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Tuesday, October 30, 2012

2012 Conservatives Target State Senator Who Was a Key Vote for Marriage Equality; Senator Ed Murray Calls for Reinforcements

Posted by Eli Sanders on Tue, Oct 30, 2012 at 3:39 PM

Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen

Remember back in January, when Slog was paying close attention to Whidbey Island State Senator Mary Margaret Haugen and her move from opposed, to undecided, and then finally to yes on the historic bill legalizing same-sex marriage in Washington State?

Remember how Sen. Haugen actually ended up being the final vote needed to pass the bill?

Well, the conservative Family Policy Institute of Washington certainly hasn't forgotten:

One of three mailers currently going out in the 10th District attacking Haugen for her marriage vote.

One of three mailers currently going out in the 10th District attacking Haugen for her marriage vote.

What to do about this? State Senator Ed Murray (D-43), who helped move the marriage bill through the legislature, says:

When Senator Haugen announced that she was for marriage equality, she was the 25th vote that allowed us to take it to the floor and pass it. I think we should be there for her now. Obviously, doorbelling and donations will make a difference in this election. She was there for us. We should be there for her. It's a neck and neck race."

It's actually worse than neck and neck. Haugen came in behind her Republican challenger in the primary, and Murray says her defeat "would be a terrible loss."

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Comments (17) RSS

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Not that I'm in her district, but I'd be a helluvalot more likely to vote for her if she weren't such a consistent enemy of Public Transportation in this state.

Posted by mtn335 on October 30, 2012 at 3:55 PM

(And note - I am 100%, fully, completely behind R-74 and equal rights for all, regardless of [fill-in-the-blank discriminatory difference]).

Posted by mtn335 on October 30, 2012 at 3:59 PM

As Transporation Chair, Mary Margaret Haugen has been an opponent of effective mass transit in Washington State. Seattle Transit Blog said "By most accounts, Ms. Haugen has been the primary obstacle to pro-transit legislation in the last several legislative sessions." and endorsed her opponent:

http://seattletransitblog.com/2012/10/19…

Posted by Michael H. on October 30, 2012 at 3:59 PM

Lolwut? She "voted to prevent the public from voting on the issue" and "voted to allow the public to vote on it"?

Either that's a hilarious typo, or they're trying to say both stances are wrong. YOU WILL NOT VOTE ON IT BECAUSE IT DOESN'T EXIST!!!

Posted by long-time reader on October 30, 2012 at 4:10 PM

Or, um, I'm a little drunk and it's talking about two different people in the same paragraph.

Posted by long-time reader on October 30, 2012 at 4:11 PM

Here's the thing: people who believe/care about this "redefining marriage" drivel wouldn't have voted for her in the first place.

Posted by The CHZA on October 30, 2012 at 4:41 PM

@1 - I can only imagine how transit-friendly Sen. King (R), from Central Washington, would be as Chair of the committee. MMH may not be perfect, but she's a lot better than the alternative.

Posted by michaelp on October 30, 2012 at 4:42 PM

I am in her district and I did vote for her and yes it is critical that she get re-elected so that the Dems hold the senate in fact and intent and wouldn't it be nice if she would only show some love for the many, many people whose money and shoe leather are being expended on this race - including the enviros holding their collective noses - but no she won't

And let's be clear - it's Camano Island, not Whidbey that she calls home

Posted by Fluffy on October 30, 2012 at 5:26 PM

@7 @8 Is there a serious chance of the Democrats losing the Senate entirely? I think it's more likely that we'd have Tracey Eide (D-Federal Way) as Transportation chair.

Posted by Michael H. on October 30, 2012 at 5:48 PM

@9 - There is definitely a real chance of Dems losing the Senate. They are guaranteed to lose 25, 10 is clearly in play, and with Stand For Children spending $330k against McAuliffe in the 1st, who knows what happens there. The 5th will be close but it's definitely possible for the Republicans to hold with all the money being spent on it. It's more likely than not that the Dems hold control, but the Republicans wouldn't have to get THAT lucky. I'd call it a 33% chance that the chamber flips.

Posted by c'mon girlfriend on October 30, 2012 at 5:54 PM

I'm not usually a single-issue voter or supporter of particular candidates. However, for this legislator and her courageous vote on marriage equality earlier this year, I did just send $100 to her campaign.

Posted by cineaste on October 30, 2012 at 5:54 PM

I am going to have to work 10 years longer to recoup my investments in Democracy, 2012! But Haugen, $50 to you, my last political contribution this year. (I mean it this time!)

Posted by Racing Turtles on October 30, 2012 at 7:17 PM

Oh, look - you suddenly discovered the ramifications of losing the Senate majority with a week to go, Inslee hurting and R-74 struggling. Charming.

You have to wonder whether Haugen, McAuliffe, or Probst down in Vancouver could have used a few extra shekels from People for Progressive Leadership to preserve a roadkill-proof majority and save the stuff that matters.

But no - those phony progressives were busy dropping a shit-ton of money on a safe district to slime Gael Tarleton, a rock-solid vote for LGBT issues, education and choice who once had the nerve to tell the Teamsters they couldn't control heaven and earth.

You join the chorus of useful idiots and spend acres of space on absurdly slanted quibbles while a precious 100K in independent money goes toward elevating little Noel Frame - a fact you still haven't bothered to mention, though every other media outlet in the region finds it relevant.

Christ, you people are thick. If the majority goes down and these other issues fail, consider yourselves complicit.

Posted by Relling on October 30, 2012 at 8:45 PM

Bravo Relling!

Posted by Gorn on October 30, 2012 at 9:45 PM

Fuck Haugen and Chopp and the rest of the Dem clowns that can't get transit funded... even when they had a super majority. Sure, we'll suffer a few Republican years but I'll gladly support some new transit-friendly and otherwise FORWARD-thinking, progressive Dems when they step up (or maybe rather when the current set of fucktards like Haugen step down). Haugen, what a fucking pro-highway, anti-transit clown. A big fuck you from Seattle. Gladly cut my nose to spite my face in this instance.

Posted by one uppity fuckity Seattle elite on October 30, 2012 at 11:44 PM

Maybe she knows exactly what she's doing, and is figuring that her stand for transit-hating, pickup-driving, same-sex-marrying homos is exactly what her district wants.

Posted by TLjr on October 31, 2012 at 7:10 AM

Family Policy Institute is a hate group, just like the Family Research Council. They give the word "family" a bad name, spewing all sorts of hate in "defense of marriage and family." They are bankrolled by the same rich, entitled, racist hate-mongers that fund voter-suppression front group Freedom Foundation and evolution-deniers that fund Discovery Institute. They are all part of ALEC that doesn't give a shit whether our middle class families are forced to go on welfare or our welfare recipients die because of lack of health insurance, as long as they get to write off their dressage horse on their tax return and pay less in tax rate than you and me. It's fucking terrifying to see what these guys have been able to do in Southern states, and that they want to do the same to us here in Washington state. All the Dems really need to win this election. I don't care if they are not as progressive as we want - we can work with them afterwards. If a Tea Party Republican takes any of these seats, we are totally screwed.

Posted by Occupy Seattle on October 31, 2012 at 10:03 AM