Derek Kilmer and Lois McMahan are running for the same legislative seat in the 26th district. I recently received a political flyer with the title, “By now you’ve seen the lies about Derek Kilmer. Here’s the truth.” And it concludes with a statement: “Call Lois and tell her we want an honest and clean campaign.”

This is an interesting way to begin the political dirt. And this dirt is an implied lie in itself. I have heard Lois McMahan many times during political events and she has never lied about anything. Her ethics are above reproach. If Mr. Kilmer approved this flyer, I have to question his ethics.

Here is a truth about Derek Kilmer. He and Jim McDermott are both members of the Institute for Democratic Future (IDF), which is a training group for Democrat politicians. The current IDF program includes briefings by the Comite Pro-Amnistia General Y Justicia Social (Committee for General Amnesty and Social Justices) and Lambda Legal (“a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people”).

So it is obvious that the extreme liberalism of Jim McDermott will live on with Derek Kilmer.

Stanford Schneider
Gig Harbor

(Editor’s Note: The IDF is a statewide Young Democrats networking group focused on getting young people involved in our democracy. It’s not a membership organization. Every Democratic official elected statewide — including Lt. Gov Brad Owen, and every Democratic member of the state’s Congressional Delegation, i.e., Norm Dicks, the head of the House DLC Adam Smith, Jay Inslee, and yes… even Jim McDermott — is listed as an honorary chairperson. The group is also supported by notable moderates and businesspeople, including former Treasury Secretary Bob Rubin.).