Democrat declared Washington governor-elect

Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, December 29, 2004

OLYMPIA, Wash. – After three vote tallies and 58 days of waiting, Democrat Christine Gregoire was declared Washington’s governor-elect on Thursday. But her Republican rival did not concede and wants a new election.

Secretary of State Sam Reed, a Republican, certified Gregoire, the three-term attorney general, as the winner of the closest governor’s race in state history. She won a statewide hand recount by a scant 129 votes out of more than 2.8 million cast.

But Republican candidate Dino Rossi, a former state legislative leader and real-estate investor, said the election was hopelessly flawed and that the Legislature should authorize a new election. He won both of the earlier counts.

Rossi also held open the possibility of contesting the election in the courts.

Gregoire’s campaign rejected the idea of a new vote and said Rossi should accept the newly certified tally.

“This ain’t golf. No mulligans allowed here, folks,” Gregoire’s spokesman, Morton Brilliant, said Wednesday. “It’s irresponsible to spend $4 million in taxpayer money on a new election just because you don’t like losing this one.”

A revote would have to be approved by the Democrat-controlled state Legislature.