Gregoire, pulling away

Democratic voters cleaved toward the political middle in Washington's gubernatorial race: Attorney General Christine Gregoire's sensible, moderate positions on issues explain why she evidently won the primary last night.

Voters clamor for strong leadership and an improved economy, yet early but distinct voting trends show people don't really want the state to change course too much. In some cases, voters picked Gregoire because they believe she has a better chance of beating Republican Dino Rossi in the November election.

After so much fuss and fury, Gregoire's nomination reflects her confidence, competence and grasp of worries of average Washingtonians.

Gregoire was less specific than opponent King County Executive Ron Sims on ways to pay for improvements in education. She likely is more in sync with voters who believe in spending more on education but are iffy about raising the sales tax a penny to pay for it as prescribed in Initiative 884.

Voters seem more comfortable with a candidate not so outspoken or left-leaning on matters such as gay marriage and tax reform — meaning an income tax.

Sims ran a feisty, issues-oriented campaign. He brought tremendous energy to the race, forcing other candidates to be more specific about what they would do.

The lion's share of the chatter and voting took place in the Democratic primary, with a much higher number of voters requesting Democrat rather than Republican ballots. The state Republican Party, fearful of bitter primary battles, worked to have it that way by selecting most of its candidates before the primary.