Editorial: Larsen best choice for large, diverse 2nd District
By The Herald Editorial Board
The voters’ choice for the 2nd Congressional District can count on putting on a lot more vehicle miles during visits to the geographically expanded district, starting next year.
This year’s change in district boundaries saw significant shifts for the 2nd Congressional District. For Snohomish County, the district keeps Mukilteo, Everett, Tulalip, Lakewood, Stanwood and Camano Island, and gains the rest of Edmonds, but loses much of the communities in Marysville, Lake Stevens and Arlington. It also keeps Whidbey Island and the San Juans but is now joined by the rest of Skagit and Whatcom counties, areas that it hasn’t represented since the redistricting that followed the 2010 census. The district’s population now includes more than 760,000 residents.
The district has been represented by Rep. Rick Larsen, an Everett Democrat, since 2001. Larsen is seeking his 12th term in office. Previous to his election to the U.S. House, Larsen served on the Snohomish County Council. Larsen has a master’s degree in public administration.
He is challenged by Dan Matthews, a Republican from Mukilteo. Matthews previously ran for Congress against Larsen in 2012 and ran for a state Senate seat in the 21st Legislative District in 2014, losing to state Sen. Marko Liias, D-Everett. Matthews previously served on the Shoreline School Board and the county’s charter review commission. Matthews has a master’s in public administration.
https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/editorial-larsen-best-choice-for-large-diverse-2nd-district/