State Sen. Joe McDermott is the clear choice in the race to fill the county council seat formerly occupied by now-King County Executive Dow Constantine.

There was a time when we weren't that impressed with McDermott. In his early days in the state legislature (seven years in the House followed by three years in the Senate), he seemed like a Democratic cog. But man, has he emerged. Most notably, he took up the fight for initiative reform last year, passing a bill out of the Senate to make signature gatherers register with the state, before conservatives in the House killed it. He was also a vocal advocate for legislation that would have allowed local governments to criminalize killing or injuring a biker or pedestrian with an automobile; supported a state income tax; and sponsored this year's pivotal legislation overturning Tim Eyman's initiative that required a two-thirds vote of the legislature to raise taxes.

As a King County Council member, McDermott has pledged to support a 0.2-percent sales tax increase to pay for public safety and to do everything in his power to oppose Glacier Northwest's gravel-mining operation on Maury Island—an ongoing battle in the 34th District—which would be in his council district.

Of four candidates in the race, he received the highest ranking, "outstanding," from the Seattle Municipal League. His opponents include Shawn McEvoy, a Republican Normandy Park city council member, Tim Fahey, a South Park resident running a single-issue campaign to replace the South Park Bridge, and Diana Toledo, an Independent former county employee with an ax to grind.

PubliCola picks Joe McDermott.