43rd movement

In April, I posted some commentary ranking the six Democratic candidates running for Ed Murray's House seat in what I then thought would be their finishing order. I felt I should return to this topic, but instead of trying to rank six credible candidates (putting any one of them in last place is difficult) I think a more reasonable method would be to place projected momentum -- or lack thereof -- for each candidate.

Rising stock:
Stephanie Pure -- She's still last in cash on hand, but is quickly catching up. Her personality is getting her a long way, she's one of those candidates that emits a positive vibe that draws volunteers and supporters to her campaign. She still needs to improve in fundraising, but she's one to watch.

Lynne Dodson -- I suspect her campaign might have stuffed the ballot box, but Dodson blew everybody out at The Stranger's straw poll, so that has to count for something.

Little/no movement:
Bill Sherman -- His fundraising has been better than most candidates and he is now third in cash on hand, but still has yet to really generate a buzz about his campaign. Perhaps a profile in a recent The Stranger will help.

Falling stock:
Richard Kelley -- Unfortunately, his self-imposed donation limit now sits him second to last in cash on hand, and I suspect he will fall behind Stephanie Pure for last place in May's receipts. His The Stranger interview impressed me, but failed to impress others. He's still a formidable candidate due to his party connections.

Jim Street -- Like Kelley, his The Stranger interview was lackluster and his campaign is lacking steam on the personal front. He's still got good fundraising totals, so perhaps that will help him better connect with voters.

Jamie Pedersen -- While Pedersen has a formidable cash on hand lead and his connections to national and state gay rights organizations has helped him to be the race's favourite, his recent clash with Dan Savage over campaign tactics forced the campaign to take a step back. I'm reasonably certain that Pedersen is still the race's favourite, but his lead is vulnerable in comparison to prior to this mini-scandal hiccup.