Liberal Seattle City Council member Mike O'Brien and moderate Albert Shen, an engineering consultant running a well-funded challenge campaign, must unexpectedly slog through the primary election after a third, eleventh-hour candidate joined the race last Friday afternoon.

In terms of political theater, it means O'Brien's vision of a city that invests in mass transit and bicycle lanes will enjoy a protracted clash with Shen's business-catering philosophy of condemning bike lanes and streetcars as impediments to cars.

As of last Friday, O'Brien and Shen were in a two-man race—meaning they would only appear on the November ballot—but in the minutes before King County Elections officials shut the door on filing week, a man walked up to the counter. It was David Ishii, the zany character who had originally planned to run for mayor, saying that he would join O'Brien's council race instead. By adding another name to the ballot, the trio must compete in August's primary, which will advance only two candidates to the general election.

Why would Ishii do that? Well, it turns out, according to a call he lodged to my desk after filing his paperwork, it's thanks a Slog post I wrote. I'd joked that he should join the race when Sam Bellomio was running against O'Brien. Basically Seattle's version of Michele Bachmann crossed with a rabid muskox, Bellomio would be high-fuckin'-larious debating Ishii, I thought. But it turns out, Bellomio switched races after I wrote that post to run against Council Member Sally Bagshaw.

Long story short, O'Brien must fend off Shen through the summer—while Emerald City Crazy Eyes tries to get a word in—and it's basically my fault. Whoops!

Maybe this will benefit O'Brien? He'll get more time to articulate his vision for Seattle and record on the council. He's advanced a carbon neutrality agenda, passed laws to reduce the paper and plastic waste stream, promoted affordable housing in the central city, boosted rail planning, and reformed elections to make them more accessible to folks who don't have loads of money. Speaking of which, Shen is loaded. Seattle Ethics and Elections reports show Shen has raised $73,000 (including more than $11,000 from people with the last name Shen), while O'Brien has raised only $41,000.