Rossi Campaign Cautiously Optimistic As Voter Count Continues

November 3, 2010 by 4 Comments

As of 11:57 PM, the Washington Secretary of State was reporting on its website Election Day results showing incumbent Senator Patty Murray leading challenger Dino Rossi by a razor slim margin of only 14,005 votes out of 1,430,787 counted.  At the end of the first day of counting, Murray has a lead of 50.49% to Rossi’s 49.51%.  However, Rossi For Senate Campaign Manager Pat Shortridge issued a statement by Email late last night outlining some points that should have the Murray campaign sweating bullets:

  • Historically in Washington, the Republican candidates improve their percentages in each county in votes counted after Election Day, usually improving their margins by 2 to 3 percentage points.
  • King County, which is providing most of Sen. Murray’s margin, accounts for 30.7% of all registered voters in the state. According to County Election reports, King County only has 26.7% of the remaining ballots left to count. The rest of the state, where Rossi has a comfortable lead, will count proportionately more ballots post-Election Day.
  • Spokane County, where Rossi is currently in the lead by more than 50%, still has at least 21.6% of the remaining ballots left to process, with more coming in.
  • Rossi is currently leading in Pierce County by nearly 2,500 votes
  • According to the Secretary of State, there are still over 508,000 estimated ballots left to process statewide.
  • Again, we will know more over the next several days as ballots continue to come in and counties continue to count. We are confident that the margins we are seeing throughout Washington State, combined with the state legislative victories, will put Dino Rossi ahead by an overwhelming margin.

This election is not like previous statewide races that Rossi has run.  It is a midterm, off-Presidential cycle election.  These usually favor Republicans, that traditionally exhibit more faithful voting habits.  In addition, a Republican tidal wave is sweeping the nation, with Republicans gaining a solid majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.  Turnout in more conservative Washington districts is running above normal this year.  This trend is elevating Republican Party hopes, as Washington is poised to send a Republican majority of its Congressional Representatives back to D.C. come January.  Five of Washington’s nine Congressional seats appear to be in Republican hands:

  • District 2 John Koster is leading his opponent 50.41% to 49.59%.  This is a Republican “gain”.
  • District 3 Jaime Herrara is leading her opponent 52.92% to 47.08%.  This is a Republican “gain”.
  • District 4 Doc Hastings is leading his opponent 68.31% to 31.69%.  This is a Republican “hold”.
  • District 5 Cathy McMorris Rodgers is leading her opponent 64.51% to 35.49%.  This is a Republican “hold”.
  • District 8 Congressman Dave Reichert is leading his opponent 55% to 45%, this is a Republican “hold”.

Republican gains in west-side Congressional Districts are exceeding local Party expectations.  In addition, a number of voter initiatives regarding taxes have shown a conservative voting streak.  An initiative for a state income tax has gone down in flames, while another requiring a 2/3 majority of the state legislature to raise taxes appears to be passing.  In addition, a rollback of Democratic Party approved taxes on food and bottled water appeared to be passing as well.

While the race is still too close to call, it looks like we may be calling Dino Rossi our Senator very soon.

 

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Cross-posted at Palousitics

Filed under 2010 Election, Republican Party, Uncategorized, US Senate Tagged with , , , , , , , ,

BLOGSUNNYSIDE VOTERS’ GUIDE: STATE SUPREME COURT

October 13, 2010 by

There are multiple State Supreme Court Justice positions on the ballot, with most of them being settled during the primary election.  However, there is one race of concern I will weigh in on here:

Judicial Position 6 (Non-partisan office)

I have had the pleasure of seeing Justice Sanders speak on two occasions.  The first time was in Yakima, and then more recently at the Washington State Republican Party Convention in Vancouver.  Despite his position being non-partisan he enjoys bi-partisan support from many Democrats and Republicans.  In addition, both the Washington State Republican and Libertarian Parties support his candidacy.  There is no one on the Supreme Court that has demonstrated a stronger concern for protecting and maintaining individual rights.  Sanders has written more opinions (and more dissenting opinions) than any other justice on the court.  He has a strong record of defending property taxes, and promotes the reading of the Washington State Constitution everywhere he goes.

Charlie Wiggins is challenging Sanders.  He expresses concern for judicial ethics, but wishes to have the taxpayers fund campaigns for justices.  He has attempted to smear the character of Sanders for a “scandal” promoted by political opponents.  Wiggins does not make any promises about protecting or maintaining individual freedoms.  Wiggins has the support of unions, women’s groups, and what he calls LGBT leaders.

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Filed under 2010 Election, Constitutional Issues, Freedom Issues, Republican Party, Traditional Values, Uncategorized, Yakima County Republicans Tagged with , , , ,

BLOGSUNNYSIDE VOTERS’ GUIDE: 15th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT CANDIDATES

October 12, 2010 by 1 Comment

15th District State Senator

Jim Honeyford is a former member of the Sunnyside City Council.  He has been in the Washington State Senate since 1999.  Honeyford is also running unopposed this year.  He has held the line and voted against increased spending, regulations, and taxes during the recession.  As a former teacher, librarian, and farmer, he has the breadth of experience needed to make sure Washington offers a favorable climate for businesses to thrive, while also providing for the basic education our children need to succeed later in life.

State Representative Position 1

  • √ Bruce Chandler (Prefers Republican Party)
  • Paul Spencer (Prefers Democratic Party)

Bruce Chandler has been a state representative since 1999.  He has owned and operated a family farm for 25 years.  As a member of the State House of Representatives, Chandler has represented our district well.  He supported important gang legislation that was blocked from passage in the State Senate by liberal Democrats.  He voted to protect citizens from tax increases, and voted against repealing the 2/3 requirement needed to raise taxes in our state.  Chandler understands that the state government needs to learn to live within its means, just like regular families have had to do during the recession.  He deserves another term.

Paul Spencer is a first-time political candidate.  His major issues of concern are forest management, renewable energy, and placing a state income tax on our earnings.  This is the first candidate I can think of that has actually run on a platform of increasing income taxes since Walter Mondale in 1984.  The problem with our state budget is not revenue, but spending that is exceeding tax collections.  Mr. Spencer should consider ways to make state government leaner and more efficient if he wants to attract a higher percentage of voters than his apparent idol: Mondale.

State Representative Position 2

  • √ David Taylor (Prefers Republican Party)
  • Thomas (Tom) T. Silva (Prefers Democratic Party)

David Taylor was first appointed as State Representative in 2009 by the bi-partisan group of county commissioners comprising the 15th Legislative District.  As a small business owner and rancher, he understands the needs of entrepreneurs and farmers in our district.  In addition, his experience in land use consulting and planning makes him very knowledgeable when navigating the bureaucratic maze in Olympia.  Taylor favors more local control (as opposed to state and federal control) over land use.  He supports creating spending priorities in the state budget (something the Democratic majority has refused to do).  Taylor also supported the gang legislation that the liberal Democrats in the State Senate squashed.  He believes in the rights of individuals, and will continue to vote to protect us from tax increases and more regulations.

Tom Silva unsuccessfully ran for Yakima County Commissioner about 10 years ago.  He retired from a 31 year career as a government bureaucrat.  He is pledging to ask for resources to retrain educators.  Silva also talks of restoring confidence in government integrity.  He is not very specific about what he would do, but instead talks in vague terms about job creation, and economic stability.

Filed under 2010 Election, Economy, Republican Party, Sunnyside Council, Uncategorized, Yakima County Republicans Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , ,

BLOGSUNNYSIDE VOTERS’ GUIDE: FEDERAL CANDIDATES

October 11, 2010 by

Many of you are probably wondering where I stand on candidates and initiatives on this year’s ballot.  I have decided to break this down into multiple posts.   Today you will read how I come down on Federal candidates, with information on local candidates and initiatives coming later in the week.  Without further ado, here are the candidates, and my picks:

U.S. Senator

  • Patty Murray (Prefers Democratic Party)
  • √ Dino Rossi (Prefers Republican Party)

Patty Murray has been in office for 18 years already.  It is time for a change.  Murray has never held a job in the private sector, and despite talk of helping to create private sector jobs, has no experience doing so.  She voted for bailouts of banks, car makers, and insurance companies.  She supports all of Obama’s agenda, voting in favor of the budget busting stimulus (funded with communist Chinese money), and also the federal takeover of healthcare.  In fact, China has expressed concern over the rate at which the U.S. government is spending money.  It’s getting bad when a communist government criticizes you for your government being too big!

Reference: China ‘worried’ about US Treasury holdings

In contrast, Dino Rossi has a record of working across party lines to balance what was then the largest budget deficit in Washington State history.  He did this without raising taxes.  Rossi has a degree in business management, and is a successful entrepreneur.  Not only does he know what it is like to work in the private sector, but he has actually created jobs.  With his experience, he knows that for small businesses to succeed, they need modest, predictable, taxation and regulation from government.  Rossi pledges to reduce federal spending, and support a balanced budget amendment.  He favors repealing government healthcare, and restoring healthcare to an issue that is between a doctor and patient.  Rossi is the best choice for U.S. Senator from Washington.

Congressional District 4

  • √ Doc Hastings (Prefers Republican Party)
  • Jay Clough (Prefers Democratic Party)

Doc Hastings is fighting to reduce the growth in spending and government programs that are aiming at eliminating our individual freedoms.  He voted against bailouts under Bush, and has continued to vote against them under Obama.  He supports keeping taxes low, and cutting government spending, as a key way to help create jobs and grow our economy.  Hastings supports increasing choices in healthcare, ending abusive lawsuits, and helping small businesses to offer healthcare.  He is the best choice to represent us in Congress.

Jay Clough is a pleasant individual from Tri-Cities.  Clough is a Marine Corps veteran.  He has never run for or held elective office.  Clough supports expanding Obama’s ineffective stimulus policies, with an emphasis on pumping government money into making windmills and other forms of “green” energy.  Clough also says that expanding broadband Internet access in rural areas should be a priority for our Congressional representative.  I am pleased that he has entered the race to challenge Doc Hastings, but his lack of business experience puts him at a disadvantage.  Voting for Clough is the same as voting to keep Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House.  With all due respect to Mr. Clough; no thank you.

Filed under 2010 Election, Economy, President Obama, Republican Party, Traditional Values, Uncategorized, US Senate, Yakima County Republicans Tagged with , , , , , , , ,

Yakima Tea Party Activist Calls For Hostile Takeover of Republicans

September 13, 2010 by 1 Comment

In an email being circulated by Yakima Tea Party Activist Jere Irwin, he advocates a “hostile takeover” of the Yakima County Republican Party leadership.  The 14th Legislative District features a race for State Representative between two Republicans.  Incumbent Norm Johnson, and challenger Michele Strobel.  Johnson is considered a moderate Republican, and voted in the last legislative session to support the controversial domestic partnership bill.  Strobel is running as a conservative, and has made the domestic partnership issue a central point of her campaign.

Irwin, a Strobel supporter, is upset that the Yakima County Republican Party Executive Board has chosen to endorse the incumbent, Norm Johnson.  The endorsement itself has been controversial, since some of Johnson’s supporters first proposed it during the primary election.  Yakima County Republicans have traditionally stayed neutral in partisan primaries, until the general election cycle.  However, Washington’s relatively new top-two primary system has yielded a race between two Republicans.  The County Executive Board decided to make an endorsement decision anyway.  In a sharply divided house, the endorsement was given to Johnson.  However, the Party also decided to give $500 to Strobel’s campaign as well.  The campaign contribution to the candidate without the endorsement has apparently not been well received by supporters of either candidate.

In the interest of full disclosure: I have attended Yakima Tea Party functions in the past, and am a recipient of Jere Irwin’s mass emails.  This is the total extent of my involvement with the local Tea Party groups.  I am also a Republican Precinct Committee Officer in Yakima County, but am not on the Executive Board.  I do not live in the 14th Legislative District, and would have preferred that the County Party stay neutral when two Republicans are running against each other.

NOTE: Jere Irwin ran unsuccessfully for Precinct Committee Officer this year.  He was defeated by Al Schweppe, a member of the County Executive Board, and former candidate for State Representative.

For those that are interested, I am posting the entire text of Irwin’s email here:

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Filed under 2010 Election, Republican Party, Uncategorized, Yakima County Republicans Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Patty Murray And The Recovery Summer: Mission Accomplished?

September 9, 2010 by

This is a new web video released by U.S. Senate Candidate Dino Rossi.

Filed under 2010 Election, Economy, President Obama, Republican Party, Uncategorized, US Senate Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Rossi Ready To Grill Patty Murray

August 27, 2010 by 1 Comment

U.S. Senate candidate Dino Rossi recently challenged 18-year incumbent Patty Murray to a series of debates.  Murray responded to the Rossi campaign by offering to debate only two times, and only in late October, just prior to the election.

Rossi has suggested that they have a total of six debates, to cover all the major media markets in Washington, with an additional debate in Seattle and also on national TV.  Murray is refusing to go around the state to discuss issues with Rossi, despite this being the fourth time she is running a Senate race.

This Patty Is Done

Putting Patty Murray on a stage with Dino Rossi is probably the last thing her campaign wants to do.  They know that Patty will be cooked, if she has to actually think about what she is saying without consultants providing a script for her.

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Didier Favors Impregnation By Rape

August 21, 2010 by 4 Comments

Didier Speaking At A Tea Party Event In Yakima, July 2010

As recently as May 28th, Clint Didier was touting how he was a team player, and would support whoever faced off with Patty Murray this November.  This is what he said on the David Boze radio show:

“If it is Patty Murray and whoever – it’s whoever. Vote against Patty Murray. And we gotta stimulate this movement in the state of Washington that whoever comes out of that primary we gotta get behind. And believe me, if it’s not me, whoever it is, I’m gonna get behind them. I’m gonna work as hard for them as I did for me. Because it’s not about me. It’s about our kids, our grandkids, and assuring they have that same shot at the American Dream. It’s about America.”

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Filed under 2010 Election, Freedom Issues, Republican Party, Traditional Values, Uncategorized, US Senate, Yakima County Republicans Tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,

Rossi Challenges Murray To Debate

August 20, 2010 by 4 Comments

Dino Rossi speaking at the 2010 Washington State Republican Party Convention.

Dino Rossi is challenging Patty Murray to a series of debates to be held in Washington in the weeks leading up to the November general election.  This is according to a letter that Dino Rossi sent to Senator Patty Murray:

Dear Sen. Murray:

The U.S. Senate race is one of the most important elections in the State of Washington in 2010. Given the importance of this election, and the desire for voters to make an informed decision this fall, I propose we hold five debates in Washington State, in addition to one nationally televised debate. I further propose we hold one debate in each media market hosted by local civic organizations, with two debates in the Seattle area.

The five debates in Washington State would be Lincoln-Douglas style, in which we would be allotted equal time to make opening statements, ask questions of each other, introduce new ideas, or defend policy positions. A timekeeper would ensure each side adheres to time limits which are mutually agreed upon.

This is an opportunity for us to question each other on various policy positions in a manner which allows the public, not the press or interest groups, to dictate the issues covered.

In order to ensure the maximum number of voters see the debates so they are able to make an informed decision, we should invite television stations in each market to broadcast the debates. Additionally, as there is limited time before general election ballots are mailed, I propose that we hold one debate a week beginning the week of September 6, 2010.

Will Patty Murray accept the challenge?  Stay tuned…

Filed under 2010 Election, Republican Party, Uncategorized, US Senate Tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

These Voices Don’t Speak For The Rest Of Us

August 17, 2010 by 1 Comment

Today is election day for the primary in the state of Washington.  If you have not yet done so, this is your last chance to get your ballot in.

Vote: Sanders, Johnson, Faul, Dino.

This video is a nice montage entitled “These Voices Don’t Speak For The Rest Of Us”, and captures some of the sentiments of why this election is so important.

Hat tip to U.S. Senator Jim Demint and the group Positively Republican! for sharing this video on Facebook.

Filed under 2010 Election, Constitutional Issues, Freedom Issues, President Obama, Republican Party, Traditional Values, Uncategorized, US Senate, Yakima County Republicans Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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