By Doug Petrowski

For political junkies, it’s not too difficult to find Internet blogs that discuss politics in the Puget Sound area. The NW Daily Marker, Strange Bedfellows, NPI Advocate, newspaper and other media blogs; they all cover political and government news and opinions from various perspectives. But none have been focused exclusively on the politics of Washington state’s 1st Legislative District, until now.

Guy Palumbo is the author behind @The1stDistrict, a blog that he hopes becomes a source for residents interested in local politics.
Palumbo admits the new site is an extension of interests he already holds. “Whereas some people might read a novel or go see a movie for recreation, I follow politics,” he said. “I routinely scour all of the local papers and websites for information so I thought this blog might be a good resource for voters.”

“Over time, I hope the site will become a sort of one stop shopping location for political information that is relevant to the district,” Palumbo explained.

Palumbo, a small business owner and resident of rural Snohomish County near Bothell, made an unsuccessful bid for the State Senate in the 1st Legislative District earlier this year, losing in the primary to Rosemary McAuliffe and Dawn McCravey. It was Palumbo’s first campaign for public office, and he wants to take the insights learned from the experience and use them on his website.

“Running for state office gives you a unique perspective. You have access to information and a process that most voters never see,” Palumbo said. “I am hopeful that the blog will shed light on a political process that affects all of us and most people never get to see up close.”

Current posts on the blog are primarily about candidates and measures on the Nov. 6 general election ballot, but Palumbo explains that blog topics will expand with time. “After the election, I plan to keep an eye on important legislation and how our officials are voting and other local issues,” he said.

You can read @The1stdistrict here and can also follow Palumbo on Twitter @the1stdistrict.

The state’s 1st Legislative District includes all of Mountlake Terrace east of I-5, all of Brier, and parts of Kirkland, Bothell and unincorporated South Snohomish County.