As noted by the P-I’s Joel Connelly (at the very bottom of his column on the Reichert-Burner race), there’s at least one other congressional race in Washington state that might be fairly close this fall:

Democrats hold most offices in Washington, but are hungry for more.

Picking off Reichert is their top priority. By contrast, just one reasonably promising challenger to a Democratic House member has emerged. Former Snohomish County Sheriff Rick Bart is taking on Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash.

Over at PolitickerWA.com, blogger Bryan Bissell has a nice interview with “Sheriff Bart,” who, as it turns out, is friends with both Larsen and Reichert. Bart’s a moderate Republican, and, in a sense, is a sort of mini-Reichert:

Although he has never held a true partisan office, Bart is no stranger to Congress. He considers 8th District Rep. Dave Reichert (R-Auburn), another former Sheriff, a great friend. They have known each other since their days as homicide detectives when they met on the Green River task force. The two later helped to form the Tri-county Sheriff’s Association of King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties, where they discussed regional solutions to problems like transit and homeland security.

If Bart raises enough cash (his goal is $1 million) and if he is successful in differentiating himself from his buddy Larsen, then this race could very well be closer than usual.