Expect a battle between the left and lefties, with arguments made about who can best actually deliver on a liberal agenda, even in a Congress that could continue to be dominated by conservatives. Still, Seattle will want someone who can deliver reliably progressive votes as well as use the bully pulpit of a safe Democratic seat to gain influence.

One warning: who ever is elected in 2016 will likely be with us “for life.” So choose wisely.