Jamie Pedersen, an openly gay man and fierce champion of gay rights, won a six-way race in what Seattle's The Stranger called a “politically rambunctious 43rd Legislative District” to position himself as the likely candidate to fill the house seat representing the liberal Seattle constituency.
According to the Post Intelligencer, “Pedersen is heavily favored in November over Republican Hugh Foskett, a college student who has raised no money, and Progressive Party candidate Linde Knighton, who is running a shoestring campaign.”
The Stranger reported that gay rights was certainly a factor in Pedersen's victory: “One Pedersen volunteer who is close friends with several of the candidates, said, when asked if Pedersen's homosexuality was a factor, ‘Absolutely. It's not tangential to who he is. It's central.'”
Pedersen's Night [the stranger]
Street concedes to Pedersen in 43rd District race [seattle times]