Mike McGavick
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Michael S. "Mike" McGavick (b. February 7, 1958, Seattle, Washington) is a former American business executive and a graduate of the University of Washington.
McGavick was a Republican candidate for the US Senate seat held by Maria Cantwell in the 2006 election, but Cantwell retained her seat by an election margin of 16%.
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[edit] Professional life
McGavick is the CEO of Bermuda based XL Capital Ltd, and former Chairman, President, and CEO of the insurance company Safeco, and has never held an elected political office.
McGavick was Chief of Staff to U.S. Senator Slade Gorton and manager of Gorton's campaign in 1988. He later served as Director of the American Insurance Association's Superfund Improvement Project in Washington, D.C., where he was the American Insurance Association's lead negotiator in working to transform the nation's Superfund environmental laws. He was also a staff member of the Seattle-based Washington Roundtable, a non-partisan policy research group composed of the chief executive officers of the state's largest corporations.
McGavick was Senior Financial Officer for Continental Casualty Company (CNA)'s Commercial Lines Group, Vice President of CNA's New Ventures group, and President and Chief Operating Officer of CNA's largest operating department. The department, with $3.5 billion in annual revenues, provided the majority of CNA's commercial insurance products. It also was responsible for managing and strengthening CNA's relationship with its independent agent distribution system.
[edit] Safeco
McGavick's official campaign website features a "Safeco Timeline" which details accomplishments during his tenure leading the insurance company. McGavick was named "CEO of the Year" by the Puget Sound Business Journal in 2002.[1]
On July 18, 2005, McGavick announced that effective August 31 he would step down as CEO of Safeco, but would remain on as Chairman until the end of 2005. McGavick explained that he expected "to give full consideration to the possibility of public service." On July 19, 2005, McGavick announced that he was forming an exploratory committee for a 2006 bid for the Washington United States Senate seat held by Maria Cantwell.
[edit] Family life
Born in 1958, Mike grew up in Seattle’s Wallingford area with his two sisters, Molly and Meaghan. Their parents, Joe and Carole, were active in local civics. He attended Seattle Preparatory School, an elite college prep school. [2] Joe served both in the State Legislature and on the State Liquor Control Board. Joe McGavick was the last Republican to serve the Wallingford neighborhood since the Great Depression.[1] McGavick credits his father for sparking his interest in public service and politics. [2]
McGavick's wife, Gaelynn, is an attorney by training who has experience in the arena of health care policy. The McGavick's have one son attending college, and two younger sons, Gates and Marco. [3]
[edit] Senate campaign
[edit] McGavick makes "civility" a central campaign theme
In early January 2006, McGavick began his campaign full-time for the U.S. Senate, saying he would bring a "Northwestern voice of civility" to what he described as a culture of infighting in the nation's capital.[3]
McGavick's civility themed campaign has also been dominated by a discussion of the issues.[4]
For most of July, McGavick campaigned around the state in an RV, making stops in: Seattle, Sedro-Woolley, Oak Harbor, Anacortes, Bellingham, Friday Harbor, Port Angeles, Forks, Clallam Bay, Bremerton, Belfair, Satsop, Aberdeen, Raymond, South Bend, Seaview, Naselle, Cathlamet, Vancouver, Goldendale, Pateros, Brewster, Republic, Colville, Spokane, Pullman, Clarkston, Pomeroy, Dayton, Prosser, Ritzville, Moses Lake, Leavenworth, and Yakima, among others.[5]
[edit] Schwartzman v. McGavick
In August 2006, Safeco Insurance Co. shareholder Emma Schwartzman, the great, great granddaughter of one of the Safeco Corporation founders, filed a lawsuit [6] against him and the Safeco corporation, claiming that his $28 million salary upon leaving his job was fraudulent and wasteful. [7].
Knoll Lowney, the lawyer who designed the lawsuit and then sought out a plaintiff to bring it, is a left-wing activist blogger. [8] At the time, McGavick dismissed the lawsuit as "politically motivated."[citation needed]
[edit] Supported teaching intelligent design
In an August 2006 interview, McGavick said intelligent design should be taught in public schools and that it is appropriate to be taught in science class despite the 2005 court ruling prohibiting it.[4]
[edit] Timeline of 2006 Senate race
On October 26, 2005 Mike McGavick announced on KIRO Radio that he was an official candidate in the 2006 Senate race.
In the May 2006 edition of the Weekly Standard, McGavick made the argument that Iran should be banned from the FIFA World Cup due to its nuclear weapons research program and statements by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that deny the truthfulness of the holocaust (which is a criminal offense in the 2006 World Cup host country, Germany).[9]
On April 26, 2006, the Washington State Democratic Party filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission alleging that the $17 million severance in cash and accelerated stock options given to him by Safeco amounted to an illegal campaign contribution to his Senate campaign. The ruling is still pending.[5] The FEC dismissed the case.
In a statement released by the FEC "The commission concluded that these payments were ordinary employment-related compensation made irrespective of Mr. McGavick's candidacy" [6]
[edit] References
- ^ The Seattle Times: Local News: Father was taproot for McGavick's grounding in politics
- ^ The Seattle Times: Local News: Father was taproot for McGavick's grounding in politics
- ^ http://www.mikemcgavick.com/family.asp
- ^ Political Science, McGavick Caters to Religious Conservatives, Backs Teaching Intelligent Design in Public Schools Josh Feit. The Stranger. August 10/August 16, 2006
- ^ 'Illegal'McGavick funds alleged Democrats' complaint says Safeco gave him 'golden parachute' Neil Modie. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. April 26, 2006.
- ^ FEC dismisses complaint by Democrats on McGavick
