We endorsed incumbent Dow Constantine in the primary, and we do so again. His opponent, Bill Hirt, is a single-issue candidate fighting against light rail on the Eastside. That alone puts him on the wrong side of the ledger for us. But it’s not for want of a better option that we endorse Constantine. In his eight years as county executive, Constantine has led King County to a place that is more transit-friendly, more responsive to homelessness, and more innovative at solving public-health problems. As chair of the Sound Transit board, he led the fight to pass ST3, possibly the single most important transportation project this region has ever undertaken; he fought for a bigger human-services levy, with measured success (see our endorsement for Proposition 1); and he’s continued the politically brave effort to establish a pilot safe drug site in King County, a program that will save lives but also stir up NIMBY animosity. In sum, he’s had a successful eight years at the county helm; let’s give him four more.