Renton Reporter endorsement policy

The Renton Reporter has convened an editorial board to make its endorsements in two races in the Aug. 16 primary.

The board is comprised of Publisher Ellen Morrison and Editor Dean Radford and two community members, Armondo Pavone and Jim Medzegian.

There are two races that are contested in the primary, one for the Renton City Council and one for the Public Hospital District No. 1 Board of Commissioners.

The Renton Reporter is recommending two candidates to advance to the November general election in each race. The thinking is that it’s too early to endorse just one candidate now, well before the campaign has begun in earnest.  We’re simply helping to whittle down the field to two candidates.

This fall, the board will meet again to endorse a candidate in those two races for the general election and for two additional contested races for the City Council.

There are three uncontested races for the Renton School Board.

There are three community-leaders-in-the-making in the running to replace the venerable King Parker on the Renton City Council.

Two, Mark Martinez and Ed Prince, stand out as offering clear ideas and a collaborative, yet independent approach to governing that would serve the residents of Renton well.

Neither has held elective office, which is not a point against them.

They are different, too.

Clearly, Prince has become intimately involved in the community in leadership on city and school district committees and volunteer endeavors. He has garnered important endorsements, including from the Renton Police Officers Guild, Mayor Denis Law and six members of the City Council. He has done his prep work to run for political office, learning how the community works.

Martinez has taken some initial, yet important steps to serve his community, including as his son’s Cub Scout master. He’s a veteran of the Iraqi War, where he served in leadership positions in the Marines. In terms of resume, he seems a little green for the job as a City Council member. His endorsements speak to grass-roots support.

But ideas, not resumes are debated at council meetings.

Both support annexing West Hill, but Martinez did so with stronger reservations than Prince, especially in regard to the financial impact on Renton. On that issue, Prince is more aligned with King Parker.

Had he been on the City Council, Prince would have voted with the majority to move forward with building the new downtown library near the Renton Transit Center. Martinez would have sided with Greg Taylor, who favored moving forward with the Highlands library but wanted more time to consider the siting of the library downtown, including gathering more public feedback.

Both support Mayor Law’s initiative to beef up police presence in the downtown area around the Renton Transit Center, where the new library will be built. But Martinez maintained that a zero-tolerance policy isn’t always the best way to control crime; he says to trust the police to do their jobs.

This is Robin Jones’ second run for City Council. He lost to Law in 2003, 60 percent to 40 percent. Law is running unopposed now for this second term as mayor.

Jones held similar views to Martinez and Prince, but they were less well articulated, at least in the board interview. He has served on the city’s Human Services Committee, including as chair. He has strong labor support and the endorsement of State Sen. Margarita Prentice.

This is an important race in Renton, with three issues – the library, annexation and public safety – all drawing keen public interest. Rarely, do voters get a chance to pick a fresh new leader to serve them. Prince and Martinez offer them a choice for Renton Council Position 5.