Another ex-legislator runs for Senate

According to the Bellingham Herald, former Rep. Steve Van Luven will seek the open 40th district Senate seat being vacated by Harriet Spanel. Van Luven represented the 48th in the House for nearly 20 years until he lost the GOP line to Luke Esser in the district's Senate election in 2002. Supposedly he's lived in Skagit County the bulk of his life but represented the Eastside because his professional life was centered in Bellevue.

From what I can remember, Van Luven was a fairly reasonable, moderatish Republican while in the House. Not that I think anyone but a Democrat will win in the 40th, but the GOP could do a lot worse. That is, I assume Van Luven is still a Republican despite that he says he won't file a party affiliation now that the Top Two primary has been upheld by SCOTUS.