One incumbent Democratic 21st District state legislator gained a Republican opponent this week, and another Democrat lost a Republican challenger.
Democratic State Sen. Marko Liias, who was promoted from the House of Representatives in January, was the only announced candidate for the position until Tuesday, when Republican Dan Matthews registered with the State Public Disclosure Commission, a step that allows him to raise and spend money for the August primary and November general election.
Democrat Lillian Ortiz-Self, who won appointment in January to replace Liias in the House, lost her only announced opponent Thursday, when Republican Jeffrey Thorp, who had declared in December as a candidate for the position announced that he was withdrawing to concentrate on his position on the Mukilteo School Board.
Thorp’s withdrawal left Ortiz-Self with no opponents because other possible Democratic candidates have switched to the open House seat that Democrat Mary Helen Roberts is giving up after five two-year terms.
Matthews, a former Boeing test pilot, was an unsuccessful challenger to Democratic 2nd District Congressman Rick Larsen in 2012.
Before he moved to Mukiteo he was a member of the Shoreline School Board.
Candidates file in mid-May for positions on the August primary ballot. The top two vote getters in the primary, regardless of party, qualify for the November general-election ballot.
The 21st District includes most of Edmonds, unincorporated areas north of Edmonds and Lynnwood and northeast of Lynnwood, all of Mukilteo and part of south Everett.
Correction: The original post had the wrong first name for Republican State Senate candidate Dan Matthews.
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