Barack Obama was right when he said this election was a defining moment in our nation’s history. I also think it was a defining moment for our state.
Times are tough right now, and our top concern was the economy.
We made a choice between two very different economic plans. We stood by our values and chose to put working families first.
Special interests tried to divide our state and play upon our worst fears for political gain. They failed, and voters rejected their attacks.
We were involved in the political process like never before – many of us for the first time.
Millions of votes were cast. Thousands of volunteers participated in an unprecedented grassroots effort to reach out to voters, making two million phone calls and knocking on one million doors.
For these reasons, I think we saw our state at its best on Election Day.
We decided to put working families, our children and the most vulnerable people in our communities first. And we helped Barack Obama make history.
I want to thank all of you who gave your time and energy to this campaign. Your support made this possible.
Thank you,
Chris Gregoire
Volunteer photos Posted Nov 2, 2:57 p.m.
Gov. Gregoire at The Coug Posted Nov. 2, 2:32 p.m.
Photos from rally with Joe Biden Posted Oct 19, 10:07 p.m.
Volunteer to Get Out The Vote! Posted Oct. 13, 4 p.m.
Absentee ballots arrive in a few days, and we need your help to Get Out The Vote! Volunteer here.
Last chance to RSVP for Vancouver Townhall Posted Oct. 10, 12:59 a.m.
This is your last chance to get tickets for Gov. Chris Gregoire’s town hall at Clark College in Vancouver on Oct. 13 at 11 a.m. Seats are running out!
Tickets are given on a first come, first serve basis. RSVP to Townhall@chrisgregoire.com with your name and phone number.
This time was scheduled for a televised debate with our Republican opponent to discuss local issues that are important to you, like economic development, healthcare and education.
But our Republican opponent canceled the debate and decided to attend a fundraiser instead. He would rather pose for $500 photos with big donors than reach out to working families and voters in Southwest Washington.
The governor looks forward to fielding your questions and talking with you at the town hall.
Join us:
Clark College, Vancouver
Gaiser Student Center
Oct. 13 at 11 a.m.
Rossi and min. wage Posted Oct., 7, 6:01 p.m.
Republican Dino Rossi can change his position in a press release, but he can’t change his record.
Local Media: Republican Dino Rossi supports efforts to reduce minimum wage.
• “Republican challenger Dino Rossi, a self-made millionaire, a businessman who believes in the free market and a limited role of government, supports efforts to reduce [the minimum wage].” [Seattle Post-Intelligencer, “Gregoire, Rossi far apart on minimum wage,” 10-6-08]
Rossi is out of touch with working families.
• Rossi’s repeated claims that “not many” people over the age of 18 earn minimum wage are just wrong. There are over 350,000 people in Washington directly or indirectly affected by the minimum wage, including adults and seniors who support families. [Rossi Campaign, KIRO-TV 10-6-08]
Rossi’s hostility to the minimum wage and the needs of working families is consistent with his record in Olympia.
• Rossi voted to undercut a voter-approved initiative that allows the minimum wage to increase each year with cost-of-living standards. [SB 5697 3/12/03, Associated Press 3/13/03]
• Rossi also voted to freeze voter-approved wage increases when Washington state’s jobs environment, measured by the unemployment rate, is doing worse than the rest of the nation. [SB 5697 3/12/03, Associated Press 3/13/03]
KIRO TV - Gregoire vs Rossi on minimum wage Posted Oct. 7, 11:02 a.m.
The Columbian – Making a Real Change Posted Oct. 5, 4:14 p.m.
On Sunday, The Columbian made a real change and endorsed Gov. Gregoire. In 2004, The Columbian endorsed her Republican opponent. In their words “Gregoire knows how to help Southwest Washington.”
Here is what else they had to say:
“Gov. Gregoire has served well, particularly in matters affecting Clark County, and The Columbian today endorses her for reelection. Such was not our recommendation four years ago when we endorsed Rossi in a battle of two candidates who were seasoned politicians, but first-time applicants for the governor’s chair. Now, though, Gregoire is armed with a dossier that shows significant progress.
"…our opinion about Gregoire has been changed by her four strong years as governor. When ballots are mailed on Oct. 15, vote for Chris Gregoire on the Nov. 4 ballot."
Read the entire editorial endorsement from The Columbian here
In case you missed it, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer also endorsed Gov. Gregoire over the weekend.
“Washington voters should re-elect Gregoire based on proven performance, capability and drive. Especially for uncertain times, she's a much more proven leader than her Republican rival, former state Sen. Dino Rossi.” Continue reading here...
Pictures from the field... Posted Oct. 1, 11:50 a.m.
Voter registration effort at Westlake Mall in Seattle, which signed up 104 people to vote.
Thank you volunteers! Posted Sept. 29, 1:45 p.m.
Thanks to all of the volunteers across the state who are working so hard to re-elect Gov. Gregoire! Our fantastic field team reports that in the last week alone Team Gregoire spoke to 40,000 people on the phone and knocked on over 6,000 doors.
A special thanks to the more than 300 canvassers, from Clallam to Cowlitz to Spokane counties, who took advantage of the awesome weather to speak to voters about why we need Gov. Gregoire to fight for education, healthcare and our environment.
Our “One Washington” campaign will be paying dividends on Election Day! Let’s keep up the good work!
Gregoire Campaign's latest ad Posted Sept. 29, 9:39 a.m.
Gov. Gregoire sponsors NASCAR Super Stock car Posted Sept. 26, 4:14 p.m.
Gov. Chris Gregoire’s campaign has sponsored the #51 car from the Coleman Motorsports Racing Team for the Evergreen Speedway Super Stock NASCAR series finale on Saturday night in Monroe.
“Frank and I have always been supporters of Gov. Gregoire and we are excited that she is supporting our racing team,” said Lena Colman, co-owner of the Coleman Motorsports Racing Team.
The driver of the #51 car, John Zaretzke, is already a three-time champion of NASCAR Super Stock series.
“I’m honored to have Gov. Gregoire’s campaign logo on the hood of my car on Saturday,” said John Zaretzke, NASCAR superstock driver of the number 51 car and three time series champ. “I appreciate her support and hope to do her proud.”
We wish Frank, Lena, John and their team the best of luck this weekend!
Gregoire Campaign Statement in response to Republicans on Democratic Party lawsuit Posted Sept. 23, 6:45 p.m.
“Gov. Gregoire has a strong record of supporting veterans in our state. In fact, she is married to one. Her record of support for our troops and veterans stands on its own. It is sad that the Republican Party and Dino Rossi are trying to use our troops for political gain,” said Aaron Toso spokesperson for the Gregoire campaign. “Dino Rossi is misleading voters by hiding the fact that he is a Republican in lockstep with George Bush, in the same way he is misleading voters about his opposition to embryonic stem cell research, denial of global warming and support of restricting access to emergency contraceptives.”
50 Days, 50 Ways to Get Involved Posted Sept 15, 2008, 4:39 p.m.
Here's 50 ways you can make a difference in the final 50 days of this election. Click here to download.
Pictures from the Field Posted Sept. 15, 2008, 3:16 p.m.
WASHINGTON STATE – Statement from Gov. Chris Gregoire remembering the victims of 9-11 and their families:
“Seven years ago our nation faced a horrific tragedy and today we remember the victims and families of that attack.
We should also pause and honor the brave men and women in communities throughout our state who selflessly serve the public in times of great need. We must thank fire fighters, police officers, national guard members, first responders and others who are willing to place themselves in harms way to protect us.”
Gov. Gregoire has joined Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain in pausing her political advertising on this day of remembrance.
Unfavorable Electorate Breeds Fuzzy Math Posted September 5, 3:22 p.m.
To: Interested Parties
From: Kelly Evans, Gregoire 2008 Campaign Manager
Re: Unfavorable Electorate Breeds Fuzzy Math
Date: September 5, 2008
The Republican Party’s top candidates have recently tied themselves in knots trying to explain the increasingly fuzzy electoral math by which Dino Rossi might become governor in November.
• PolitickerWA.com reported that Rob McKenna, chair of the McCain campaign’s Washington operation, said:
“If he carries it, Dino wins,” McKenna said of McCain, and urged the delegates to work hard to at least keep the presidential vote close. “If he fails to carry it by ten or twelve points, Dino doesn’t win.”
• Then, realizing his boss’s moment of candor essentially conceded that Rossi has little to no chance of winning in November, McKenna’s spokesperson offered a clarification:
"McKenna's campaign spokesman Adam Faber says that McKenna's point was that McCain needs to end up within 10 points of Obama here in order for Rossi to win. And, he said the 2004 election shows that a "Republican gubernatorial candidate can run far ahead of the presidential candidate in this state. Bush lost Washington by 7.2 points that year while Rossi and Gregoire were in an absolute dead heat."
• After which, Rossi – realizing McKenna had basically thrown him under the bus – piled on to McKenna’s spokesman’s increasingly confusing mathematical gymnastics by offering a similar claim in an interview with KUOW’s Ross Reynolds: that he outperformed George W. Bush by an astounding 8% points in 2004.
Unfortunately for Rossi and McCain, a reality-based analysis of Rossi’s past and current electoral strength in Washington – and McCain’s chances here – doesn’t match up with the increasingly confusing rhetoric and spin from our state’s top two Republicans. Let’s try to make sense of their claims with a few facts:
• McKenna, the chair of McCain’s Washington campaign, made a simple and unambiguous claim: Rossi needs McCain’s help if he is going to win.
• Caught having to defend an embarrassing truth after a moment of candor, McKenna (via spokesguy) effectively admitted that Washington state is a lost cause and they are fighting merely to make sure McCain doesn’t lose here by more than 12 points.
• Rossi then attempted to add to the confusion by reiterating the same exaggeration of his electoral strength. But Rossi did not outperform George W. Bush by 8% points in 2004 – his margin over Bush was a meager 3.23%.
• Furthermore, despite the president’s current unpopularity, Bush was a formidable candidate in 2004 and did not abandon Washington state until very late in the campaign. As a result, Bush managed to win more votes in 2004 than he did in 2000 in Washington state. All indications are that McCain is unlikely to do as well.
• Rossi did not outperform the Republican presidential candidate by 8 points in 2004 – but he’ll need to if he’s to have any chance in 2008. McKenna and Rossi recognize that McCain is struggling in Washington state. According to Pollster.com, McCain’s polling average in Washington state is an abysmal 39.4%.
• Put another way: if they don’t improve McCain’s standing in Washington state, Rossi would have to triple his 2004 advantage over the presidential nominee in order to be competitive.
Bottom line: Rossi’s performance in 2004 and the likely make-up of the November 2008 electorate make it extremely unlikely Rossi can win without substantial help from McCain at the top of the ticket. Up until now and going forward, it looks extremely unlikely Rossi’s going to get that help. The state’s top Republicans are struggling with their explanations and their math because the simple arithmetic is this:
Republican McCain + Republican Rossi + 8 long years of Bush = defeat.
Gregoire's email to supporters about Hurricane Gustav Posted September 5, 1:45 p.m.
We don’t yet know what the full damage of Hurricane Gustav will be, but we do know that many people are in need of help.
Our nation learned from Hurricane Katrina that proactive planning and quick emergency response can save lives, so I activated units of the Washington National Guard last week to be ready to assist in the response effort.
Please consider joining Mike and I in giving a donation to a relief agency, like Mercy Corps, The Salvation Army, or The American Red Cross. Your support will help provide food, shelter and medical care to those in need.
Our thoughts and prayers are with those in the path of this storm and the brave men and women who stand ready to help.
Thank you
Chris Gregoire
Our Latest Ad: Staying True to Our Values Posted on September 8, 2008, 2:33 p.m.
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