Profile: Calvin Goings, Pierce County Executive candidate

This is the second profile in this series on various candidates running in RCV elections in Pierce County. The first profile was of Mike Lonergan, another candidate for County Executive.

Work harder. That is Pierce County Councilmember Calvin Goings (D) strategy for the 2008 County Executive campaign.

Goings acknowledges that no one is quite sure how this election will go, as it is the first major partisan election held with ranked choice voting. With so much up in the air, he believes the answer is to work harder.

In an RCV election, that means that in addition to pursuing endorsements and providing voters with a detailed platform, Goings is pursuing second- and third-choice votes.

"If someone is inclined to vote for another challenger,” Goings said. “I always ask if they would consider marking me as second or third."

Goings anticipates collecting second- and third-choice votes from supporters of all three other candidates—confident that his detailed plan for Pierce County will attract voters.

"People in the county are hungry for specifics, they want to know where you stand and what you're going to do,” Goings said. His campaign website is one way Goings is attempting to communicate his vision for Pierce County.

"I've spent the past 17 years in elected office fighting for the issues and values that matter to Pierce County’s families...I believe I have more experience, proven leadership and a bolder vision for Pierce County than the other candidates."

That being said, Goings may be participating in some cooperative campaigning with one of his rivals: fellow Democrat Pat McCarthy, who Goings says is his own second-choice candidate.

The Pierce County Democratic Party has decided that up to three candidates may use the Democrat party label in partisan RCV elections. The local party has expressed its support, in bylaw amendments, for cooperative campaigning by the Democratic candidates.

With multiple Democrats on the ballot, second-choice votes to be won or lost, and collaborative campaigning on the horizon, the 2008 County Executive election will be a different experience for the voters of Pierce County.

Goings currently serves as the District Two Pierce County Councilmember. He has also served as a state Senator and as Pierce County Fire Commissioner.