County Executive candidates take one glove off

SEATTLE -- With ballots already arriving in mailboxes throughout the county and only a few weeks left until election day, the candidates for King County executive took on a bit sharper tone on Saturday.

Susan Hutchison and Dow Constantine took part in a debate at KOMO 4, moderated by Kathi Goertzen and Dan Lewis, and were asked about benefits for county employees, environmental issues and the recent negative campaigning, among other topics.

"I am proven reformer, my opponent is not," Constantine said. "I am proven leader, my opponent is not."

Hutchison was quick to push back.

Watch the full debate

"I contend that my opponent's experience is the stuff that's put us in the mess we are in," she said.

The topic of potential damaging floods along the Green River was a topic of heated debate. While the people in the Kent Valley are putting down sandbags, the two candidates are throwing them at each other:

"To call upon the Marines or the military, I'm sure that the people of King County who are at risk would appreciate any effort that the county employed to save them," Hutchison said.

Constantine said the people of the Green River Valley don't need military invasion but rather "level-headed leadership."

There were also big arguments over property and property rights, with Constantine calling for "somebody who has shown the spine to stand up to those big money interests, rather than having them be your main campaign contributor."

Hutchison said at one point that Dow Constantine "seems to have declared war on a lot of our citizens."

This is a race with an outsider and a long time councilman. After the debate, I asked both candidates if voter confidence in government or a lack of trust determine the outcome.

I think there's an unease because of the economy in particular, and that's why we need somebody who can be a strong leader, with the experience to lead us out of this recession," Constantine said.

Asked if she thought voter anger could help outsiders like her, Hutchison responded, "I think so. But I also think our voters are smart. I always trust the voters. I may not always agree with them, but I trust them to make the right decision."

The big question mark in all of this is Initiative 1033, the Tim Eyman 'cut your property tax and clobber big government' measure.

If that initiative turns on the voters, and turns them out, it could increase anti-government anger and help all the outsiders.

If the media blitz against I-1033 brings out those who think the taxpayer revolt has gone too far, then insiders likely have an advantage.