Position One: Godden vs. Szwaja

10/23/2007

First-term Seattle City Council member Jean Godden is fighting off a challenge to her seat. After a four-way primary, she faces school teacher Joe Szwaja in the November election. KUOW's Deborah Wang reports.

GODDEN: "I'm Jean Godden running for office."

MAN: "Jean, best wishes for you ... "

JEAN GODDEN WOUND HER WAY THROUGH A CROWDED ROOM AT A RECENT CANDIDATES' FORUM. A MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL'S BUDGET COMMITTEE HAD RUN LATE, SO SHE DIDN'T HAVE MUCH TIME TO PRESS THE FLESH.

WOMAN: "Well, I think you are pretty much a shoo–in, right?"

GODDEN: "Well, I hope so. I mean, one never takes anything for granted, so I take my opposition seriously."

GODDEN IS IN A STRONG POSITION GOING INTO THE NOVEMBER ELECTION. SHE FACED THREE CHALLENGERS IN THE SEPTEMBER PRIMARY, AND WON WITH MORE THAN 50 PERCENT OF THE VOTE.

GODDEN IS A NEWSPAPER REPORTER AND COLUMNIST BY TRADE. SHE WAGED HER FIRST POLITICAL CAMPAIGN IN 2003. THAT'S WHEN SHE DEFEATED INCUMBENT JUDY NICASTRO, WHO WAS THEN EMBROILED IN A BRIBERY SCANDAL. GODDEN, WHO IS A GRANDMOTHER, CAMPAIGNED ON THE IDEA OF BRINGING MATURITY TO THE COUNCIL.

GODDEN: "Anybody whose been covering City Council or City Hall I think at some time or another thinks, I could do better than that, and aren't they doing dumb things. So I suppose I had done that many times over the 29 years that I had been covering City Hall."

IN HER FIRST TERM, GODDEN HAS CHAIRED THE COUNCIL'S ENERGY COMMITTEE. SHE SAYS HER CHIEF ACCOMPLISHMENT HAS BEEN TO BRING FINANCIAL STABILITY TO SEATTLE CITY LIGHT, AND TO LOWER ELECTRICITY RATES BY EIGHT PERCENT.

SHE ALSO TAKES CREDIT FOR PASSAGE OF THE CITY'S CRITICAL AREAS ORDINANCE, AND FOR SAVING THE PUBLIC LIBRARY'S BOOKMOBILE FROM BUDGET CUTS.

GODDEN SAYS SHE HAS AN IMPRESSIVE LIST OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN HER FOUR YEARS, BUT HER OPPONENT DISAGREES.

SZWAJA: "Oh, my sign says Wake up City Hall, which we really think is a good message because some of the people there are kind of asleep at the wheel."

JOE SZWAJA STANDS AT THE CORNER OF DENNY AND STEWART STREETS, AT THE END OF A BUSY FREEWAY OFF–RAMP. HE WAVES HIS BLUE AND GREEN SIGN AT PASSING MOTORISTS.

SZWAJA: "There you go! Alright, thank you sir, that's the way. Right on ... "

SZWAJA IS A TEACHER AT NOVA ALTERNATIVE HIGH SCHOOL. HE SERVED THREE TERMS ON THE MADISON WISCONSIN CITY COUNCIL. AFTER MOVING TO SEATTLE, HE RAN AS A GREEN PARTY CANDIDATE AGAINST CONGRESSMAN JIM MCDERMOTT.

SZWAJA SAYS HE DECIDED TO CHALLENGE GODDEN BECAUSE SHE IS, IN HIS WORDS, PARTICULARLY UNDISTINGUISHED. HE ACCUSES HER OF PANDERING TO SPECIAL INTERESTS, AND OF SPENDING LITTLE TIME MEETING WITH ORDINARY CITIZENS. ABOVE ALL, HE SAYS SHE HAS FAILED TO PROVIDE LEADERSHIP ON THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS IN THE CITY.

SZWAJA: "I think once people really take a look at our positions, they see that Jean Godden is connected to a lot of the trends that people don't feel good about in Seattle, that has to do with out of control development, housing prices going through the roof, renters being displaced, and I'm more on the side of preserving and enhancing the character of our neighborhoods, working to help renters, working to have real transit solutions."

SZWAJA'S CAMPAIGN LITERATURE LISTS BIG BUSINESSES THAT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO GODDEN'S CAMPAIGN, INCLUDING VULCAN, MARTIN SELIG, AND WASTE MANAGEMENT. A FAKE HANDWRITTEN NOTE READS: "DEAR JEAN GODDEN, THANKS FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE FOR US ON THE COUNCIL."

GODDEN RESPONDS THAT CITY WIDE CAMPAIGNS ARE EXPENSIVE. SHE SAYS HER SUPPORT COMES FROM A WIDE VARIETY OF SOURCES.

GODDEN: "Well, it's wonderful how managed to look at my contributors and pick out any one that he thought might be just a little bit suspect. He says he isn't taking any corporate contributions. I wonder if anyone had even offered him any."

THE TWO ALSO DISAGREE ON THE FUTURE OF THE ALASKAN WAY VIADUCT. GODDEN WAS A STRONG SUPPORTER OF THE ILL-FATED TUNNEL. SHE NOW SAYS SHE WILL CONSIDER ANY OPTION OTHER THAN A NEW AERIAL STRUCTURE. SZWAJA WAS A CRITIC OF THE TUNNEL. HE SAID IT WAS TOO EXPENSIVE AND WOULD HAVE INCREASED THE CITY'S CARBON EMISSIONS. HE SUPPORTS A SURFACE AND TRANSIT SOLUTION.

I'M DEBORAH WANG, KUOW NEWS.