1. There's a new robo poll in the field right now. Someone who got it last night took notes. It seems to focus on the tunnel, Mike McGinn, and the race for Richard McIver's seat—or at least on Mike O'Brien and Bobby Forch, who are currently both in the pack running for McIver's open seat:

Who would you vote for in Mayor's race? (named all);

Who would you vote for in city council race (named those in position 8);

Decision to build a deep bore tunnel has been made, do you support on scale of 1-9 (1 being strongly);

There was an alternative that would only cost $2B.  Scale of support?

Proponents argue deep bore tunnel is different than the cut and cover rejected by Seattle voters.  Do you agree?

How would you vote in Mayor's race if you knew that only McGinn does not support tunnel?

How would you vote in city council race if you knew that only O'Brien does not support tunnel?

The Gov and Legislature put an amendment on the tunnel bill requiring Seattle taxpayers to be on the hook for cost overruns.  Does this impact you position on tunnel?

City council's only African American is retiring. Only one candidate, Bobby Forch, is African American. If he does not win it would be the first time in 40 years no African American on council. Knowing this, whom would you vote for (named all position 8)

2. You know, Jan Drago has gone up against the Team Nickels machine in an election before. And she won. Big. In 2005, Casey Corr (Nickels former communications guy) tried to unseat Drago. Nickels endorsed Corr over the longtime Council incumbent (ouch!)  and Team Nickels ran his campaign behind the scenes.

Again, Drago wupped him, 63-36.

Big difference this time, though: Drago's political consultant/guru in 2005 was Christian Sinderman, widely viewed as the hottest political consultant in the state. Her consultant this time is Blair Butterworth.

Butterworth was former Mayor Paul Schell's consultant in 2001 when Nickels ousted Schell in the primary. Grudge match?

3. While Drago announced she's running for mayor yesterday, an old Drago colleague is about to end her long career of public service. The Fizz hears that current Seattle school board member, former Garfield High School principal, and former Seattle City Council Member Cheryl Chow (1991-1999) will announce today she's not running for reelection to the school board.

As News Editor back at the Stranger, I editorialized against Chow when she was on the council, but I changed my mind about her and came out strong for her school board campaign. Chow was elected four years ago when the board was a total wreck, there was a crippling school budget crisis, and it didn't seem clear who the superintendent was from one day to the next.
Chow was school board president for 2 years, and she led the District through school closures and led the process for selecting steady Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson as the new superintendent.

Thanks for all the great work, Cheryl Chow.

4. It's not like newspapers to be hiring these days, but the Fizz hears that The SeattlePI.com might be bringing its former King County government reporter Neil Modie back on board to cover the King County Executive race. Meanwhile, as Sandeep reported last week, former star Seattle PI reporter Lewis Kamb (who co-wrote the "Conduct Unbecoming" series on corruption at the K.C. Sheriff's Office) has been hired for a temporary general assignment job at the Seattle Times.

5. Port Commissioner Lloyd Hara is running for King County Assessor . (The current assessor, Scott Noble, is leaving after pleading guilty in a drunken driving accident).

The Fizz hears Alec Fisken, ousted from the Port Commission in 2007, may run for Hara's seat.