Suzan DelBene Put on 'Endangered List'—Will You Support Her in 2014?

U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene may have handily won a Congressional seat in Washington's new 1st District last November, but it's no guarantee she'll fare as well in the 2014 mid-term election.

The congresswoman has been placed on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's list of 26 lawmakers who are in danger of not winning re-election next year—and will thus receive additional fundraising dollars and campaign support from their party for next year's election. Like DelBene, 19 of the 26 are freshman legislators, and most come from swing districts.

As things stand now, would you support DelBene in 2014? Tell us in the comments section.

DelBene, who lives in Medina, spoke with Crosscut recently about how she is working to serve varying constituent concerns in Washington's diverse 1st District—which stretches from Canada to Redmond and includes everything from Skagit County dairy farms to the Eastside's tech-focused communities.

Crosscut reports DelBene is taking a cautious approach to many hot-button issues, including gun control and coal exporting:

DelBene’s answer (to gun control) is “background checks”; it’s her mantra and she is sticking with it. The checks should be universal, including gun shows, and they are an answer to most questions she fields on the topic. Background checks are the first item on President Barack Obama’s list as well. Rural parts of the First are gun country and DelBene supports the Second Amendment; the southern half is liberal and background checks are at least an opener. They will have to do for now.

Even more cautious is the congresswoman on the debate over exporting coal from Washington ports. The largest and most-pressing is at Cherry Point, in DelBene’s portion of Whatcom County. Impacts of the export terminal would affect the entire state, she observes, and a “comprehensive” environmental review is needed.

Click here to read the entire Crosscut story.