Calvin Goings

Pierce County Councilmember Calvin Goings (D-Puyallup) added yet another endorsement to his list of backers. The campaign announced today that the 25th Legislative District Democrats, from Puyallup, Fife, Milton and Edgewood, issued a sole endorsement to Goings at their monthly meeting last week.

"The 25th Democrats are proud to give our sole endorsement to Calvin Goings. His leadership in the private sector and his hands on experience dealing with the key issues facing Pierce County are critical to our future," said Lauren Adler, Chair of the 25th District Democrats.

Pierce County Councilmember Calvin Goings added another environmental group's backing today in his campaign for Pierce County executive when he gained the sole endorsement of the local Sierra Club.

"We believe Calvin Goings best understands the environmental challenges in Pierce County and will provide the leadership necessary to meet them head-on," said Bliss Moore, Chair of the Sierra Club Tatoosh Group.

Goings was also endorsed by the Washington Conservation Voters in July, and remains the only candidate in the executive race with the support of an environmental advocacy group.

The Washington Conservation Voters, a leading environmental interest group, announced Thursday that they are giving Calvin Goings (D-Puyallup) their sole endorsement for Pierce County Executive.

"For over a decade Calvin Goings has shown a record of environmental leadership on many of our most pressing community priorities," said Sarah Lowe, the co-chair of Pierce County WCV, in a statement.

A proposed ballot measure intending to raise property taxes in Pierce County to protect farm and conservation land was Pierce County Councilman Shawn Bunneykilled in committee Monday in the Pierce County Council. The bill, which would have raised tax by a few cents per every $1,000 of assessed property value, was proposed by Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg.

But two of those who killed the measure, Councilmembers Calvin Goings (D-Puyallup) and Shawn Bunney (R-Lake Tapps), are vying to replace the outgoing Ladenburg as county executive. Going and Bunney both serve on the Rules Committee along with Council Chair Terry Lee and voted 3-0 to postpone the bill indefinitely.

‘Tis the season for campaign yard signs. With warmer weather hitting even the mild reaches of the Puget Sound and the "top two" primary just two months away, candidate yard signs have begun popping up like dandelions.

A lot of times they give a neighborhood some color and some pride, but not everywhere. Tacoma architect David Boe took offense to the spattering of Pierce County executive signs near his office in downtown Tacoma and wrote the candidates involved, Calvin Goings (D-Puyallup) and Pat McCarthy (D-Tacoma), asking them to fix what he said was an unsafe pedestrian situation caused by their signage. Peter Callaghan at the Tacoma News-Tribune has the full story, with picture, here.

The Tacoma News-Tribune is reporting that the 2nd Legislative District Democrats are taking steps to clarify their endorsement of Pierce County Councilman Calvin Goings (D-Puyallup) for Pierce County Executive. Specifically, they hope to make it clear that they have not endorsed Pierce County Auditor Pat McCarthy (D-Tacoma).

Back in January the Democrats had decided that, with respect to the county's ranked choice ballot, they were comfortable with both Goings and McCarthy campaigning and identifying as Democrats, but they preferred Goings for the post.

However, McCarthy took that decision as an "endorsement" and cited it on her website and in mailings. This angered some LD2 Democrats, and they met on Monday to clarify their position. See an excerpt from their press release below.

Calvin GoingsThe Pierce County Central Labor Council, an umbrella organization made up of 92 affiliates that represent more than 34,000 union members in Pierce County from unions such as the Aerospace Machinists, AFSCME and the Teamsters, has given Calvin Goings its sole endorsement for Pierce County Executive, the campaign announced today.

"Calvin Goings has spent 17 years fighting for the issues that matter to working families," said PCCLC Secretary and Treasurer Patty Rose, "he is an energetic and responsive public servant."

Tacoma City Councilman Mike Lonergan has declared his intention to stay in the race for Pierce County Executive as an independent candidate, despite having failed in his bid to become the Republican candidate at the Pierce County GOP convention a week ago.

He had this to say in a release about his chances in the upcoming "ranked choice" vote that will be taking place for Pierce County-wide elections.