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Afternoon Fizz: Son of State Senator to Run for Open State House Seat

Politics, This Washington   March 18, 2010 at 12:57 pm Josh Feit

UPDATE: A fun aside—Mike Heavey and Sabra Schneider are both IDFers. (No, that’s not Israeli Defense Fund, that’s Institute for a Democratic Future—a group that trains young people for careers in Democratic Party politics. Heavey is in the current class and Schneider graduated in ’08. This could be a real intramural smack down. Another aside: Heavey’s political consultant, Jason Bennett, is IDF’s Executive Director—the D Party guru who trains these folks.

State Sen. Derek Kilmer (D-26), Rep. Kevin Van De Wege (D-24), and Rep. Marko Liias (D-21) are all former IDFers.

Original Post:

Mike Heavey, son the former Democratic state Senator from the 34th Legislative District (West Seattle, Vashon Island, Maury Island, and Burien), announced today that he’s running for Rep. Sharon Nelson’s open seat. Nelson is moving to the Senate to take Sen. Joe McDermott’s seat. McDermott is running for King County Executive Dow Constantine’s County Council seat.

Heavey’s announcment, linked in full below the fold, includes and endorsement from state Sen. Ed Murray.

Also officially in are: King County employee Sabra Schneider; clean campaigns activist Marcee Stone (she’s pledged not take any PAC or corporate money); White Center tavern owner Ma McElroy, who’s running as an independent; and not in, but rumored to be seriously considering it—Sharon Nelson aide, Joe Fitzgibbon.

SEATTLE – Today, Mike Heavey announced his candidacy for State Representative from the 34th Legislative District, Position 2 – the seat currently held by State Representative Sharon Nelson, who will run for the open State Senate seat in the same district this fall.

Heavey credits his dedication and value of public service to his father, former State Senator Michael J. Heavey, a Democrat who represented West Seattle and Vashon Island for 14 years.  Heavey cited three top concerns as the reasons why he is running for office, “The Legislature has a responsibility to make our state safe and secure for Washington families, to boost our economy and to create living wage jobs.  I look forward to taking my community service, my experience not only in government but also in the private sector and putting it to work for the people of Washington State.”

He further added, “I am running to carry on the tradition of strong, energetic leadership from the 34th Legislative District. The state’s budget is stretched thin, human services and infrastructure spending are slashed while more and more people are idling in traffic and out of work.  We need leaders who can hit the ground running, put people back to work and find progressive ways to fund our highest priorities.”

Already, Heavey is proud to announce the endorsements of State Senator Ed Murray, a leader on transportation issues in the Senate, Larry Kenney, former President of the Washington State Labor Council, as well as former State Senator  and Supreme Court Justice Phil Talmadge of West Seattle.  Senator Murray said of Heavey, “The talent and energy Mike will bring to elected office is exactly what is needed in Olympia to work on the tough issues of transportation, education, public safety and the economy.  I enthusiastically endorse Mike for 34th District Representative.”

A native of West Seattle, Heavey is a fourth generation Seattleite.  He has years of experience in the fields of public safety and crime reduction.  His private sector experience includes work as a financial analyst at Expedia.com where he protected consumers from identity theft and fraud. Active in his faith community, Heavey has participated in mission trips to Mexico, built housing for the homeless, volunteered at The Food Bank at St. Mary’s and served meals to the elderly.

Currently, Heavey serves as Director of Outreach and Constituent Relations for King County Councilmember Jan Drago where he works to bring community groups together to fix the district’s most challenging issues like the South Park Bridge replacement and youth violence.




  • Scuba Steve

    I wonder if he will have an name ID advantage

  • snusjunction

    Mike Heavey represents the new generation of bright, young leaders that we need in our legislature. His emphasis on family wage jobs is well considered, hopefully with an emphasis that includes the skilled trades. I believe he will be a problem solver, and a “work horse” not a “show horse.” We need more “work horses” in Olympia!

  • http://michaelmaddux.blogspot.com/ Michael M.

    I thought Mike lived in the 43rd…*eek!*

    Who else is in the wings to jump in to this race? Should be an exciting primary, to be sure! IVAN!!!!

  • young dem

    Did this get reposted? I feel like I'm crazy. I thought I had read that he also had Jan Drago's endorsement.

  • ivan

    OK, since you asked. Joe Fitzgibbon, Sharon Nelson's Legislative Aide, will file as soon as the session ends. Joe will have my full support.

    Joe is wrapping up his third session with Sharon, who has quickly made her mark as one of the hardest-working and most effective members of the Democratic caucus and the Blue-Green Alliance. She will be the first to tell you that she couldn't have done it without Joe''s help.

    Forget that Joe is 23 years old and could pass for 17. Just forget it. He has more OLYMPIA experience than the other candidates put together. He has total command of the legislation, of the players, and of the process. He hits the ground running immediately. He has no learning curve. Just talk to him for five minutes and that will become clear.

    Joe will be the labor candidate in this race. He will be the environmental candidate. He has done time on the Burien Planning Commission. He knows land use. Joe will be the transit candidate, and the consumer protection candidate.

    Joe is a workaholic, just like Sharon Nelson is, just like Eileen Cody is, just like Joe McDermott is, just like Dow Constantine is, and just like Greg Nickels and Tim Ceis, love them or hate them, were. That's what we demand from our elected representatives in the 34th. That's what we will get from Joe. We have seen it already. We KNOW that he steps right in at a high level of performance.

    That's not to trash the other candidates. I consider them all my friends and all good people, and I am not opposed to any of their candidacies, much less hostile to them. Their day will come, and I'll support them when it does — but it won't be in any race against Joe Fitzgibbon. You're going to love this guy in Olympia.

  • http://michaelmaddux.blogspot.com/ Michael M.

    Marko Liias is young, and so was Aaron Reardon when he first entered the State House. I ain't gonna knock that. Isn't Mike really young, too?

    And is that all? Nobody else?

  • alkipoint

    Thrilled to learn Heavey is running – finally a candidate the 34th district can be proud of!!!

  • ivan

    Shame on you! We should be proud of all the Democrats in this race! They're all high-class people.

  • lifetime dem

    Heavey has my full support. The 34th would be luck to have him as their rep!

  • Dorothy

    Wow! Both Sabra and Mike are great! This will be a hard and interesting race between some great candidates.

    Left off the IDF alums in elected office list – Ryan Mello, Tacoma City Council; Roger Zabinski, Port of Bremerton; Amy Ockerlander, Duvall City Council

  • Tired of Puppet Theater

    Wow. It's all a bunch of interchangeable circles. Former State Senator Phil Talmadge told then-Rep. Michael Heavey that he was running for Supreme Court. Heavey got the the Senate, and former Demo Chair Dow ran and (narrowly) won the open seat. Heavey leaves the Senate for the Court, but not before telling Dow to gear up for an appointment, which Dow won. Enter former Demo Chair Joe McDermott, who won appointment to the House seat. Then, King County Councilman Greg Nickels wins mayor. Dow gets appointed to the County Council, Then Rep. Erik Poulsen gets appointed to the Senate, and then Demo Chair Toni Lysen wins appointment to the House, provided she pledge to give up her seat at the end of session so that Rep. Eileen Cody could be re-districted into the 34th. Toni wavers, but eventually honors her pledge. Eileen gets appointed. Erik tells Joe he is leaving the Senate. Joe gets appointed. Then Dow's chief of staff, Sharon Nelson gets appointed to Joe's House seat. Then last year, Dow wins County Exec. Joe couldn't get an appointment to the County Council, so he is running, the first time he is actually running without an appointment, although he is uncontested so far. Sharon is running for the Senate, uncontested so far.

    So, here we are. We have a very small handful of people who have been in control of the situation since the early 90s. Now we look at the Second Generation of the same names. Qualified or not, one has to wonder why this is what passes for democracy in West Seattle and the rest of the 34th.

  • J.R.

    So why don't you run?

  • ivan

    Quit your damn whining and run yourself if you don't like it. All the people you mentioned above put in long, long hours of public service and campaigning — which is not for sissies — and they EARNED every bit of what they got through election.

    We don't elect slackers in the 34th. This is “what passes for democracy” in the 34th because we make damn sure the people we elect meet a high standard in campaigning and in governing — and they do, which obviously you haven't noticed. None of them are in it for the bucks, that's for sure.

    You think we're going to just let some schmuck walk in off the street? Is that what you would prefer?

  • Sarajane46th

    Don't count Marcee Stone out. She is an excellent leader of Washington Public Campaigns and has overseen the organization's growth into an effective statewide vehicle for public campaign financing at every level. She's an excellent public speaker and a person of great person integrity. She represents the 34th on the King County Democrats Central Committee and she has a wide circle of admirers, including me.

  • Tired of Puppet Theater

    Ah yes, thuggery at its best. The counterpoint to viable democracy is menacing thugs, like Ivan. Few people get into elected office for the money (unless it's moving from the hard working Legislature to the overpaid County Council). But when viable alternative opinions are met with hostility, it's no wonder many one- and more-time candidates don't give it another shot.

  • dorsolplants

    I'll try politeness then.

    The fact is this is an election not some kind of appointment. If the voters choose to view the previous generations actions as promising and they vote them in it is still the people's decision.

  • ivan

    Stating the obvious is not “thuggery.” Nobody is treating Marcee Stone with hostility, or Sabra Schneider. Nobody treated Erik Poulsen with hostility when he first showed up to run for the House. Please quit making shit up.

  • Yardgnomenews

    The 34th will be lucky to have Mike as their Rep! He has my full support!

  • Local, Esq.

    Several good candidates, but Ivan's right – we don't elect slackers in the 34th and Mike is no slacker. He's got more than ideals (and more than a family name), he has legitimate real world experience. He's got my support.

  • Linda Gable

    There are few individuals as smart, and dedicated as Mike Heavey. I for one think we are fortunate that he would offer to serve and has a real passion for public service. Over the years I have had an opportunity to meet with Legislators…and I have known several Legislators. It is not an easy job. It is a lot of long hard hours and those who are successful at it are the ones who share the same values that Mike has. Thank you Mike!

  • 40-year Seattleite

    I think we're having an election in the 34th District this year, Tired, not an appointment. All voters will have their say, and since it's the silly “top two” format, the November runoff will almost certainly be between two Democrats.

    On another topic, any candidates here who are even a little bit “seasoned”?

  • marciasweet

    Go Mike!!!!!!

  • westseattlevision

    I hope he has a better grasp of urban sustainability issues that his father did. Michael J. Heavy was one of the ring leaders of the anti-urban village strategy and helped lead the West Seattle secession movement. Sharing a last name should not guarantee the younger Heavy a seat in the legislature.