GOP worried about who will fill Pullen's seat

As the late Kent Pullen was eulogized yesterday as a principled, populist King County Council member, Republican hopes of an easy, orderly appointment of an electable successor began unraveling.

Several GOP leaders said they no longer think state Sen. Stephen Johnson, R-Kent, their top choice to fill Pullen's south King County seat, will seek the job.

Johnson reportedly was Pullen's own choice as a successor after the libertarian Republican councilman became gravely ill in recent months. The cause of his death last week remains undisclosed.

If the popular, conservative Johnson bows out, said a prominent Republican who requested anonymity, the process of choosing a successor "just becomes pure chaos. ... I think it's going to be a very difficult situation (for the party) to control."

"I doubt if (Johnson) will run," said a Republican senator who also asked to remain anonymous. "He has a pretty good legal practice, and I think all of us understand that the issues on the County Council aren't as interesting as the issues in the Legislature."

Another complication is that state Sen. Pam Roach, R-Auburn, a combative, conservative lightning rod who was Pullen's chief aide on the council, reportedly is eager to get the appointment if Johnson doesn't want it.

That's a reversal of her unequivocal statement last week that she wasn't interested in it.

Even if Roach were to win the endorsement of GOP precinct committee officers in Pullen's Council District 9, majority Democrats on the council detest her so strongly that they almost certainly would reject her. Council Republicans have told her so.

The council has 60 days from when a vacancy occurs to choose a successor, who must be a Republican because Pullen was a Republican.

Johnson had said earlier that he would announce his intentions today, after waiting until after yesterday's memorial service for Pullen, which was attended by a large crowd of friends and political colleagues from both parties. But he said yesterday he probably won't make a statement until the first of next week. He wouldn't say what he will decide to do.

"There's no question that the Senate Republicans do not want Stephen Johnson to leave the Senate," where the Republicans have a bare, 25-24 majority, County Councilman Rob McKenna, R-Bellevue, noted.

He said Senate Republicans have expressed their concern to council Republicans. Their worries have intensified with the disclosure by Senate Majority Leader Jim West, R-Spokane, Wednesday that he has colon cancer and must undergo surgery and chemotherapy.

That could cloud GOP Senate control if -- as is likely -- a special legislative session is called when the regular session ends Sunday night.

Johnson, 64, said he wants to be "really thorough" about deciding on the council appointment and added, "I'm trying to evaluate whether Sen. West's health muddies the waters."

County Council Republicans want Pullen's successor to be someone who will run for election to his unexpired term this fall and who can defeat any Democratic challenger. District 9 is considered the most conservative district in the county.

Roach didn't return calls seeking comment late yesterday. But McKenna said, "Pam has expressed interest in the appointment to several of us in the (council's) Republican caucus. However, Republicans on the council are concerned that it would be very difficult for her to get the appointment from the council, given the 7-5 Democrat-Republican split."

In 2001, when a council vacancy occurred in District 13, Roach moved from her home in Pullen's District 9 into an apartment in Auburn, in District 13, to seek the appointment.

One council Republican, joined by what was then a Democratic minority, voted to reject her appointment. Roach then ran for the office that fall and defeated the Republican appointee, but subsequently lost to Democrat Julia Patterson in a nasty campaign.

P-I reporter Neil Modie can be reached at 206-448-8321 or neilmodie@seattlepi.com

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