Dino Rossi

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Dino Rossi

Member of the Washington State Senate from the 5th district
In office 1996 – 2004
Preceded by	Kathleen Drew
Succeeded by	Cheryl Pflug

Born	October 15, 1959 (1959-10-15) (age 48) Seattle, Washington
Nationality	United States
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Terry
Children	4
Residence	Sammamish, Washington
Alma mater	Seattle University
Occupation	Real estate

Dino Rossi (born October 15, 1959 in Seattle, Washington, U.S.) is a former Washington State Senator and Republican nominee for Governor of Washington in the 2004 election, one of the closest elections in state history. Currently, he is working in real estate and promoting his book Dino Rossi: Lessons in Leadership, Business, Politics and Life, and is an official candidate for the 2008 gubernatorial election.^[1]

1 Background
2 The 2004 gubernatorial election
3 Post-election activities
4 The 2008 gubernatorial election
5 External links
6 Footnotes

[edit] Background

Rossi was raised in Mountlake Terrace and graduated from Woodway High School in Edmonds. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Seattle University in 1982. He became a commercial real estate broker, managing and owning real estate. He is married, with four children, and lives in Sammamish, Washington.^[2]

In 1992, Rossi ran for a Washington State Senate seat in a district representing suburbs east of Seattle, Washington in the Cascade foothills. After winning a divisive Republican Party (GOP) primary, he lost the general election.

In 1996, Rossi ran again for the State Senate and was elected. Rossi was a relatively low-profile Senator until his 2003 work in negotiating a budget deal which closed a budget shortfall without raising taxes. The plan achieved support among both Republicans and some Democrats.^[3]

[edit] The 2004 gubernatorial election

Main article: Washington gubernatorial election, 2004

In 2004, Rossi resigned his Senate seat to run for governor. His resignation was due to state fundraising laws that do not allow fundraising while the legislature is in session. He faced no significant opposition in the Republican gubernatorial primary as all other GOP candidates dropped out shortly after he declared his candidacy. He won the primary with 85% of the vote.

In the November 2 election, over 2.8 million votes were cast for Governor. After the initial vote count, Rossi led Democrat Christine Gregoire by 261 votes.^[4] Washington State law required a recount because of the small margin. After the second count, Rossi again led, but by a smaller margin of 42 votes. After a third count, done by hand, Gregoire took a 129 vote lead.

King County's election department (the greater Seattle area) came under fire for how it handled its ballots, including untracked use of a "ballot-on-demand" printing machine.^[5] Also, ballots in six counties were discovered after the initial count and included in the recounts, the most being from King County, a heavy supporter of Gregoire. Even before the election date, the U.S. Department of Justice threatened to sue Washington State for failing to mail military ballots overseas, generally assumed to be Republican votes.^[6]

Republican leaders in Washington claimed there were enough disputed votes to change the outcome of the election and sued. On May 25, 2005 the judge hearing the lawsuit ruled that the Party did not provide enough evidence that the disputed votes were ineligible, or for whom they were cast, to enable the court to overturn the election.^[7]

Rossi did not appeal to the state Supreme Court; Gregoire was declared governor, by a margin of 129 votes, or 0.0045%. Washington became the first state with a female governor and two female senators (Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell). Rossi returned to his work in real estate and on his book.

[edit] Post-election activities

After the election and the ensuing court battle, Rossi returned to his work in real estate and writing a book, Dino Rossi: Lessons in Leadership, Business, Politics and Life.^[8] Rossi and his campaign's spokesperson also established Forward Washington Foundation, 501(c)(4) organization that was established to continue the goals that Rossi established in his 2004 Governor's election campaign.^[8] In 2007, the state Democratic Party filed a complaint with the Washington Public Disclosure Committee (PDC)saying that Forward Washington was "functionally indistinguishable" from a political campaign and as such, is avoiding the state's campaign finance laws.^[9] Rossi responded by saying that he has not declared his candidacy for an office, therefore he is not required to disclose his donors.^[10] Rossi resigned from the Forward Washington Foundation on September 11, 2007, reportedly saying that if he were to run for governor, he would "need the support of you and 129 of your friends" referring to the closeness of the 2004 election.^[11] At the end of November, the PDC staff recommended the complaint against Rossi be dismissed due to insufficient evidence that Rossi was a candidate prior to October 12 or that Forward Washington Foundation acted as a PAC.^[12]

[edit] The 2008 gubernatorial election

Main article: Washington gubernatorial election, 2008

On October 25, 2007, Dino Rossi officially announced his intention to seek the office of Governor of Washington in 2008. Rossi's campaign is centered on his belief that Washington voters are in need of change after 22 years of Democratic governors and has so far focused on many of the same issues he ran under in the 2004 election, namely controlling the spending of the state's legislature, tax cuts, and improving the business environment within the state.^[13]

A political columnist from a Seattle newspaper believes that Rossi and Gregoire have missed opportunities to take a position on several issues that affect the state's voters. In 2005, Mr Rossi chose not to voice an opinion on a 9.5 cent gas tax increase that was opposed by the state Republican party and in 2007 he has not provided a clear position on a multi-billion dollar road and transit^[clarify] that has been put forward to Puget Sound area voters and declined to comment on a reauthorization bill for State Children's Health Insurance Program that was approved by Congress, but vetoed by President George W. Bush.^[13]^[14]

Rossi has taken a position on whether or not pharmacists should be required to dispense the Plan B oral contraceptive by saying that pharmacists should not be required to dispense a drug that is against their conscience or religious beliefs.^[15] Following a ruling by the State Supreme Court that an initiative that limited property tax increases to 1% a year was unconstitutional, Rossi urged Governor Gregoire to call a special session of the State's legislature to re-instate the restriction via legislation.^[16]

Recent polling on the race has Gregoire leading by between three and four percentage points.^[13]

In a Rasmussen poll, released March 5, 2008 ^[17], Rossi leads the incumbent by 47% to 46%, but a Rasmussen Report released April 2 ^[18] has the numbers switched to Gregoire having 47% and Rossi having 46%.

Rossi's campaign has raised US$573,300 in funds as of November 2, 2007, with over half of that amount coming from donations of $2,800, the maximum amount a single donor can give for both the primary and general election.^[19]