By electing Dow Constantine the next King County executive, voters created a vacuum on the King County Council, where Constantine had held a seat for seven years. Now the council must appoint a replacement, and that's causing an intense backroom commotion over who should get the job.

State senator Joe McDermott (D-34) at first appeared to be at the top of the heap as a potential replacement. Which is somewhat predictable, because Constantine's last two jobs—his spot in the state house of representatives, which he left in 2000 for the state senate, and his spot in the senate, which he left in 2002 for the county council—were both subsequently filled by McDermott. Tradition alone suggests that McDermott should follow in his footsteps here, too.

McDermott has the backing of fellow legislators and, unofficially, Constantine. Moreover, getting appointed to the council would mark a milestone in county history. "I hope that Joe becomes the first openly gay person on the King County Council," said state senator Ed Murray (D-43), the state's most outspoken gay legislator and prime sponsor of the state's domestic-partnership laws. "That would be very important for our community and another important moment in our struggle."

Naturally, McDermott agrees that he's the perfect fit. His legislative district takes up more than half of the council's 8th District—which was Constantine's district—and he's versed in issues facing the area. For instance, in 2010, the council must deal with the shoreline master plan, which addresses regulations for the county's miles of waterfront. McDermott notes that his district, which includes Vashon and Maury islands, contains about half of the undeveloped shoreline in King County. "I know the issues facing the district, and I believe I am a very collaborative leader who can work well with the entire council," McDermott said. He also has the unanimous backing of the 34th District Democrats.

But he's not the shoo-in that some expected. Other people have since thrown their hats into the ring, most notably state representative Zack Hudgins, a Democrat who represents the neighboring 11th District. Speculation abounds that, amid growing behind-the-scenes political tumult, McDermott will be snubbed and Hudgins—who was in India when the paper went to press and wasn't available for comment—could have the upper hand.

Sources who spoke to The Stranger on the condition of anonymity said that a couple of forces are likely at play. First: Republicans on the council would prefer Hudgins, considered a moderate Democrat in Olympia, because he could flip the council's five-to-four partisan default position on certain votes. (The council is technically nonpartisan ever since Republicans pushed a ballot measure in 2008 to remove party labels from county officials. But as the race between Constantine and Republican Susan Hutchison proved, county politics remain rooted in the clash between liberal and conservative ideologies, and liberals currently have the upper hand.) Republicans also dislike McDermott, a lefty homosexual, because he embodies everything their party opposes. When the council voted on the replacement process for the seat on November 16, all four council Republicans voted against an amendment that would allow someone who wants to run for the seat in the next election to fill the seat now—which would have put McDermott (who has already filed his 2010 candidacy papers with the state) out of the running for nearly a year. But the council's five-Democrat majority passed the amendment, keeping McDermott on the menu.

Second: McDermott—who basically owes his political career to Constantine's upward mobility—would be an ally for Constantine if he were appointed to the council. This is not only a sore point for the council's four Republicans, who rooted for Hutchison to win the county executive seat. Some sources say this could also upset Council Member Larry Phillips. Phillips ran against Constantine in the primary election and lost. McDermott on the council could be a yes-man for Constantine.

With a December 14 deadline looming for making the appointment, Phillips insists that he isn't working to block McDermott, saying, "I am emphatic that I have not made a choice here."