Published May 05, 2008
New endorsements: Gregoire, Judge Hunt, Rep. Williams
No surprise here. The Washington State Labor Council said today it is endorsing Gov. Chris Gregoire for governor. Also reporting endorsements: Rick Bender, president of the labor council, said this about the endorsement of Gregoire by 350 delegates at the weekend labor convention on behalf of 400,000 members:
“It only required a two-thirds vote but Chris Gregoire got unanimous approval from the delegates at our convention. She’s been a great governor for Washington’s working families. She has overseen the creation of more than 220,000 new jobs, has doubled the number of apprenticeship opportunities in the state and is presiding over the lowest unemployment rate in the history of our state. … Her management skills have made Washington the 5th best place in the country to do business and at the same time we have moved to 4th in union density proving that good business and good working environments go hand-in-hand.”
“Washington workers recognize Chris Gregoire as a much better candidate than Dino Rossi. Rossi’s record against working families is clear. Dino voted to take away overtime pay, cut unemployment benefits, block prescription drug reform, lower the minimum wage and denied collective bargaining rights for thousands of workers in Washington state. For working families there is no comparison,” said Bender.
Gregoire said this:
Whether we are making healthcare more affordable or creating opportunities through education and apprenticeships, we are getting results for working families across the state.
Other endorsements: Rep. Williams said the Washington State Troopers Association endorsed his re-election to a third term in the House. He has no announced opponent.Judge J. Robin Hunt issued a list of endorsements that includes seven of the state Supreme Court’s nine justices. Challenging Hunt is Olympia lawyer Tim Ford, who works as an open-records advocate for the Attorney General’s Office. Hunt’s list list of endorsers includes Chief Justice Gerry Alexander and Justices Tom Chambers, Mary Fairhurst, Charles Johnson, Barbara Madsen, Susan Owens and Debra Stephens, as well as former justices Bobbe Bridge, Faith Ireland, Charles Z. Smith, and Bob Utter, 16 appeals court justices, ex-Gov. Gary Locke, Mason District Court Judge Victoria Meadows, Thurston District Court Judge C.L. “Kip” Stilz, and Thurston Prosecutor Ed Holm.