By Steve Pomper
It’s difficult to speak of other than the negative things happening in policing and to police officers, these days. Cops are being disciplined, fired, or even threatened with prison—too often just for doing their jobs. Seattle cops are also under threat of termination if they don’t get vaccinated.
But there are stories that may give cops some hope. Several high-profile, pro-police candidates running for governor and the U.S. Senate in several states. And there’s some good news regarding at least one anti-cop politicians. Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes was defeated in the recent primary election. Since 2010, he has been a key member of the anti-law enforcement regime that has devastated a once beautiful, vibrant, friendly, and fun city.
When I was newly hired, I remember driving into the city, seeing the skyline anchored by the Space Needle, and thinking how fortunate I was to have a job serving and protecting people living in such a great city. Though it still leaned left politically, Seattle had a friendly, live and let live culture. Today, Seattle has become mean, having adopted a literal, live and let die culture. RE: CHOP/CHAZ.
The voters elected as the city’s top prosecutor a man who’d never prosecuted a single criminal (Holmes specialized in business law). Tragically, but not unusual for that city’s voters, they would compound their mistake and reelect him twice. But, having jettisoned Holmes, the city’s voters might shock the nation this year.
In January 2021, I wrote an article at NPA titled, “Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes Needs to Resign.” But something even better happened. On August 3rd, 2021, Seattle’s primary election voters finally said, “enough!” and voted his anti-cop ass out of office.
The Emerald City prosecutor, also known as “Pothead Pete,” for his well-known affinity for the emerald weed, has had disdain for prosecuting criminals, while yearning to prosecute cops.
In 2013, The Seattle Times’ Lynn Thompson wrote, “Seattle Police Officers’ Guild President Rich O’Neill noted that while Holmes had prosecuted no low-level street disorder cases until this year, he has brought misdemeanor assault charges against three police officers and considered them against a fourth since 2011.”
At Seattle’s 2013 Hempfest at Gasworks Park, Holmes told the pot cloud-shrouded crowd, “We did it!” Remarking on the recent marijuana legalization vote. And, in 2014, on the first day of legalization in Washington State, on his way to work, Holmes stopped by a pot shop to snag himself some after-work “recreation.” It must be draining, working so hard all day not prosecuting criminals.
Like an excited five-year-old, he “accidentally” brought his stash to work at city hall, which is still against the law. However, as it is with leftist politicians, in cop parlance, he interviewed and released himself after a stern warning. Think he would have supported similarly excusing any cop caught with a bottle of Jameson’s brought to work — “accidentally?”
I recall we got some new city policy information at a roll call soon after Holmes was sworn into office. In fact, his arm had barely lowered after falsely swearing an oath to uphold the Constitution, state, and local laws, when, he proclaimed an edict that marijuana enforcement would be SPD officers’ “lowest priority.”
Translation: he would not prosecute any pot misdemeanors or infractions. This was before so many Soros-funded “non-prosecutors” proliferated across America. Holmes was years ahead of the anti-rule of law catastrophe, now devastating U.S. cities. Holmes also once kicked back a file interim Police Chief Jim Pugel personally sent requesting prosecution of over two dozen chronic downtown street criminals.
But Holmes’s lawlessness has finally ended, leaving Seattle voters with an interesting choice. The race has come down to Nicole Thomas-Kennedy, a former public defender who “described herself as an abolitionist.” She distinguished herself as a candidate saying, “I don’t believe the system is redeemable. My goal as a prosecutor would be to dismantle it….” In clear contrast, her opponent: Ann Davison who is … wait for it… a pro-law enforcement Republican.
So, in evaluating the race, we must wonder if Seattle’s voters, by sacking Holmes in favor of either Thomas-Kennedy or Davison are signaling a desire for someone further to the left than Holmes or for a candidate who wants to take Seattle in a different direction.
Ironically, one of Holmes’ last political acts during his campaign was an anti-cop gesture, and it may have hurt him badly in the primary. Meant to impugn Davison, Holmes tweeted out a photograph of candidate Davison with Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG) President Mike Solan.
Along with the photo, anti-cop Holmes tweeted, “In case you don’t think elections have consequences, here is my Republican opponent last year with SPOG President Mike Solan last year” (yes, he wrote “last year” twice—a little after work “recreation,” perhaps).
Still, it will not be easy in a city whose voters have been saturated in the slime of increasingly radical leftist politics for decades now. After all, Ballotpedia showed the vote totaled 130,000 for Thomas-Kennedy and Holmes combined to Davison’s 64,000.
Another factor is Seattle’s “Democracy Vouchers,” $100 (of taxpayer money) the city sends to voters, which helped provide Thomas-Kennedy with an early fundraising lead. According to the city, Davison now also qualifies to receive vouchers.
However, the pro-law enforcement candidate had a respectable primary showing especially in a city known for its leftist activism. Along with the Times’ endorsement, Seattle’s voters who may not have voted in many years because they felt disenfranchised, may turn out in high numbers and have an effect on the outcome.