However! As much as we like Dickerson, Republican newcomer Rudy McCoy-Pantoja gets the Glee Club's nod. A smart guy who's invested in his North End community, McCoy-Pantoja is on the same page as the Glee Club when it comes to neighborhood issues. He's a relentless champion of his community's small businesses, and a hands-on advocate for local youth. And he's not afraid to tackle the taboo topic of gang problems in the Crown Hill/Ballard area: a problem that neighbors, and even police, have been hesitant to discuss.
Though McCoy-Pantoja's top priority--promoting small businesses--is clearly in Republican territory, the Glee Club thinks that his populist neighborhood vibe will find him voting with the D's more often than not. And while there's really no chance that Rudy will get the Olympia job, the Glee Club hopes he sticks around. There's a city council election coming up, and we'd love to cheer him on.