Seattle City Council incumbents Jean Godden and Sally Clark cruised through their primaries Tuesday, topping their challengers by large margins. Godden will face Bobby Forch, a Seattle transportation-department manager in the general election, while Clark will run against Dian Ferguson, former head of the city's public-access channel.

Position 1

Godden easily topped three challengers Tuesday. Forch was in second place, with a substantial lead over King County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Maurice Classen for the chance to challenge Godden in November.

Forch, who ran for council and lost in 2009, campaigned on improving transit and increasing oversight of police. He said he'd continue to stress those themes against Godden. "That's the nice thing about going one-on-one; we can really talk about issues," Forch said.

Godden nabbed 46 percent of the vote, Forch 24 percent and Classen 16 percent.

The other candidate in the race, tunnel opponent Michael Taylor-Judd, got 14 percent.

Godden, a former Seattle Times and Seattle Post-Intelligencer columnist, is seeking a third term. She characterizes herself as a "workhorse" on the council. As chairwoman of the council's budget committee, Godden led the council in balancing and approving budgets during the economic downturn.

"I'm very pleased with anything over 40 percent when you have three candidates spending money against you," she said Tuesday night.

Forch said he was encouraged that Godden was held to less than a majority.

Among the challengers, Classen raised the most money.

But Forch said he got off to a strong start with his "Forch On Your Porch" listening tour in Seattle neighborhoods, and his team worked long hours after that.

"We used our resources appropriately, wisely and judiciously," he said, and vowed to govern the same way if elected.

Forch also won endorsements from Councilmember Nick Licata and The Stranger newspaper. He called those "huge" at his campaign party in Belltown.

Position 9

In the general election, incumbent Clark will run against Ferguson, who headed the SCAN public-access television station until the City Council cut its funding last year.

Ferguson will face an uphill battle against Clark, who collected 71 percent of the votes counted Tuesday. Clark garnered most of the mainstream endorsements and has raised more than four times as much campaign money as Ferguson.

Clark attributed her strong showing to "working hard" and "really caring about Seattle neighborhoods."

Ferguson says she is more decisive than Clark, and has been sharply critical of the incumbent for her "dithering" on issues like the Seattle Children's hospital expansion.

For her part, Clark says her work as director of the council's planning committee has called for slow and deliberative work.

Emily Heffter: 206-464-8246 or eheffter@seattletimes.com