ELECTION
Union delegates make 2012 election endorsements
UPDATE (May 15) — Check out TVW coverage of the candidate speeches at the Washington State Labor Council COPE Convention on May 5:
UPDATE (May 5) — Delegates to the Washington State Labor Council COPE Convention on Saturday voted to make the following endorsements. (Download a one-page printable version.) Further endorsement action will be considered at the WSLC’s annual convention in August.
Early endorsements from February convention
U.S. Senate – Maria Cantwell
Governor – Jay Inslee
Attorney General – Bob Ferguson
Endorsements from May 5th COPE Convention
CONGRESS:
1st CD – Suzan DelBene
2nd CD – Rick Larsen
3rd CD – OPPOSE Jaime Herrera Beutler
4th CD – Mary Baechler
5th CD – Rich Cowan
6th CD – Derek Kilmer
7th CD – Jim McDermott
8th CD – Karen Porterfield
9th CD – Adam Smith
10th CD – Denny Heck
BALLOT MEASURES:
Ref. 74 (Marriage Equality) – APPROVE
Initiative 502 (Legalize marijuana) – YES
Initiative 1185 (Eyman-2/3 vote for tax increases) – NO
Initiative 1191 (right-to-work) – NO
Initiative 1192 (Redefine “marriage”) – NO
JUDICIAL CANDIDATES:
Supreme Court, Pos. 2 – Susan Owens
Supreme Court, Pos. 8 – Steven Gonzalez
Supreme Court, Pos. 9 – Bruce Hilyer and John Ladenburg (dual)
STATEWIDE OFFICES:
Insurance Commissioner – Mike Kreidler
Lt. Governor – Brad Owen
Secretary of State – Kathleen Drew and Greg Nickels (dual)
Superintendent of Public Instruction – Randy Dorn
STATE LEGISLATURE:
LD 1 – House 1 – Derek Stanford
LD 1 – House 2 – Luis Moscoso
LD 1 – Senate – Rosemary McAuliffe
LD 2 – Senate – Bruce Lachney
LD 3 – House 1 – Marcus Riccelli
LD 3 – House 2 – Timm Ormsby
LD 3 – Senate – Andy Billig
LD 4 – House 2 – Amy Biviano
LD 5 – House 2 – David Spring
LD 6 – House 2 – Dennis Dellwo
LD 8 – House 1 – Jay Clough
LD 8 – House 2 – Robert Parks
LD 10 – House 2 – Thomas Riggs
LD 10 – Senate – (no action)
LD 11 – House 1 – Zach Hudgins
LD 11 – Senate – Bob Hasegawa
LD 16 – Senate – Scott Nettles
LD 17 – House 1 – Monica Stonier
LD 17 – House 2 – James Gizzi
LD 17 – Senate – Tim Probst
LD 18 – Senate – OPPOSE Joe Zarelli
LD 19 – House 2 – Brian Blake
LD 21 – House 2 – Marko Liias
LD 22 – House 1 – Chris Reykdal
LD 22 – House 2 – Sam Hunt
LD 22 – Senate – Karen Fraser
LD 23 – House 1 – Sherry Appleton
LD 23 – House 2 – Drew Hansen
LD 23 – Senate – Christine Rolfes
LD 24 – House 1 – Kevin Van de Wege
LD 24 – House 2 – Steve Tharinger
LD 25 – House 1 – Dawn Morrell
LD 25 – House 2 – Bill Hilton
LD 26 – House 1 – Karin Ashabraner
LD 26 – House 2 – Larry Seaquist
LD 27 – House 1 – Laurie Jinkins
LD 27 – House 2 – Jacob Fey
LD 27 – Senate – Jeannie Darnielle
LD 28 – House 1 – Eric Choiniere
LD 28 – House 2 – Tami Green
LD 29 – House 1 – Ben Lawver
LD 29 – House 2 – Steve Kirby
LD 30 – House 1 – Roger Flygare
LD 30 – House 2 – Rick Hoffman
LD 32 – House 1 – Cindy Ryu
LD 33 – House 1 – Tina Orwall
LD 33 – House 2 – Dave Upthegrove
LD 34 – House 1 – Eileen Cody
LD 34 – House 2 – Joe Fitzgibbon
LD 35 – House 1 – Kathy Haigh
LD 35 – House 2 – Jefferson Davis
LD 36 – House 2 – Noel Frame and Brett Phillips (dual)
LD 38 – House 1 – John McCoy
LD 38 – House 2 – Mike Sells
LD 39 – House 2 – Eleanor Walters
LD 40 – House 1 – Kristine Lytton
LD 40 – Senate – Kevin Ranker
LD 42 – House 1 – Natalie McClendon
LD 44 – House 1 – Hans Dunshee
LD 44 – House 2 – Mary McNaughton
LD 45 – House 1 – Roger Goodman
LD 46 – House 1 – Sylvester Cann and Gerry Pollet (dual)
LD 46 – House 2 – Dusty Hoerler
LD 46 – Senate – David Frockt
LD 47 – House 1 – Bud Sizemore
LD 48 – House 2 – Cyrus Habib
LD 49 – Senate – Annette Cleveland
SEATTLE (May 2) — The Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO will hold its COPE (Committee on Political Education) Convention this Saturday, May 5, beginning at 8:30 a.m. at the Machinists 751 Hall, 9125 15th Pl. S. in Seattle. Delegates representing WSLC- affiliated unions from across the state will vote on endorsements for Congressional, judicial, state legislative and statewide candidates, plus any ballot measures.
Unlike corporations and business groups, organized labor has an open and democratic process by which candidates and ballot measures earn union support, and rank-and-file members are encouraged to participate. Candidates seeking endorsement participate in a rigorous process that includes questionnaires and interviews with local unions and regional Central Labor Councils. (To see examples of those candidate interviews, visit the WSLC’s YouTube page.) Those local union organizations then make recommendations for the state convention to consider and vote upon Saturday. Endorsements require a two-thirds majority vote.
Also unlike corporations and industry groups, which outspend unions more than 18-to-1 on politics, labor’s support doesn’t just come in the form of a check. It comes in the form of volunteers who do household walks, worksite leafleting and make personal (not automated) phone calls to other voters. Plus, it includes direct mail and other forms of political outreach intended to explain why endorsed candidates and ballot measures have earned labor’s support.
Emphasizing the importance of the 2012 elections, WSLC delegates voted to make early endorsements Feb. 9 at the WSLC Legislative Conference in some key races. The WSLC endorsed Jay Inslee for Governor, Bob Ferguson for State Attorney General, and Maria Cantwell for re-election as U.S. Senator.
At Saturday’s COPE Convention, Inslee will kick off the morning’s events followed by brief comments from candidates for Congress, Secretary of State, State Auditor, State Supreme Court, and some other statewide offices. The convention will then break for lunch, after which all press and guests will be excused so credentialed delegates can debate and vote on endorsements.
The results will be posted Saturday evening right here at The Stand.
In some races, delegates may decide to defer action until the WSLC Convention this August in Wenatchee.
The Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO is the largest labor organization in the Evergreen State. A state federation of the AFL-CIO, the WSLC is a voluntary non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and strengthening the rights and conditions of working people and their families. There are currently over600 local unions affiliated with the WSLC, representing more than 400,000 rank-and-file union members working in our state.
