Maria Cantwell earns six more years
2006-10-16
Source: Tacoma News Tribune
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rss feedFactor out gender and party, and U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell bears a striking resemblance to the man she unseated: Slade Gorton.
Like the former Republican senator, Cantwell is cerebral, fascinated by policy issues and a bit distant in manner. She's not overburdened with charisma; she doesn't remember every name, and she's not noted for enthusiastically working crowds of strangers.
But like Gorton, Cantwell is a doggedly hard worker who watches out for the state. She's proven a worthy successor, and she's earned re-election to the seat she won six years ago.
We say this even as we acknowledge that her challenger, former Safeco CEO Mike McGavick, is one of the best new statewide candidates the Republican Party has fielded in many years. McGavick is thoughtful and moderate, and he has run an issue-oriented campaign largely free of the personal attacks that poison so many political races.
Despite McGavick's strengths, he has not made a persuasive case for ousting this incumbent.
In her first term, Cantwell has distinguished herself as a champion of the state. She's done this in high-profile disputes, pressing tough battles to protect the environment, for example, and voting for free trade in the face of fierce opposition from within her own Democratic Party.
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