Rossi will make public statement today
Published 9:00 pm Tuesday, December 28, 2004
Dino Rossi will make his first public statement today since a statewide hand recount made Christine Gregoire the apparent winner in their battle for governor.
Rossi has scheduled a news conference at 5:40 p.m. at his campaign headquarters in Bellevue.
“He will not be conceding,” spokeswoman Mary Lane said Tuesday in an e-mail to The Herald.
Rossi, a Republican, and Gregoire, a Democrat are knotted in the closest race for governor in state history. He led by 42 votes after a mandatory machine recount but Gregoire moved ahead in a hand tally of the nearly 2.9 million ballots cast.
No more ballot counts are allowed under law. Rossi could contest the election, an issue that he is expected to discuss today.
In the meantime, Rossi has filed papers to run for governor in 2008. He registered as a candidate Dec. 13, submitting the required form to the Public Disclosure Commission.
“Right now, theyre telling us hes a bonafide candidate,” said Doug Ellis, spokesman for the Public Disclosure Commission.
Lane said that no decision has been made whether to run. The move was taken so that he could raise money to pay staff and lawyers used for the recounts and court fights that have taken place since the Nov. 2 election.
