So Maybe "Hello President Topp/Hello Representative Topp?"

A reader commented on another thread: 

You could change the headline of this item to "Goodbye President Topp." She was the top recommended candidate to the County Council by the district Democratic Party committee, and seems like a sure thing now to enter the legislature.

Another commenter said that Topp had a huge lead over any of the other candidates and...

Topp was a breath of fresh air as board chair for Seattle schools. Now their very dysfunctional group could be facing a very hard choice of getting a new person on board at a time of severe challenges. Maybe Leslie Harris would volunteer to be a place holder?

From the West Seattle Blog:

WHAT’S NEXT: After ratification by the KC Democrats, the names go to the County Council, who will make their decision Tuesday. Public comment will be accepted at the council’s 11 am meeting, either in person or online – the agenda explains how; county councilmembers then will interview the candidates for both positions, make their decisions, and the appointees will be sworn in immediately. They’ll serve until these positions can go before voters this fall. The 34th District includes West Seattle, White Center, Burien, and Vashon/Maury Islands; Alvarado and Topp are both West Seattle residents.

Looks like Topp would get a trial period in the Legislature because she'd have to run in the fall. Maybe she wants a tryout of the job before she has to run?

I do concur with many readers who have said privately that they don't believe she can give the attention needed for both jobs. And especially to be Board President.




Comments

Outsider said…
Guessing zero chance Topp would stay on the school board. Not based on any inside information, just common sense.

1) Her top priority would be to retain the legislative seat in the Fall election. The best way to do that is focus on constituent service and building her political base in the legislative context. It would be crazy to allow the school board role to be a distraction, even just considering the time required in a neutral environment.

2) The current environment is not neutral at all. The school board will be voting on painful cuts that make a lot of people unhappy. It sounds like political poison, and any sensible politician would run as far and as fast as possible from that scenario. Sure, SOFG allows the board to say they are helpless, it's all on the superintendent, they can't do anything, but probably that pose looks worse, not better.
1/21/25, 3:11 PM
Melissa Westbrook said…
I have to smile. I posted this story over at a parent Facebook page and one reply said 1)the jobs were "complementary and 2) that many people "multitask." I would not agree that the jobs have a lot in common except that it is public service. As for multi-tasking, the jobs are in two different places. It's hard enough to multi-task in one place. I suspect that driving back and forth to Olympia during the session may be the thing that's the toughest.

But it's the end of January and the legislative session ends the end of April. Maybe she can do three jam-packed months.
1/21/25, 3:38 PM
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