State Spotlight: Washington
Monday October 25, 2004
Washington State leads the nation in the number of women involved in elected politics and is poised to have women hold four statewide offices: Governor, Senator (2) and Superintendent of Education. Three-term Attorney General Christine Gregoire (D) faces former State Senator Dino Rossi (R) in the governor's race, vying to replace outgoing Gov. Locke (D). Incumbent US Senator Patty Murry (D) leads challenger US Representative George Nethercutt (R).
And two women face off for Superintendent of Education: incumbent Terry Bergeson faces challenger and former Superintendent Judith Billings. The junior US Senate seat is held by Maria Cantwell (D).
Washington has historically voted Democratic in Presidential elections, being one of two states to support Presidential Candidate Dukakis. Both dailies in Seattle have endorsed Kerry; the dailies in Spokane and Vancouver (WA) have endorsed Bush.
"Women's Issues" in Washington encompass more than education. Sen Murray is "the ranking Democrat on the Transportation Appropriations Committee and the first woman to serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee." AG Gregoire is known nationally for negotiating a $206 billion settlement with tobacco companies -- on behalf of all states -- and has successfully negotiated with the Federal Government on Hanford nuclear reactor cleanup.
Nethercutt achieved his House seat in 1994, defeating veteran Tom Foley (then Speaker of the House) while pledging not to run for re-election; he has subsquently been re-elected four times. He initially rode the coattails of a Reagan-led Republican landslide across the country; his defeat of Foley was the first time a sitting speaker lost an election in 134 years
Rossi, who was recruited to run for Governor by a variety of in- and out-of-state Republicans -- including President Bush's adviser Karl Rove, has tried to shed his political history, which includes opposing abortion and gay rights. The fact that his campaign office sports a "a talking action-figure doll of conservative commentator Ann Coulter" seems to belay any transformation. Rossi would be the first Republican elected Governor in 20 years.
See The triple crown (Seattle Times, 23 Oct); Education reform defines race for state schools chief (Seattle Times, 24 Oct); Governor's Race: How would they lead? (Seattle Times, 24 Oct); Nethercutt, trailing in polls, has pulled off big upset before (Seattle Times, 25 Oct)
And two women face off for Superintendent of Education: incumbent Terry Bergeson faces challenger and former Superintendent Judith Billings. The junior US Senate seat is held by Maria Cantwell (D).
Washington has historically voted Democratic in Presidential elections, being one of two states to support Presidential Candidate Dukakis. Both dailies in Seattle have endorsed Kerry; the dailies in Spokane and Vancouver (WA) have endorsed Bush.
"Women's Issues" in Washington encompass more than education. Sen Murray is "the ranking Democrat on the Transportation Appropriations Committee and the first woman to serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee." AG Gregoire is known nationally for negotiating a $206 billion settlement with tobacco companies -- on behalf of all states -- and has successfully negotiated with the Federal Government on Hanford nuclear reactor cleanup.
Nethercutt achieved his House seat in 1994, defeating veteran Tom Foley (then Speaker of the House) while pledging not to run for re-election; he has subsquently been re-elected four times. He initially rode the coattails of a Reagan-led Republican landslide across the country; his defeat of Foley was the first time a sitting speaker lost an election in 134 years
Rossi, who was recruited to run for Governor by a variety of in- and out-of-state Republicans -- including President Bush's adviser Karl Rove, has tried to shed his political history, which includes opposing abortion and gay rights. The fact that his campaign office sports a "a talking action-figure doll of conservative commentator Ann Coulter" seems to belay any transformation. Rossi would be the first Republican elected Governor in 20 years.
See The triple crown (Seattle Times, 23 Oct); Education reform defines race for state schools chief (Seattle Times, 24 Oct); Governor's Race: How would they lead? (Seattle Times, 24 Oct); Nethercutt, trailing in polls, has pulled off big upset before (Seattle Times, 25 Oct)
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