NRCC MEMO: WASHINGTON PRIMARY RESULTS
| TO: INTERESTED PARTIES FROM: NRCC POLITICAL AND NRCC COMMUNICATIONS DATE: AUGUST 18, 2010 SUBJECT: WASHINGTON PRIMARY RESULTS With an anti-spending and borrowing sentiment running high in Washington state, ballot returns were higher than expected as voters sent Washington, D.C. a message that they’re tired of the Democrats’ “spend now, worry later” philosophy. After pushing a failed economic agenda that has led to sky-high unemployment and unprecedented debt, Washingtonians in Democrat-held seats are eager for fiscally responsible representation. Despite crowded competition, Republicans in all districts impressed tonight as voters flocked to their resounding message of fiscal responsibility and smaller government. Challenger: WA-02 (Rep. Rick Larsen, D) Incumbent Rep. Rick Larsen’s weak primary showing – coupled with Republican challenger John Koster’s strong performance – spells trouble for the entrenched Democrat in the general election campaign. Despite holding this seat for a decade and cruising to victory over the last several election cycles, Larsen was held well below 50 percent by a pack of challengers as Koster nearly pulled into a virtual tie with the ten-year congressman. It’s little mystery why Larsen fared so poorly: While he has attempted to cut a moderate profile in this true swing district, his voting record tells a different story. Larsen’s record of voting for massive government spending bills such as the failed ‘stimulus’ and the Democrats’ healthcare takeover has put him at odds with his independent-minded constituents. As high unemployment continues to linger and the national debt skyrockets out of control, taxpayers in Northwest Washington are painfully aware that Larsen’s partisan loyalty is only making problems worse. Republican challenger John Koster has sent a clear message that the race in the Second District is one to watch. Despite Larsen’s status as an entrenched incumbent, Koster’s performance foreshadows electoral danger for the career lobbyist-turned-congressman. Koster’s strong primary showing proves that he is ready to hold the incumbent accountable for his record of runaway government spending, higher taxes, and fewer jobs in Northwest Washington. Koster will lean on his 23 years of experience as a dairy farmer in Snohomish County to provide the real-world business sense that Congress is sorely lacking. Thanks to his reputation as a fiscal watchdog in the Washington state legislature and the Snohomish County Council, Koster will provide a stark contrast to the fiscally reckless status quo that Rick Larsen adopted during his decade in Congress. History: The Second Congressional District rates as a swing D+3 according to the Cook Partisan Voting Index. John Kerry took 51 percent of the district in 2004 while President Obama carried 56 percent. In 2000, John Koster took 49 percent of the vote to defeat Rick Larsen by three points in the all-party primary. Larsen went on to win the general election with a 50-46 margin. Republican Rep. Jack Metcalf held the seat for three terms before announcing his retirement prior to the 2000 campaign. Geography: The district encompasses the northwest corner of Washington, from areas east and north of Seattle up to the Canadian Border. Its largest counties are Snohomish, Skagit, and Whatcom, and also includes San Juan County, Island County, and a portion of King County. The district contains the cities of Arlington, Everett, Mount Vernon, and Bellingham. Open Seat: WA-03 (OPEN – Rep. Brian Baird, D) Democrat Brian Baird’s retirement left one of the country’s most moderate districts up for grabs. Washington’s Third Congressional seat is one of only nine districts that Cook Political Report rates as even. Baird easily won re-election since being elected in 1998, but his retirement signaled a change in the political environment where partisan Democrats like Baird, who has been a staunch supporter of his party’s reckless economic agenda, chose to throw in the towel rather than face an uphill climb to re-election. By supporting a job-killing national energy tax and rubber-stamping his party’s runaway spending agenda, Baird left Washington voters frustrated and seeking a more fiscally responsible solution. Fortunately, Republican Jaime Herrera offers Washington families the change they need. As an independent-minded leader, Herrera will provide commonsense solutions, rather than partisan ideologies. From 2005 to 2007, Herrera served as a Senior Legislative Aide for Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, acting as the Congresswoman’s lead advisor on healthcare policy, education, veterans’ and women’s issues. In 2007, Herrera was appointed to a vacancy as State Representative in Washington State’s 18th Legislative District. After serving in the 2008 legislative session, she was successfully elected with 60% of the vote in 2008. Democrat Denny Heck supports the same job-killing policies the out-of-touch Democrat majority has been forcing upon Americans. The former five-term State Representative and majority leader from Olympia supports the same Democrat agenda which has led our nation to sky-high unemployment and a ballooning national debt. For instance, Heck supports the Democrat’s healthcare law which places punishing burdens and new taxes on small businesses and middle-class families. Tonight, voters sent a message to Denny Heck and his Washington friends that they are tired of the same failed policies that have worsened our economy. Luckily in November, middle-class families have an opportunity to elect Jaime Herrera and begin moving towards a better and more fiscally sound Washington. History: Washington’s Third Congressional District is unlike most. According to Cook voting index, the district is statistically evenly split between Republicans and Democrats. Republican President George W. Bush twice carried the district, in 2000 he won with 48 percent of the vote and again in 2004 with 50 percent of the vote. During the Democrat wave in 2008, Barack Obama won the district with 53 percent of the vote. Geography: This district in Washington’s southwestern corner is known as one of the region’s leading international trading areas, specializing in log and timber exports. The district spans from Olympia south to Vancouver, with views of the ocean to the cascades. The district’s population center is Clark County, where more than half of the third district’s residents live. Tens of thousands of county residents commute across the Columbia River each day to jobs in Oregon, many of them in Portland. Incumbent: WA-08 (Rep. Dave Reichert, R) Republican Dave Reichert has dutifully represented Washington’s Eighth Congressional District since 2004 and, in a crowded primary of nine, voters supported him by an overwhelming margin. From serving in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, as a former sheriff and now as Representative of Washington’s Eighth Congressional District, Reichert has accumulated over 37 years of public service. Currently serving on the House Ways and Means Committee and the subcommittees of Trade, Oversight and Social Security, Reichert works everyday to represent Washington families’ best interests. Reichert has been a staunch supporter of free trade and a member of the Free Trade Working Group, earning him the Trade and Investment Leadership Award by the Emergency Committee for American Trade (ECAT). As a former sheriff, Reichert fought domestic abuse and advocated for strong family values, earning him the National Sheriff’s Association’s “Sheriff of the Year” award. He is also a two-time recipient of the Medal of Valor Award from the King County Sheriff’s Office. Despite repeated attempts by Democrats to challenge this seat in tough years for Republicans, Reichert has emerged victorious. His strong performance in tonight’s primary proves that Congressman Reichert remains popular among his constituents who trust him and rely on him to fight to create the jobs that will allow their economy to flourish again. This year, Democrats have chosen Suzan DelBene to face Reichert in November, but after tonight’s underwhelming performance by DelBene, it appears Democrats will once again fall short in this moderate district. Despite having the backing of the state’s liberal establishment and significantly bank-rolling her own campaign, DelBene failed to impress. DelBene is a former top-level Microsoft executive who came out in support for her party’s disastrous healthcare bill and failed trillion-dollar stimulus, proving that she represents the same out-of-touch policies as her Democrat friends in Washington, D.C. With a high unemployment rate of nearly nine percent in the state of Washington, DelBene’s support for her party’s job-killing agenda will put struggling middle-class families and small businesses in an even bigger bind. If one thing is clear tonight, it’s that voters are not interested in investing in DelBene. History: This swing district has been represented by a Republican Member of Congress since the district’s creation in 1982. In the past, presidential elections have swung in the Democrats’ favor, President Obama won the district in 2008 with 57 percent of the vote and John Kerry won it with 51 percent of the vote in 2004. Geography: Washington’s Eighth Congressional District is comprised of the eastern edge of Seattle. The district includes the suburbs on Lake Washington, includes most of Bellevue and Mercer Island and parts of Pierce County and Mt. Rainier. Election Results The following are the unofficial results from Tuesday’s primary election in Washington. These results are UNOFFICIAL AND INCOMPLETE until certified by the Washington Secretary of State: *Denotes winner WA-02: WA-03: WA-08: ###
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