Jennifer Dunn
Posted on 01/04/2003 10:17:47 PM PST by TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig
By Warren Cornwall
Seattle Times Eastside bureau
Jennifer Dunn
News that Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn might leave the seat she's held through six elections is putting the political ambitions of several Eastsiders in the spotlight.
While the Bellevue Republican says she is no longer in the running for a job with an airline lobbying group, reports that she might take the job prompted several people to start positioning themselves for the seat — including King County Councilman Rob McKenna and state Sen. Dino Rossi.
Yesterday Dunn confirmed that she's under heavy pressure from her party and the White House to run against Sen. Patty Murray next year, further raising speculation about who might replace her.
Dunn told The Associated Press that she has made no decisions about a Senate race but said even President Bush had given her a nudge.
Murray's comments about Osama bin Laden's benevolence — which made headlines last month — were "stupid" and ill-considered, but not a career-ending gaffe, Dunn said.
Murray was vulnerable before the comments — and more so now, she said.
"I feel she is severely in a position now where she should feel threatened, now more than a couple of weeks ago," Dunn said. "It's not just one thing, those comments, (but) the fact that she lost the Senate for the Democrats." Murray is chairwoman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
Patty Murray
Dunn was elected to Congress in 1992, the same year Murray went to the Senate.
McKenna, a Republican, had a press release ready to go announcing his candidacy for Dunn's seat when it was first reported she was a candidate for the lobbying job.
Rossi, also a Republican, floated his name as a possibility as well.
On the Democratic side, Heidi Behrens-Benedict reactivated the campaign machine she built in her unsuccessful bid to unseat Dunn in November.
Even with Dunn apparently remaining in Congress for the moment, potential candidates are still testing the waters. "Right now is the jockeying period for 2004," said Chris Vance, head of the state Republican Party.
The three Eastsiders are part of a larger contingent of people mentioned as possible bidders for the 8th Congressional District seat, which covers much of east King County and extends south into parts of Pierce County. Others could not be reached, or said they had not decided whether to run.
McKenna, a two-term councilman from Bellevue, said he had begun calling potential supporters and laying the groundwork for a campaign shortly after news of Dunn's possible departure in mid-December.
"I assumed she was going to stay in Congress at least for a few more terms," he said. "This news opened my eyes to the possibility that she might not."
If Dunn doesn't seek re-election, McKenna said he would run for the seat in 2004. Otherwise, he is considering a bid for state Attorney General that year, a post now held by Democrat Christine Gregoire.
Rossi, a commercial real-estate broker from Sammamish, said he had begun contacting some of his longtime supporters about a possible bid.
"Most likely I would run, yes. The bottom line is that I would not have another opportunity like this for quite some time," he said.
Republicans have held sway over the seat for years, making it a potential plum for suburban Republicans with ambitions for national office.
But Behrens-Benedict, who lost three earlier races to Dunn, was preparing to capitalize on the groundwork she had laid over those six years.
The Bellevue interior designer said she was still at the ready, in case Dunn did wind up leaving her post.
Dunn had talked with the Air Transport Association, a trade group representing major airlines, about a highly paid lobbying job there. But she said yesterday that the move "definitely is not going to happen."
She said a job in the private sector is always a possibility and that she regularly listens to offers. But asked if she intends to stay in the House for the next two years, she said, "Of course."
Warren Cornwall: 206-464-2311 or
wcornwall@seattletimes.com.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2003 The Seattle Times Company
Maybe it just took an extra 8 years.
Even Kirby lamented about this recently.
Once out of office she'll have plenty of time to don her burqa and head off to Yemen for "charity work."
As a Californian I'm not about to throw stones here. Anyone would be better than bin Murray but I like Dunn. Murray is wounded and it would be a a shame if the GOP didn't make a real effort in this race. Dunn is pretty conservative by west coast standards...Economically Conservative, pro gun (although voted for trigger locks), anti abortion except for health of the mother as well as anti public funding, pro military, pro border protection, anti union...ACU rating of 88.
Seeing as Rep. Dunn's doesn't want Sen. Murray to step down for her comments on Osama, shouldn't Freepers follow Dunn's lead and drop it???
Why should we want a weak incumbent ousted prior to the election only to be replaced by a stronger candidate (the DemocRATS' mistake with Trent Lott). We should wait till Senator Murray has the DemocRAT nomination again before we start nailing her about her Osama comments. Rule number one about politicians: don't take their comments about other politicians especially potential rivals at face value.
What do you mean we win either way. Does the name Robert Torricelli mean anything to you? The DemocRATS could replace her with a stronger DemocRAT who could win the seat. I would not consider that to be a win. A win would be a Republican takeover of that senate seat.
In 1996, Gov. Mike Lowry planned to run for a second term, in spite of the fact that he had gotten into serious trouble for putting his hand up a lady's skirt at a meeting. The Democratic "men in gray suits" paid him a visit and made it clear the party would not support him for a second term. That's how we got Gary Locke.
If Patty Murray is looking vulnerable to Dunn as the year draws to a close, the gray suits will pay her a visit. Then either Gov. Locke or State AG Christine Gregoire will be the nominee.
Worse, if Patty were truly pushed out the door via resignation by her own party (Lott-style), Locke would appoint Gregoire to the job. Gregoire was one of the architects of the tobacco lawsuit, and she is a heroine to liberals nationwide. She is also very smart and attractive -- in short a dream candidate for the Democrats.
Best solution: Bury the criticism of Murray until the Dunn-Murray senatorial campaign actually starts. Then whip it up with a vengeance!
Go for it Jen, put on some steel toed boots and kick some tennis shoe butt!
But in return you can have Rob McKenna for Congress. That would be a seriously good conservative upgrade!
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