Your ballot for the November election will arrive in the next day or two. Way down on the page will be the races for judges, which I know little about, and the races for Seattle Municipal Court Judges, which I typically know even less about, so I rarely vote for either!

This time I will be voting for Ed McKenna, who is running for Seattle Municipal Court Judge Position No. 1.

Why? 

When he was the Assistant City Attorney assigned to the East Precinct (about 5 years ago), I often encountered him at neighborhood events related to the issues along Madison Street and at Crime Prevention Coalition meetings. I was struck by his quiet, polite, caring and competent way of handling the sensitive issues that we were dealing with. These impressions were confirmed when I had a long chat with him at a campaign event last month.

I know nothing of his opponent (other than having read of her very low ranking by people who rank judges), nor of the assorted snipings going on in the media (see links below). 

However, having worked with Ed, I would be very happy to have him as a Seattle City Judge.  For the first (and maybe last) time in my life I have displayed a yard sign!

Links, assorted, for you to learn more about the candidates:

• Voters’ Pamphlet statements
• Ed McKenna’s website
• Edsonya Charles’ website
• recent Seattle Times article and another (and a longer article about the candidates)
• The Stranger reports the recent issues, and endorses Ed McKenna.
• see long and (sometimes) vituperative comment thread on CD News post
• Long (10/15/10) Seattle P-I article

From that last article:

McKenna has been rated “very good” by the Municipal League of King County. Charles was rated “adequate.” McKenna has been rated “exceptionally well qualified” by the King County Bar Association. The same group rated Charles as “qualified.”