OLYMPIA – Democratic Attorney General Christine Gregoire celebrated Thursday as Washington’s governor-elect and pledged to unite residents divided by the prolonged and bitter election battle, though it may still not be over.
“An election night without end has concluded,” she said Thursday at a news conference four hours after her 129-vote victory was certified. “I’m ready to do the people’s work. I think there is a mandate … to bring Washington state together.”
Standing in the state reception room of the Capitol with family behind her and supporters nearby, Gregoire said: “We may start with a narrow margin, but we will not limit our goals. There is much work to be done, and I can’t wait to begin.”
Republican candidate Dino Rossi discussed his pursuit of a possible challenge just moments before Gregoire spoke. He cited new information on potential wrongdoing in King County, where 3,539 more votes were tabulated than the number of people credited with voting.
“We want to know who those voters are,” he said at his Bellevue campaign headquarters. “You shouldn’t be able to certify the election with 3,500 mystery voters.”
Rossi repeated his call for a revote to remove what he termed a stain of illegitimacy on Gregoire’s win and to restore public trust in the election process.
“Most people don’t believe that everything is quite right with this election,” he said.
Gregoire disagreed. “We’ve had three counts. We’ve had every vote reviewed by Republicans and Democrats alike. The bottom line is the election is over. It is time to move on.”
The contentious race set new marks for closeness – a gap of 15-10,000th of a percentage point, and for process – three different counts of votes including the first statewide hand recount.
Gregoire becomes the state’s second woman governor and gives Democrats six straight gubernatorial victories. She has been attorney general since 1992 and before that served as director of the Department of Ecology.
When she announced her candidacy in August 2003, she immediately became the favorite to succeed Democratic Gov. Gary Locke.
On election night, minutes before polls closed, Gregoire recalled feeling “fairly confident.” In an interview with The Herald, she said: “By the end of the evening, it was surprisingly close. It was nerve-wracking, and then came these seven weeks.”
She said she refuses to look back at the strategy of her campaign, which was criticized as too passive and lacking a clear focus. “I don’t engage in conversations about what if,” she said.
That means naming key staff members in the next few days, crafting a budget in the next few weeks and contacting lawmakers in both parties to discuss her legislative plans for education, health care, job creation and a bit of electoral reform.
Of Rossi’s resolve not to concede, Gregoire said: “I’m not going to let him distract me. It’s very unfortunate for the state. I think the citizens are ready to put this election behind them and move forward.”
Rossi, who left the state Senate in 2003 to run, was trying to become the first Republican governor since John Spellman in 1981. Running what Locke called a “brilliant campaign,” Rossi captured majorities in 31 of the state’s 39 counties.
He won the first vote count by 261- a margin so close that it triggered a state-mandated machine recount. Rossi won that tally by 42 votes. State law allows one hand recount of every vote cast. The Democratic Party, on behalf of Gregoire, raised more than $1 million to pay for it. She won that final count.
But the final chapter in this precedent-setting electoral tale may not have been written yet.
The election can be contested by any registered voter. The window of opportunity opened Thursday and shuts Jan. 22, 10 days after Gregoire is sworn in.
Opinions differ on whether such a showdown would take place in a courtroom or in front of the Democratic-controlled Legislature. In either case, the challenger would need to convince a judge or lawmakers that the degree of wrongdoing altered the outcome.
Secretary of State Sam Reed said Thursday that while he expects a challenge, he’s not aware of any problems serious enough to compel another vote.
“Nothing that I’ve been informed about rises to the level of fraud,” he said. “I saw serious mistakes made around the state of Washington in this election. I saw them being corrected. I do not feel like this a botched election.”
Rossi believes otherwise, pointing to the discrepancy in King County’s list comparing the number of voters and votes cast.
King County’s election director, Dean Logan, said the list is preliminary and includes people who want their addresses and personal information kept confidential, such as victims of domestic violence. A final list will be sent to Rossi’s campaign next week.
Joining Rossi Thursday was Charles Farmer of Lake Stevens, who said his son Tyler, a U.S. Marine serving in Iraq, did not receive a ballot until Nov. 3. Tyler Farmer threw it away and did not vote because he figured it would not count. Charles Farmer said his son’s case eroded his confidence in the process and boosted his support for a new election.
Tyler Farmer’s ballot was mailed Oct. 8 from Snohomish County. It would have been counted had the soldier immediately sent it back and it was received before the Nov. 17 certification date, county Auditor Bob Terwilliger said.
Also, if Farmer had e-mailed or faxed a note to the county Nov. 2, he could have voted by e-mail or fax, providing that he was able to mail his signature as verification by the certification date.
He said most military units have a voter information officer to assist soldiers.
This has been the most expensive gubernatorial election in state history. Gregoire and Rossi spent a combined $12.3 million on their campaigns.
During the recount, the two political parties have picked up much of the tab, including hiring staffers from each campaign.
Rossi filed papers Dec. 13 to run for governor in 2008, and is raising money through that committee to cover some of the expenses. He had received $114,291 in contributions through Wednesday, according to Mary Lane, his campaign spokeswoman.
What’s next
Jan. 12: Inauguration Day. The Legislature will issue certificates of election to new officeholders.
Jan. 22: Deadline for any registered voter to file a lawsuit challenging the results of the election.
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