Republican candidate for State Rep. 45th District, Joel Hussey. [Official campaign photo.]
Incumbent State Rep. Roger Goodman (D-Kirkland) may have felt tempted to light up a victory candle after two days of returns show him in an almost five-point lead over Republican challenger and businessman Joel Hussey, but an aisle-crossing endorsement Thursday of Hussey from Goodman’s own party could be enough to blunt any early enthusiasm.

Jacob Bond, who ran as the second Democrat in the 45th Legislative District race, has earned almost 7 percent of the vote as of the latest count and though he will not proceed to the November election, he is asking his supporters to back Hussey, not Goodman.

With Goodman’s total votes standing at 48.97 percent and Hussey earning an impressive 44.05 percent, considering the absymal voter turnout for the primary election and the relatively light touch Republicans made to voters in a primary most people were barely paying attention to, Bond’s embrace of Hussey’s candidacy –though less than euphoric – could be a sign that change is in the pipeline for the 45th.

“I feel compelled to cross party lines and endorse Joel Hussey for State Representative”, Bond said in a release made Thursday by the Hussey campaign.

“Joel has the independence, the knowledge and the real world experience we need in Olympia. He’ll put citizens of our state, including veterans, ahead of the special interests and that’s a change for the better.”

Here is the entire release regarding Bond’s endorsement from the Hussey campaign:

Democrat Jacob Bond Endorses Joel Hussey for State House

Democrat Jacob Bond, the third candidate in the recent primary for state representative from the 45th District, has announced his support for Joel Hussey in the upcoming general election and said he plans to be very active in Hussey’s campaign.

“I feel compelled to cross party lines and endorse Joel Hussey for State Representative”, Bond said.  “Joel has the independence, the knowledge and the real world experience we need in Olympia. He’ll put citizens of our state, including veterans, ahead of the special interests and that’s a change for the better.”

Hussey thanked Bond for his endorsement. “I am truly grateful for Jacob Bond’s support. It means a great deal to me. His service to our country is exemplary and I thank him for that as well. Jacob and I also share a great concern for veterans and the challenges they face. I have told him that I plan to follow his example and that I will be a strong advocate for those vital services that can help our veterans make the transition back to a productive civilian life.”

Joel Hussey will face off against Roger Goodman in November. Hussey was also recently endorsed by the King County Police Officers Guild and the NFIB, which represents 8,000 small businesses in the state.

Goodman, who abandoned his race for congress in April and who recently received the lowest NFIB rating of any state representative on small business and jobs issues, was narrowly reelected in 2010 despite dramatically outspending his opponent.

Joel Hussey (pronounced: HEW-SEE) grew up in Everett, WA where his parents still reside. His mother was a nurse and his father worked in the Mukilteo School District for over 30 years as a teacher, librarian and principal. They taught Joel the importance of education and community service. Joel is a graduate of Seattle Pacific University where he received a degree in accounting and followed that with an MBA from the University of Washington. He owns and operates Tailwind Capital, a specialized aircraft leasing and finance company in Redmond. Hussey served as Board President of Bellevue Christian School and is the former President of the Lake Washington Youth Soccer Association, where he was a leader in the reorganization of the association that serves more than 6,000 local youth soccer players.

Joel and his wife Christi have been married for 27 years and have four children. They have lived in Redmond for the past 17 years.

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