Washington 8

(September 2) Washington’s 8th Congressional District encompasses almost all of Seattle’s eastern suburbs. It is – as is so many of the districts in our top ten – one of those that actually gave President Bush a smaller percentage of the two-party vote in 2004. In 2004, Dave Reichert won the right to replace veteran representative Jennifer Dunn by touting his tenure as King County Sheriff.

This time around – Reichert is facing a political novice, Microsoft Executive Darcy Burner, who nevertheless managed to raise more than $1 million by mid-summer. Like so many of the districts in our top ten, Burner has been relentlessly trying to tie Reichert to Bush, and Reichert has been relentlessly trying to demonstrate his independence from Bush. About a month after Bush came into the district to raise $800,000 for him, Reichert changed his position and voted to override Bush’s stem-cell veto. Reichert told the Seattle Times that the decision came after a tearful meeting with his female staffers just hours before the vote.

Candidates
Dave Reichert (R)
Darcy Burner (D)

Money Race

2004 Results
Congress
Reichert (R) 52
Ross (D) 47

President
Kerry (D) 51
Bush (R) 48