Inside the District 5 statehouse shuffle

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When longtime state Sen. Mark Mullet, D-Issaquah, announced his bid for Governor, he kicked off a statehouse shuffle in the eastside suburbs and exurbs of the 5th Legislative District as local politicians, former lawmakers, and newcomers vie for office. 

Issaquah Democratic Rep. Bill Ramos is campaigning for Mullet’s vacant Senate seat, while five candidates duke it out for Ramos’s seat in the House. The endorsements, independent campaigns, and money all point to this being an intraparty showdown between two Democratic candidates: Ecologist and current Issaquah city councilmember, Dr. Victoria Hunt, and history teacher and past Sammamish city councilmember and chamber of commerce board member, Jason Ritchie. 

Issaquah Democrat Victoria Hunt and Maple Valley Democrat Jason Ritchie are both running for a House seat in the 5th Legislative District. Photos courtesy of campaigns.