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Several polls show Gregoire in a tight race with her rival from the 2004 election, despite the success of her signature program, the Government Management Accountability and Performance Program.

"When you look at what the chief has been doing over at the (Washington State) Patrol with reduction of fatalities on the highways, GMAP is a mainstay of what he's been doing. That's lives saved," she said. "But you know what? It's not sexy to put it on a bumper sticker and in a 24-second ad and say 'Let's talk GMAP.'"

Rossi said Gregoire has spent too much money in the past four years, including expanding her office with the 15-person, $2.5 million-per-year program.

"You can get good information, have it in front of you and still make bad decisions," he said. "You can have all the people you want around you and telling you things, but if you're going to do things in purely a political nature instead of what's right, that's a problem."