LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT NO. 36 REPRESENTATIVE POS. NO. 2 Vote for Rudy McCoy- Pantoja

The Glee Club was banging its head against its locker over this one. The thing is, incumbent Democrat Mary Lou Dickerson seems the obvious choice. She's a consistent liberal voice in Olympia, almost always voting in line with environmental, labor, and civil-rights groups, and she's the house expert on children and family issues. Chairing the Juvenile Justice and Family Law Committee, Dickerson has expanded family leave and advocated for neglected children through Child Protective Services.

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.