Senator Maria Cantwell's reelection campaign has officially begun, with the first commercials on TV and a new Web site online. And it's not a minute too soon.
Last Saturday there were several Cantwell signs in the lawn of the middle school in West Seattle where an energy forum put together by 34th district Democrats was held. Inside, an unstaffed campaign table had dozens of extra signs and stickers, and a volunteer sign up sheet with no names on it.
After the forum, I drove 200 miles to south-central Washington and didn't notice a single sign of the campaign -- but plenty for challenger Mike McGavick. The Goldendale Sentinel had a half-page ad for McGavick's "Open Mike!" tour, which had been, of course, well received there.
In the last week Cantwell has made strides sowing up support from the left by hiring one of her former challengers. The governor of New Mexico stumped for her during the weekend and Bill Clinton is due later this month. Yet she still faces a primary election challenge and there will be a Green and Libertarian on the November ballot.
The question is will Cantwell hold enough of rural Washington AND energize her urban base enough to hold on. Or is it already too late?