Why the Port of Seattle Commission Election is Important

By Jordan Royer, Vice President, Pacific Merchant Shipping Association

If those of us in the logistics and port industry were hoping to avoid participating in the political fight within the Democratic Party, well, better luck next time. What once were sleepy port commission elections in the Pacific Northwest are now proxy wars for who controls the Democratic Party – Moderate Democrats or Far Left Progressives. And while the energy is so far focused on the Port of Seattle, the Port of Tacoma may not be far behind.

And perhaps most worrisome is the impact a new Seattle Commission could have on the sustainability of the Northwest Seaport Alliance – a partnership between the two ports.

For now, if one wants proof of the difference between port commission races in Seattle and Tacoma, just follow the money. Both commissions have three seats up for grabs. The total campaign cash raised in Seattle is $607,000, while the total in Tacoma is only $22,000. In fact, it’s hard to find much evidence of campaign activity in Tacoma at all, with incumbents likely to win in November.

The Port of Seattle Commission races have, for the first time, attracted the attention of Congress. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, the leader of the Progressive Caucus in Congress, has taken a personal interest in two races in Seattle – those currently held by Stephanie Bowman and Peter Steinbrueck. Bowman’s challenger is former Jayapal staffer Hamdi Mohamed. Steinbrueck’s challenger is Toshiko Grace Hasegawa, daughter of State Senator and Progressive, Bob Hasegawa. And Bernie Sanders has endorsed both challengers as well as Seattle Mayoral candidate Lorena Gonzalez, running as a Progressive against the Moderate Democrat, Bruce Harrell. It is hard to believe that Senator Sanders would make these endorsements without the encouragement of Jayapal. It is also hard to believe he would even know port commissioners are elected in Washington State.

The unusual nationalizing of these races has assisted the challengers in raising campaign cash as well as bringing in endorsements that would normally go to well-known elected leaders like Bowman and Steinbrueck.

Besides the unusual national interest in these races, there is also a problem we have seen before: candidates talking about a desire for the port to do more on issues that they have no jurisdiction over or responsibility for. Whether it is building affordable housing, high-speed rail, or other social issues, there is always a desire for elected commissioners to be part of the story on the front page of the newspaper. Commissioners may also see involvement in these issues as the only way to create opportunities for the next elective office.

But the Seattle Port Commission has rarely been a launching pad for successful political careers. A former commissioner, Pat Davis, may have said it best: “the job has not been a springboard but a gang plank.” In recent memory, there have been two commissioners who have gone on to elective office: Paul Schell, who became Mayor of Seattle, and Gael Tarleton, who became an influential State Representative. But Schell ran for Mayor unsuccessfully in 1977, became a fixture in city government and then became a commissioner before becoming Mayor in 1998.

There is really one major reason this dynamic is in place: Commissioners must sometimes make decisions that are best for the port and the region but terrible for them politically. And predictably, they become angry at staff for bringing these decisions to them. But at the core, the ports build infrastructure, lease it out, and create good family wage jobs. Many of these companies that create the jobs are connected internationally with all number of businesses and countries. There is always something for activists to complain about.

And coming from an activist background and becoming a Port Commissioner can be a painful experience when you have to take positions your friends don’t like. And when you layer the ideological battle for the Democratic Party and nationalized port races onto that conundrum, how can dysfunction and disappointment not follow?

Most observers believe the partnership between the Ports of Tacoma and Seattle in the Northwest Seaport Alliance is a good thing. It is hard to know how this year’s port commission elections will turn out and even harder to know the impact on that alliance. But it is something that should warrant careful consideration by everyone in the maritime and port logistics industry.