though many are taking their time in choosing their candidate, an early survey is find the early buzz goes to Fred Thompson, who is not running yet and Barack Obama.
From the Bellingham Herald:
The only signs and bumper stickers I see around the state are for Obama, and the students on campus are wearing Obama T-shirts," Donovan says.
Obama has been to the Seattle area twice in recent months, drawing large and enthusiastic crowds. The early spike of interest probably bespeaks a hunger for change, and voters seem drawn by Obama's talk of healing the partisan warfare, says Elway.
But others will try for a market share, too, probably combining Washington and Oregon stopovers when they're in the West to court California.
Hillary Rodham Clinton, a frequent visitor here since her husband's first White House bid in 1992, raised about $100,000 in Seattle for her Senate re-election last year and has a wide following. Washington has a strong tradition of backing women, and has a female governor and two female U.S. senators.
Former Sen. John Edwards, the 2004 vice presidential nominee who helped carry the state, has stumped here and is quite popular in the labor community and among the state's politically active trial lawyers.
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has a killer resume and is moving up in Washington, party leaders say.
"In Washington state, from my conversations with people it looks like John Edwards and Barack Obama in the top tier, followed closely by Hillary Clinton and Bill Richardson," says state Democratic Chairman Dwight Pelz. "Obama and Edwards seem to be splitting the Dean vote from last time."
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/northwest/story/100624.html