Election Day Results 2010

Election Day Results:

-As of this writing Patty Murray is ahead in the race for the senate seat with 50.84% with Dino Rossi at 49.16%. Originally the race was much closer, but a surge of democratic votes from Kind County gave Murray an extra push (Seattle Times). Even though many counties in the east and south support Rossi, most counties around Puget Sound (where the highest population is) support Murray (The Everett Herald). Murray has an around 27,000 vote lead on Rossi (The Everett Herald). About 40 % of the votes remain uncounted (The Everett Herald).

-Voters rejected Initiatives 1098 (income tax increase for the wealthy), 1100 (deregulation of liquor sales), and 1105 (privatizing liquor sales). They also voted yes on Initiative 1107, which will end the candy tax (Seattle Times).

-As of this writing Representative Rick Larsen has a slim lead over challenger John Koster, but it is too close to call yet (Seattle Times).

-According to the Everett Herald, the GOP is about to gain 4 seats in the state senate with 3 more being closely watched. They might end up gaining control of the state senate.

-Nationwide, the Republicans have gained 60 seats in the House of Representatives, giving them a majority, but 11 are still undecided (The New York Times). Nationwide the Republicans have also gained 6 seats in the Senate, thought the Democrats still have a majority with 52 seats. Two are still undecided (The New York Times).

Comments on the campaigns:
Both Rossi's and Murray's campaigns seemed to put a lot of focus on the economy. The only social issue that popped up was "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", but that never seemed to play into either campaigns very much. Much of it seemed to be touching on voters anger about the current economic recession, and how we have not yet emerged from it. It was a very heated campaign between the two candidates, probably one of the most heated senate races this state has seen in a while, especially because the Democrats are in such a precarious position right now.

-Noel Hansen and Talan Gunnell.

The Campaign for Senate is coming to a close

New developments in the Patty Murray campaign over the weekend:

-Murray spoke to a crowd of 200 Sunday in Vancouver. She told those attending to get out to vote, and talked about her efforts to reform Wall Street, her support of veterans affairs, her work to reform the student loan program, and about making smart investments (The Columbian).

Update in the Polls:

-A Fox news/POR-Rasmussen poll shows Patty Murray leading with 48%, with Dino Rossi behind at 47% (thenewsoftoday.com).

-A “Public Policy Polling” poll shows Dino Rossi leading with 50%, with Murray behind with 48% (thenewsoftoday.com).

-Among those who have already sent in their votes, Rossi leads with 52%, with Murray at 47%. Among those who have not sent in their ballots yet, Murray leads with 51% with Rossi behind at 46% (National Review Online).

New developments in the Dino Rossi campaign over the weekend:

Rossi’s new ad came out reiterating his campaign points.  “America is in trouble.  The bailouts and the stimulus haven’t worked, and our debt is out of control.  Creating jobs, cutting waste, reducing debt, and protecting our most vulnerable – now those are my priorities.” (The Seattle Times)

Rossi headed to Eastern Washington for weekend rallies.  He will be in King County, where a third of Washington’s voters live, Monday night for a final rally, hoping to win back the republican seat in the Senate. (The Everett Herald)

A new mailer was sent to Washington voters by a gun-rights group on behalf of Republican candidate Dino Rossi urging a vote for him.  The Safari Club International PAC spent $67,633 on Rossi’s behalf. (The Seattle Times)

Campaign Spending Update:

This week: Another $5.5 million was spent by independent groups on election ads.

Rossi: Benefited from nearly $11 million in individual ads for him or against Murray.

Murray: Benefited from $8 million in outside spending. (The Everett Herald)

-Talan Gunnell and Noel Hansen

New developments this week.

New developments in the Dino Rossi campaign:

-John McCain participated in a conference call with a reporter on Monday morning in support of Rossi.  He praised Dino’s opposition to earmarks, calling them a “corrupt practice.”  Rossi said he wants to change the earmark process, but “I’m also trying to be somewhat realistic.  They should be banned until the budget is balanced, but I’d be happy with eliminating them altogether.” (Seattle Times)

-Rossi-Murray race deemed critical in determining which party controls the Senate.  Rossi reiterated his opposition to the tightened regulation on Wall Street as it could harm small businesses. (The Herald)

-Campaign Trail:
Tuesday – Headed to Lakewood
Wednesday – Campaigned in Silverdale, said he had a packed house
Thursday – Woodland and Vancouver
(dinorossi.com)

-New robocall for Rossi by Former Washington State Governor, Dan Evans, to help remind voters to turn in their ballots.  Evan expressed concern by stating, “Our country is on an irresponsible fiscal path.”  He went on to praise Rossi for his budget work in the Washington State legislature. (dinorossi.com)

New developments in the Patty Murray campaign:

-On Tuesday Patty Murray met with Washington veterans to talk about veterans’ affairs and the economy. She reminded veterans of what she has done for them and warned against returning to Republican economic policies. She also promised to continue to help veterans in the future. (pattymurray.com)

Spending Update:

-Independent groups have poured $5.2 million dollars into Patty Murray’s campaign and $6.9 million into Dino Rossi’s campaign, it was reported this week. $1.5 million of Patty Murray’s campaign donations came from the Commonsense Ten, and $2.6 million from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. The National Republican Senatorial Committee donated $2.8 million to Rossi’s campaign. The Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies donated $1.2 million to Rossi’s campaign as well. While this amount of spending is large, it is not considered unusual, given the importance of the race to both sides (The Seattle Times).


-Noel Hansen and Talan Gunnell.

Murray and Rossi’s Weekend

New developments in Dino Rossi’s campaign this weekend:

Rossi had a public campaign rally on Saturday, October 23 in Bellingham, the first major rally for either candidate in this city.  He continued his campaign push against Murray, asking the question, “Which Washington does Murray represent? Washington State or Washington D.C.?” He talked about spending, especially earmarks, repealing health care reform, smaller government and getting the country back on the right track. (News Tribune)

Rossi talked in an interview on Komo 4 News about his grass roots efforts throughout his campaign.  He is going from town to town meeting the real people.  Those are the people he feels he is going to be representing.  When asked about the stream of major figures Murray has brought into Seattle to help her campaign, he responded, “It looks like she is working for the other Washington with all her D.C. friends coming to her aid.”  Rossi believes he and Murray are traveling in two different directions, and he feels the voters want him representing Washington State. (Komo 4 News)

Rossi believes small businesses need more stability than what they are facing under Democratic leadership.  He spent time touring the Kent aerospace company, Protective Coatings, discussing taxes and other changes that would affect their business.  Rossi wants the locally based businesses to know he wants to work for them. (Seattle Times)

Rossi has tried to nationalize his race against Patty Murray to let people know the nation is in peril from Democrats spending and taxes.  He continues to criticize Murray for the use of earmarks.  Rossi says he wouldn’t secure earmarks.  Rossi criticized the Democrats for spending that increases the nation’s debt, burdening future generations with the bills.  “It’s morally reprehensible,” Rossi said in Olympia.  “That is the moral issue of this campaign.” (News Tribune)

New developments in Patty Murray’s campaign this weekend:

-First Lady Michelle Obama is to lead a fundraiser for Patty Murray on Monday in Bellevue (The Seattle Times).

-Patty Murray has received the endorsement of the “Kitsap Sun” and “The Spokesman-Review”. The Kitsap Sun mentions that Murray has been beneficial to the state, bringing in a lot of money, and that Rossi just could not make convincing arguments. The Spokesman-Review says that while Rossi does bring up some good points, Murray is the better candidate because she represents the people of Washington better (Patty Murray Democrat for US Senate).

Campaign Funding update:

Financial contributions to both sides of the Senate race have increased in the last two weeks of the elections.  There is a stark contrast in the type of donors for Rossi and Murray. 

Rossi’s biggest donations came from real-estate developers, venture capitalists, Wall Street executives and auto dealers.  Thousands of dollars have been contributed from the Nordstrom family, the McCaws of the wireless fortune and the heads of Paccar, Bartell Drugs and Moneytree. (Seattle Times)

Murray’s fundraising shows her heaviest support comes from lawyers, government employees and executives at nonprofit groups, healthcare companies and biotechnology firms.  Some local backers of Murray are Bill Gates Sr., Jon DeVaan (Microsoft senior vice president), Joni Earl (director of Sound Transit), Lee Fromson (Vice president of REI), and Michelle Gass (president of Seattle’s Best coffee).(Seattle Times)

-Talan Gunnell and Noel Hansen

New developments in the campaigns this week.

New developments in Dino Rossi’s campaign this past week:

-In both Senate debates last week, Rossi refused to answer whether he would vote to repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy.  However, on Monday, October 18, Jerry Cornfield of the Everett Herald notes in regards to a survey: Rossi answered, “Oppose.  I will listen to the advice of our military commanders, but I see no reason to repeal “Don’t Ask, don’t tell.” (Seattle Times)

-The Yakima-Herald has endorsed Rossi twice for re-election and twice for governor and endorses him again in the race for Senate.  They feel that Rossi can guide the country in the way it needs to be headed.  Rossi is a big proponent of securing the Mexican border and would not provide amnesty for those already present in the country illegally.  He is supportive of the Hanford cleanup, as well as designating Nevada’s Yucca Mountain site as a waste repository. (Yakima-Herald)

-A recent poll released Tuesday, October 19 revealed that Patty Murray holds a 1-point lead, 48-47 percent, over Dino Rossi.  This poll found that Republicans heavily supported Rossi and Democrats heavily supported Murray.  Men were reported to be more supportive of Rossi than women, with women being more supportive of Murray than men.  Out of likely voters, 49 percent have a favorable view of Murray with 44 percent having an unfavorable view.  Also, 46 percent of voters have a favorable view of Rossi with 46 percent unfavorable.  This poll was conducted Thursday through Sunday, October 14-17, with a survey of 834 Washington State registered voters. (The News Tribune)

-Dino Rossi receives the endorsement of the Council of Metropolitan Police and Sheriffs on Oct. 19. (Komo 4 News)

-Rossi stopped in three cities on Wednesday, October 20 to talk with citizens and leaders.  He made stops in Moses Lake, Yakima, and Olympia. (Komo 4 News)


New developments in Patty Murray’s campaign this past week:

-The Tri-City Herald has expressed its support for Patty Murray. It claims that, even though Dino Rossi would cut government spending, which we need to do, Patty Murray would make smarter long term investments (Patty Murray: Democrat for US senate).

-Multiple big name democrats are rallying for Patty Murray this week. In a rally on Monday, former President Bill Clinton gave his support to Patty Murray (kuow.org). Vice President Joe Biden also held a rally on Tuesday in Vancouver, where he voiced his support for Patty Murray, and claimed it could be catastrophic if the republicans were allowed to get her seat (Tri-city Herald). President Obama is to lead a rally of support for Patty Murray on Thursday at UW. It is expected to provide a boost to her campaign (kuow.org).

-By Noel Hansen and Talan Gunnell.

Murray vs. Rossi Debates

There were two debates between Patty Murray and Dino Rossi this week. One was on Thursday Oct. 14, 2010, one was on Sunday Oct. 17, 2010.

Thursday Debate:

Patty Murray:

      In the first debate, Murray debated mostly about the economy and her years in the Senate. She claimed that she still had the best interests of Washingtonians and their families at heart, while Rossi challenged that her years in the Senate had changed her. He also made claims that she had gone back on her promises to decrease debt by voting for the Healthcare bill and the financial overhaul bill. Murray said that she supported the tax increase for the wealthiest Washingtonians. She said that she supports the healthcare bill, even though it is not perfect, and that she will try to improve it. She called out Dino Rossi on multiple occasions for not answering the questions. She also indicated her support for ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”.

Dino Rossi:

     Rossi promoted himself as part of the change in leadership that will help America.  Rossi’s biggest debate issue referred to the fact that government is spending too much and growing too big.  He asserted that a change in course direction needs to happen within the next 24 months.  Rossi blasted the new federal health care law, projecting that it will siphon money from Medicare, raise corporation medical costs and cause jobs to be lost in Washington State.  He once again he mentioned his concern over the budget saying, “This actually could bankrupt America.” (Everett Herald)  Rossi expressed frustration over a timetable for troop withdrawal from Afghanistan saying it gives the terrorists incentive to hide and wait for Americans to leave.  Rossi deferred his answer on “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” until he reads more by Pentagon leaders.  He did speak positively on Murray’s work for veterans.

Sunday Debate:

Patty Murray:

     In the second debate, Murray once again mostly talked about the economy and taxes. The subject of earmarks appeared, with Murray claiming that the earmarks were essential to the operation of the state, and claiming that if they were cancelled, it could mean the loss of many jobs and a worse economy. The subject of Murray supposed “change” during here 18 years in the senate was once again brought up, with Murray insisting that she still had the good of the people in mind. Murray also said that she supports raising taxes for wealthy Americans (read: those who earn over $250,000 a year), which could raise around $1 trillion if passed. Murray also again accused Rossi of not answering the questions posed to him.

Dino Rossi:

     Rossi continued his focus on big government as being the cause for the current economy crisis, not being the solution, as Murray suggested.  He asserted small businesses need stable regulations and low taxes to be successful and start hiring again.  Rossi challenged Murray’s use of earmarks, citing business and lobbyist connections which have monetarily benefited.  Rossi believes earmarks should be done away with.  He continued drawing attention to Murray’s 18 year record of taxing, spending and government growth.  Rossi wants to build a stable platform to work on, instead of the huge deficit.  Once again Rossi addressed the “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” policy, and stated before commenting, he wants to review the military’s report.  When asked about immigrants, Rossi emphasized that securing the borders is the first step.  He used the analogy of a rowboat in the middle of a lake with a hole in the bottom – the hole has to be sealed before doing anything else.  He’d welcome a good idea for the children of illegal immigrants.  In his closing remarks, Rossi mentioned how this is the Land of Opportunity where people can chase the American Dream.  If he is elected, he asked the voters to not abandon him because he will need help.

Campaign Funding Update (Seattle Times)

Murray reported about $1.2 million in cash and raised about $3.3 million.

Murray has spent $14.7 million for her entire campaign.

Rossi has nearly $3.5 million in cash and has raised $4.7 million this quarter.

Rossi has spent about $2.6 million

All information comes from The Everett Herald and The Seattle Times as well as the debate itself.

-Talan Gunnell and Noel Hansen

Patty Murray and Dino Rossi

From pattymurray.com (Patty Murray for Senate), dinorossi.com(Dino Rossi for Senate), and murray.senate.gov.

Patty Murray (by Noel Hansen):

About Patty Murray:

-Born in Washington.
-Mother of two children.
-She was the first women elected to the Senate from Washington State.
-She has served in Senate since 1993.
-She is known for her work on education issues.
-Chair of the Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development subcommittee.
-Co-authored the SAFE Port act, which made improvements to port and harbor security.


Patty Murray on the issues:


Civil Rights:
-Against “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
-Heavily supports domestic partnership.
-Actively Fights against workplace discrimination.
-Heavily supports abortion.

Economic Recovery:
-Supports reduced government spending and reducing the deficit.
-Supports cutting taxes for middle and lower middle class families.
-Favors financial regulation.
-Supports affordable health care.

Education:
-Supports smaller classrooms, more education spending.
-Heavily supports education reform.

Government Accountability:
-Supports market regulation.
-Support government accountability.

Health Care:
-Heavily supports health care reform.
-Believes health care should be more affordable.

Homeland Security and Law Enforcement:
-Supports the war on terror.
-Supports increased government spending in law enforcement and prevention.

Wall Street Reform:
-Supports the ending of bailout and “Too big to fail”.
-Heavily supports market regulation.

Seniors:
-Supports social security and medicare.

Dino Rossi (by Talan Gunnell):

About Dino Rossi

-Born in Washington.
-Business degree from Seattle University.
-Served in Washington State Senate from 1997 through 2003.
-In 2003, served as chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee – charged with producing the state’s budget.  That year, he wrote a bipartisan balanced budget that dealt with a massive budget deficit without raising taxes.
-Successful career in commercial real estate business.
-Currently serves as a Secretary for the Board of the Special Olympics for the State of Washington.
-Lives in Sammamish with wife and four children.

Dino on the Issues

Promote Economic Growth and Job Creation:  Get the economy back on track and get the people back to work
-Change tax and spending policies to stimulate the economy
-Reduce massive debt to protect long term economic prosperity
-Worry about workers and employers instead of catering to the politicians.

Fix Health Care: We need to repeal the Health Care bill and replace it with common-sense bipartisan proposals that give power to patients and doctors not government and insurance companies.
-Replace Pelosi-Reid healthcare bill.
-Allow citizens to buy health insurance across state lines.
-Make offering insurance more affordable for small businesses by allowing them to join together and get the discounts available to big corporations.
-Give individuals the same tax deductions as corporations.

Reform our Tax Code: Lower taxes promote economic growth and job creation.
-Fix the tax code to reward work, saving, and the investments that create jobs while closing special interest loopholes that favor the politically connected.
-Extend the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts that have helped families and created jobs.
-Stop new broad-based taxes like a European-style consumption tax.

Reduce Government Spending: Congress needs to stop the unprecedented pace our national debt has increased.  Congress is putting our economic future in jeopardy by continuing to spend money they don’t have.
-Cancel unspent bailout and stimulus funds and direct them toward deficit reduction.
-Pass a Balanced Budget Amendment with a supermajority to raise taxes.
-Cut Government Employment and reduce overly generous pay and benefits.

Energy: We need to lessen America’s energy dependence by developing more of our own resources.
-Oppose job killing energy taxes like cap and trade.
-Enhance safety procedures for any energy exploration, whether on land or off shore.
-Ensure polluters pay for any environmental degradation.

Control the Borders and Fix Immigration: America’s political leadership has lacked the will to control our borders.
-Oppose amnesty.
-Finish the border fence.
-Use technology to effectively patrol the border.
-Expand the use of employment verification technologies to reduce the employment magnet.
-Permit more high skilled workers and students to legally enter or remain in America.

Defend America and Our Allies: When America is strong and engaged in the world, it is a much safer place.
-Make sure our military remains the finest in the world and that our men and women in   uniform have all the tools they need to complete their missions and return safely.
-Make sure we have the strongest alliances in the world, that our allies, and our potential adversaries, know where America stands.
-Ensure victory over the world wide jihadist network of terrorists, including our missions in Afghanistan and Iraq.
-Listen carefully to the advice of our commanders in the field and their civilian counterparts, but also guarantee that our military always has a clear plan for victory and an exit strategy.

-Noel Hansen and Talan Gunnell.

The Test.

This is a test of the emergency alert system.... beep. beep. beep. beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.

-Noel Hansen.