Rick Larsen has represented Washington’s 2nd Congressional District since 2000, and he’s proud of the work he’s done on behalf of his district while working in Washington DC. His campaign website proudly states
Rick Larsen is a local guy who is committed to working on local issues. For him there is no "other Washington" – only the one we live in.
Sadly, Rick seems to have abandoned that noble view of himself and thrown his lot in with the “other Washington”. Ignoring the voters of his district, who supported Bernie Sanders in margins of victory as high as 80% (Whatcom County), he is sticking with his pre-caucus pledge of his vote to Hillary Clinton.
The reaction from his constituents has been quick and fierce, and according to a report in the Seattle Times, has spurred over 20,000 people to sign a petition of protest against Rep Larsen at Moveon.org Possibly more important than the petition and criticism that Larsen is getting via postings at his Facebook page, his obstinate refusal to recognize the caucus results has spurred interest in the campaign of his Democratic primary opponent, Mike LaPointe (the 99% Democrat for The People).
Challenging an incumbent is always an uphill challenge, so a dual pronged approach to convincing Rep Larsen to withdraw his pledge for Hillary promises the best hope for change going forward. It would be wise for him to rescind his pledge before the election, giving himself a chance to recover support from the constituents he has insulted with his dismissive defense of the super delegate system in general, and his support of Hillary in particular.
Failing that, the progressive voters of WA-2 will have the opportunity to oust him for a candidate more representative of the district he once attempted to represent.
