Olympia Business Watch

2004 election results figure prominently during debate for chief elections officer

For those who remember, the 2004 gubernatorial election placed a spotlight on the office of the Secretary of State. The secretary is the chief elections officer for the state. In 2004, Dino Rossi was initially named the winner of the governor's race after an automated count and recount. A second recount done by hand showed that Christine Gregoire won the election by 129 ballots. Rossi questioned the integrity of the election process. 

Fast forward to 2012 and you have Wednesday's debate for secretary of state between Kim Wyman and Kathleen Drew. The debate, part of AWB's Policy Summit, was moderated by Austin Jenkins, political reporter for the Northwest News Network. Many of Jenkins' questions revolved around the integrity of the elections and of duties of the office.  

Jenkins mentioned the 2004 results at different times during the hour-long debate. For instance, he asked how the candidates would improve the election process following the 2004 fiasco and the state being notorious for close elections.

Candidates to face off during Policy Summit

The primary is in the rearview mirror but the general election is rapidly approaching on the horizon. AWB is helping employers get up to speed on the issues and the candidates at its 23rd Annual Policy Summit, featuring three moderated conversations between candidates for lieutenant governor, secretary of state and state auditor.

Incumbent Democrat Brad Owen seems likely to face former Republican Senate Majority Leader Bill Finkbeiner. The lieutenant governor is the president of the Senate, and serves the state as acting governor in the absence of the governor.

Current secretary of state, Sam Reed, is not running for re-election. Thurston County Auditor Kim Wyman, a Republican, will challenge former Democratic Sen. Kathleen Drew. The secretary of state is the chief elections officer, chief corporations officer, and supervisor of the state archives.

Finally, the retiring state auditor Brian Sonntag will leave an opening for one of the two candidates to fill. Republican James Watkins seems likely to run against Rep. Troy Kelley, D-University Place, once the primary ballots have been certified. The state auditor promotes accountability, fiscal integrity and openness in state and local government.   

Media rewind: A round-up of gubernatorial, AG debate coverage

In case you missed the debates Tuesday, there are plenty of ways to catch up on the news.

Approximately three dozen print, television, radio and online reporters converged on the Bing Crosby Theater in Spokane this week to cover the first debates of the 2012 campaign for Washington governor and attorney general.

It was the sixth time since 1992 that AWB has hosted gubernatorial debates -- co-hosted with Greater Spokane Incorporated -- and the first time they were held in the spring.

Here's a look at some of the reports they produced:

• KREM: McKenna, Inslee meet in 1st debate in Spokane
• The Seattle Times: McKenna, Inslee meet in 1st gubernatorial debate in Spokane
• Associated Press: Inslee, McKenna face off in 1st gubernatorial debate
• The Spokesman-Review: Inslee, McKenna square off at Bing
• KXLY: Inslee, McKenna hold first gubernatorial debate in Spokane
• KOMO: McKenna, Inslee meet in Spokane for first debate
• Seattle P-I.com: Inslee vs. McKenna: Big differences revealed in debate
• The Politics Blog (The Olympian): Duh: Inslee backers think he won debate
• Washington State Wire: No Kayo in Round One, But First Inslee-McKenna Debate Offers Plenty of Contrast

Attorney general debate coverage:

• The Seattle Times: Dunn, Ferguson come out slugging in attorney-general debate
• Political Buzz (The News Tribune): Attorney-general candidates take gloves off in debte: Jay Inslee, Rob McKenna up next
• The Up Front Blog (KING 5 News): Spokane Warm-up Act Steals the Show

TVW's The Impact examines both debates:

 

Q13 Fox's C.R. Douglas reports from Spokane:

Governor, AG candidates meet on stage at AWB-GSI debates

Voters had their first chance Tuesday to see Washington's governor and attorney general hopefuls go head to head in a pair of debates sponsored by AWB and Greater Spokane Incorporated.

The first debate, between attorney general candidates Reagan Dunn, a Republican King County Councilman, and Bob Ferguson, a Democrat on the King County Council, was regarded by reporters as a lively contest.

Dunn emphasized his experience as a prosecutor, saying he was the only candidate with experience prosecuting criminals. Ferguson said Dunn frequently missed votes on the King County Council.

In the second debate of the day, Inslee and McKenna answered questions on everything from education and transportation to taxes and jobs.

The candidates agreed that more money should be spent on education, and they agreed that taxes shouldn't be raised to fund the increased spending.

But they disagreed on many other issues, including the federal health care law and whether the Legislature should need a two-thirds supermajority to raise taxes.

2012 gubernatorial, attorney general debates today in Spokane

Thanks to a lot of hard work from our partners at TVW, KREM television in Spokane and the Bing Crosby Theater, the venue is prepped and ready for Tuesday's attorney general and gubernatorial debates.

The attorney general debate between King County Councilmen Reagan Dunn and Bob Ferguson gets underway at 2 p.m.

The gubernatorial debate featuring former U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee and state Attorney General Rob McKenna begins at 3:30 p.m.

Both will air live on TVW, KREM and stream on TVW and KREM's websites.

Debate Moderator Austin Jenkins preparing for the attorney general and gubernatorial debates.

Debate media partners KREM2 and TVW preparing to broadcast the debate live.

 

 

 

There really isn't a bad seat in the Bing Crosby Theater.

 

 

 

AWB and Washington gubernatorial debates are a quadrennial tradition

With the first debates of the 2012 campaign season just about to kick off Tuesday at the Bing Crosby Theater in Spokane, we thought it timely to reflect on AWB's involvement in these events.

The Association of Washington Business sponsored its first gubernatorial debate in 1992. It was held at Semi-ah-moo Resort near Blaine and featured Republican state Attorney General Ken Eikenberry and Democrat Mike Lowry.

It was the first debate between the candidates and a news report said it highlighted their differences on health care, growth and the environment, schools and taxes.

Twenty years since the Eikenberry-Lowry contest, the AWB debate -- co-hosted this year with Greater Spokane, Inc. -- has become a tradition.

Here's a look back at the debates through the years:

1992: In the fall of 1992, Washington state was facing a $1 billion shortfall, The Seattle Times reported. Lowry said higher taxes might be necessary, while Eikenberry took a no-new-taxes pledge and spoke of reinventing government.