Christine Gregoire
Encyclopedia
Christine O'Grady "Chris" Gregoire (icon; born March 24, 1947) is the 22nd and current Governor of the state
of Washington, and a member of the Democratic Party
. Gregoire defeated Republican candidate Dino Rossi
in 2004, and again in 2008
. She is the second female governor of Washington. Gregoire is also the National Governors Association chairwoman for the 2010-2011 term.
, by her mother, who worked as a short-order cook to support the family. After graduating from Auburn Senior High School
, she attended the University of Washington in Seattle, graduating in 1969 with a Bachelor of Arts
degree in speech
in sociology
. She attended law school
at Gonzaga University
in Spokane
, receiving her Juris Doctor
in 1977.
She went to work as an assistant attorney general in the office of state Attorney General Slade Gorton
, a Republican. As an assistant attorney general, Gregoire concentrated on child-abuse cases, coordinating with social workers to get children removed from abusive family situations and placed with relatives or foster homes.
Elected to office as Attorney General in 1992, Gregoire's term included a scandal wherein her office failed to file a timely appeal on a $17.8M judgment, the then largest jury verdict ever against the state. The court determined "the Attorney General's Office lacked any reasonable procedure for calendaring hearings."
Gregoire's first child, Courtney, was born in Spokane in 1979. Her second daughter, Michelle, was born in 1984. Michelle played soccer for Willamette University
in Salem
, Oregon
, and Governor Gregoire is proud to call herself a 'soccer mom'. She is a season ticket holder for Seattle Sounders FC
.
When not in Olympia, Gregoire lives in the nearby suburb of Lacey
with her husband Michael; the couple also spends part of most summers at a cabin on the shores of Hayden Lake
, Idaho
that the family bought in 1979. Their daughters, Michelle and Courtney, are both graduates of Olympia High School
in Olympia, Washington
.
In 2003, she was diagnosed with breast cancer
in an early stage after a routine check-up and a mammogram. She had surgery and recovered. She mentions her fight with cancer in speeches about health care.
and four other minor candidates in the primary election on September 14, 2004. She had come under fire during the primary for her membership in Kappa Delta
and for that sorority's nonwhite membership policy in the late 1960s. She clashed with Sims over her position at the sorority and Sims later dropped the issue and dismissed any claims of racism. Sims campaigned on the need for tax reform and the institution of a statewide income tax. Gregoire won the primary with over 60% of the vote.
During the general election against former state senator and real estate agent Dino Rossi
, Gregoire proposed a major initiative in life sciences, especially by increasing state funding for embryonic stem cell
research. In debates, Gregoire tried to counter voter unease about the state government by saying she would "blow past the bureaucracy" and bring change herself. With a focus on change, but with little detail on specifics, many state Democratic leaders expressed concerns about the kind of leader Gregoire would be. Gregoire would win the backing of the Legislature within six months after pushing through a number of important measures on car emission standards and unemployment benefits.
The election was held on November 2, 2004, with the initial count showing Gregoire trailing Rossi by 261 votes. However, a legally mandated machine recount reduced that lead to only 42 votes, then a hand count that was requested and funded by the state's Democratic Party gave Gregoire a 10-vote lead. Following a State Supreme Court ruling that allowed several hundred ballots from King County
to be included, her lead was further increased to 130 votes, but when the vote was certified by the state's Secretary of State
, Sam Reed
, at the end of December, one vote which had been counted in Thurston County past the deadline was disqualified and her lead was reduced to 129 votes. Washington's Republican leadership then filed suit, claiming that hundreds of votes, including votes by felons, deceased voters, and double voters, were included in the canvass, but on June 6, 2005, Judge John E. Bridges
ruled that the Republican party did not provide enough evidence that the disputed votes were ineligible—or for whom they were cast—to overturn the election. Judge Bridges did note that there was evidence that 1,678 votes had been illegally cast throughout the state, but found that the only evidence submitted to show how those votes had been cast were sworn statements from four felons that they had voted for Rossi. He subtracted those four votes from Rossi's total and upheld the election.
, Interstate 405
, and the Route 520 bridge
. The bill was initially blocked by Republican leadership in the Legislature and when it came to a vote in the House on the morning of the last day of the 2005 session, it was blocked again in a procedural vote. After extensive lobbying from Governor Gregoire, House Democratic and Republican leadership met and agreed to let the measure come up for a vote. It cleared the House shortly thereafter and was swiftly passed by the state Senate. Gregoire signed it into law later that week.
The tax package was met with mixed reviews. While she was praised widely by Democratic and Republican leaders of the House and Senate for her leadership skills regarding passing this deal, several state legislators disagreed with the merits of the tax because of the already high price of gas. An initiative
to repeal the tax, Measure No. 912
, was a part of the November 2005 ballot, but was rejected by the voters.
On March 28, 2006, Gov. Christine Gregoire signed a bill to add prohibitions to the Gambling Act and the State Lottery
to prohibit online gambling in the state.
A landmark gay
civil rights
bill failed in the 2005 session but subsequently passed in the 2006 session. It was primarily responsible for expanding the scope of protected classes to include sexual orientation
and gender identity
in cases of discrimination
. The bill was signed by Gregoire on January 31, 2006.
In October 2005, Gregoire sent a letter to the state's Gambling Commission recommending that it renegotiate a compact with the Spokane Native American tribe
it had submitted for approval. The original compact would have allowed the tribe, and any other tribe that signed on to the compact, to have off-reservation gambling facilities, increase the number of slot machine
s allowed to 7,500, operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, removed betting limits for some card players, and give credits to high rollers in exchange for sharing the profits from gambling with state and local governments. It was opposed by many of the state's lawmakers of both parties and by anti-gambling groups that were concerned about the spread of gambling across the state, as well as other Native American tribes. The renegotiated compact, which was signed by the Spokane and 26 other Washington tribes, was signed by Gregoire in early 2007 and eliminated the revenue sharing and off-reservation facilities, but included an increase of allowed slot machines to 4,700 with a limit of 2,000 per location, increased the betting limit of some of its slot machines to $20, and allowed high-stakes gambling on blackjack and poker tables to players who pass financial screening and aren't known problem gamblers. The tribe also agreed to donate 2 percent of the gross revenue from table games and 1 percent from gambling devices to charity.
Governor Gregoire signed a law on April 21, 2007 granting same-sex couples domestic partnership
rights.
Following a ruling by the state's supreme court that a 1% property tax cap voted into law via initiative
was unconstitutional, Gregoire ordered a special session
to reinstate the cap. In the days leading up to the special session Gregoire and the Democrats were accused by liberals that they were caving in to Tim Eyman
, the person who submitted the property tax initiative, and rushing the legislative process to reinstate the cap but not making other, more meaningful, property tax reform.
During the 2008 Democratic presidential primaries
, Governor Gregoire was heavily lobbied by both Barack Obama
and Hillary Clinton for her endorsement as a superdelegate
. Gregoire officially endorsed Barack Obama on February 8, 2008, hours before an event at Key Arena in Seattle, Washington where she introduced Senator Obama before a crowd of 18,000 people. The Washington caucuses
were held the next day with Obama beating Clinton in every county in the state.
Governor Gregoire began her re-election campaign at her late mother's former employer, the Rainbow Café in Auburn, Washington
, on April 7, 2008. Immediately after her announcement, Gregoire began a biodiesel bus tour of the State of Washington. Her opponent in the race, Dino Rossi, had announced his candidacy in October 2007.
Both Gregoire and her opponent fast approached fundraising records early in their campaigns. In April, Governor Gregoire hosted a fundraiser with Bill Richardson at the Seattle Westin
which net the campaign over $300,000. Later, in July, Gregoire held another large fundraiser with Michelle Obama
at the WaMu Theater with 1,600 attendees raising over $400,000.
The Seattle Times later reported that Gregoire gave cost of living increases to state employees who had received no raises in "many years," and funded voter-approved initiatives to raise the pay of teachers, all groups that gave money to fund her 2004 recount campaign.
Gregoire won Washington's first ever top two primary
on August 19, 2008 with 49%. She advanced to the general election against Dino Rossi
. The general election on November 4 was expected to be close, but Gregoire benefited from a large turnout among Democrats to vote for Barack Obama
in the United States Presidential election
and ended up defeating Rossi 53% to 47%. There was a marked geographical split in the 2008 election: the more populous and Democratic
-leaning Western Washington
counties supported Gregoire, whilst the less populous and more Republican
-leaning Eastern Washington
counties supported Rossi.
representing state workers filed lawsuit
s against the governor for suggesting that the workers' pay raises be dropped as part of addressing the looming state budget deficit.
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U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Washington, and a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. Gregoire defeated Republican candidate Dino Rossi
Dino Rossi
Dino Rossi is an American commercial real estate executive, former Washington State Senator, two-time Republican candidate for Governor of Washington, and former Republican candidate for United States Senate. His first run for the Governor's mansion in the 2004 election became the closest...
in 2004, and again in 2008
Washington gubernatorial election, 2008
The gubernatorial election in Washington, 2008 elected the Governor of Washington on November 4, 2008. With the emergence from the August 19 primary of Republican Dino Rossi and incumbent Democratic Governor Christine Gregoire, the 2008 election was a rematch between the candidates from the 2004...
. She is the second female governor of Washington. Gregoire is also the National Governors Association chairwoman for the 2010-2011 term.
Early life and career
Chris O’Grady was raised in Auburn, WashingtonAuburn, Washington
-Parks:Auburn has an extensive system of parks, open space and urban trails comprising 29 developed parks, 5 undeveloped sites under planning, 2 skate parks, 2 water roatary parks, and over of trails , and almost of open space for passive and active recreation.-Environmental Park:The Auburn...
, by her mother, who worked as a short-order cook to support the family. After graduating from Auburn Senior High School
Auburn Senior High School
Auburn Senior High School is a public high School in Auburn, Washington founded in 1903. The school is situated on of land in downtown Auburn, its campus includes the Auburn Performing Arts Center , The Auburn Swimming Pool, Auburn Memorial Stadium and the Administration Annex.-Academics:Auburn...
, she attended the University of Washington in Seattle, graduating in 1969 with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in speech
Speech
Speech is the human faculty of speaking.It may also refer to:* Public speaking, the process of speaking to a group of people* Manner of articulation, how the body parts involved in making speech are manipulated...
in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
. She attended law school
Law school
A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
at Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University is a private Roman Catholic university located in Spokane, Washington, United States. Founded in 1887 by the Society of Jesus, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and is named after the young Jesuit saint, Aloysius Gonzaga...
in Spokane
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
, receiving her Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
in 1977.
She went to work as an assistant attorney general in the office of state Attorney General Slade Gorton
Slade Gorton
Thomas Slade Gorton III is an American politician. A Republican, he was a U.S. senator from Washington state from 1981 to 1987, and from 1989 to 2001. He held both of the state's Senate seats in his career and was narrowly defeated for reelection twice as an incumbent: in 1986 by Brock Adams, and...
, a Republican. As an assistant attorney general, Gregoire concentrated on child-abuse cases, coordinating with social workers to get children removed from abusive family situations and placed with relatives or foster homes.
Elected to office as Attorney General in 1992, Gregoire's term included a scandal wherein her office failed to file a timely appeal on a $17.8M judgment, the then largest jury verdict ever against the state. The court determined "the Attorney General's Office lacked any reasonable procedure for calendaring hearings."
Gregoire's first child, Courtney, was born in Spokane in 1979. Her second daughter, Michelle, was born in 1984. Michelle played soccer for Willamette University
Willamette University
Willamette University is an American private institution of higher learning located in Salem, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest university in the Western United States. Willamette is a member of the Annapolis Group of colleges, and is made up of an undergraduate College of Liberal Arts and...
in Salem
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, and Governor Gregoire is proud to call herself a 'soccer mom'. She is a season ticket holder for Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC is an American professional soccer club based in Seattle, Washington. The club competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Sounders FC was established in November 2007 as a MLS expansion team, making it the 15th team in...
.
When not in Olympia, Gregoire lives in the nearby suburb of Lacey
Lacey, Washington
Lacey is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. Established as a suburb of Olympia, its population was 42,393 at the 2010 census out of a county population of 252,264.-History:...
with her husband Michael; the couple also spends part of most summers at a cabin on the shores of Hayden Lake
Hayden Lake, Idaho
Hayden Lake is a both a city and a lake in Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. Hayden Lake is one of several natural lakes in northern Idaho...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
that the family bought in 1979. Their daughters, Michelle and Courtney, are both graduates of Olympia High School
Olympia High School (Washington)
"'Olympia High School'" is ranked by the Newsweek article "Our Schools and Their Dilemma" as top 5% of all high schools nationally, due to the significant number of students taking AP Tests, as well as notable music, drama, and sports programs....
in Olympia, Washington
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
.
In 2003, she was diagnosed with breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
in an early stage after a routine check-up and a mammogram. She had surgery and recovered. She mentions her fight with cancer in speeches about health care.
2004 Gubernatorial Election
Gregoire defeated Ron SimsRon Sims
Ronald Cordell Sims, , is currently the Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, having been confirmed by the Senate on May 6, 2009 and sworn in on May 8. He is also the former King County Executive...
and four other minor candidates in the primary election on September 14, 2004. She had come under fire during the primary for her membership in Kappa Delta
Kappa Delta
Kappa Delta was the first sorority founded at the State Female Normal School , in Farmville, Virginia. It is one of the "Farmville Four" sororities founded at the university...
and for that sorority's nonwhite membership policy in the late 1960s. She clashed with Sims over her position at the sorority and Sims later dropped the issue and dismissed any claims of racism. Sims campaigned on the need for tax reform and the institution of a statewide income tax. Gregoire won the primary with over 60% of the vote.
During the general election against former state senator and real estate agent Dino Rossi
Dino Rossi
Dino Rossi is an American commercial real estate executive, former Washington State Senator, two-time Republican candidate for Governor of Washington, and former Republican candidate for United States Senate. His first run for the Governor's mansion in the 2004 election became the closest...
, Gregoire proposed a major initiative in life sciences, especially by increasing state funding for embryonic stem cell
Stem cell
This article is about the cell type. For the medical therapy, see Stem Cell TreatmentsStem cells are biological cells found in all multicellular organisms, that can divide and differentiate into diverse specialized cell types and can self-renew to produce more stem cells...
research. In debates, Gregoire tried to counter voter unease about the state government by saying she would "blow past the bureaucracy" and bring change herself. With a focus on change, but with little detail on specifics, many state Democratic leaders expressed concerns about the kind of leader Gregoire would be. Gregoire would win the backing of the Legislature within six months after pushing through a number of important measures on car emission standards and unemployment benefits.
The election was held on November 2, 2004, with the initial count showing Gregoire trailing Rossi by 261 votes. However, a legally mandated machine recount reduced that lead to only 42 votes, then a hand count that was requested and funded by the state's Democratic Party gave Gregoire a 10-vote lead. Following a State Supreme Court ruling that allowed several hundred ballots from King County
King County, Washington
King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population in the 2010 census was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 14th most populous in the United States....
to be included, her lead was further increased to 130 votes, but when the vote was certified by the state's Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
, Sam Reed
Sam Reed
Sam Reed is the Secretary of State of Washington and a Republican. Reed is Washington's fourteenth Secretary of State.Reed received his bachelor's and master's degrees in political science from Washington State University...
, at the end of December, one vote which had been counted in Thurston County past the deadline was disqualified and her lead was reduced to 129 votes. Washington's Republican leadership then filed suit, claiming that hundreds of votes, including votes by felons, deceased voters, and double voters, were included in the canvass, but on June 6, 2005, Judge John E. Bridges
John E. Bridges
John E. Bridges is a Chelan County Superior Court Judge in Washington state. He presided over the high-profile legal challenge to the 2004 Washington gubernatorial election in which he upheld the election of Christine Gregoire. He grew up in Chelan County, and graduated from Seattle Pacific...
ruled that the Republican party did not provide enough evidence that the disputed votes were ineligible—or for whom they were cast—to overturn the election. Judge Bridges did note that there was evidence that 1,678 votes had been illegally cast throughout the state, but found that the only evidence submitted to show how those votes had been cast were sworn statements from four felons that they had voted for Rossi. He subtracted those four votes from Rossi's total and upheld the election.
Fundraising
On October 28, 2004, the Seattle Times reported that out-of-state donors were contributing heavily to Gregoire's campaign coffers. More than one million dollars were given to the Democratic Governor's Association from trial lawyers who worked closely with Gregoire on the 1998 tobacco settlement. According to the Seattle Times analysis, nearly half of Gregoire's 2004 campaign contributions came from out-of-state.2005 legislative session
The first legislative session ended with Gregoire brokering new bipartisan transportation legislation. The package included a 9.5-cent-a-gallon gas-tax increase to help repair many roads in Washington, particularly around Seattle area, such as the Alaskan Way ViaductAlaskan Way Viaduct
The Alaskan Way Viaduct, completed on April 4, 1953, is a double-decked elevated section of State Route 99 that runs along the Elliott Bay waterfront in Seattle's Industrial District and downtown Seattle. It is the smaller of the two major north–south traffic corridors through Seattle ,...
, Interstate 405
Interstate 405 (Washington)
Interstate 405 in Washington is a stretch of freeway that bypasses Seattle east of Lake Washington. The northern terminus is in Lynnwood and the southern terminus is in Tukwila...
, and the Route 520 bridge
State Route 520 (Washington)
State Route 520 is a state highway and freeway in the U.S. state of Washington. It extends from Seattle in the west to Redmond in the east.-Route description:...
. The bill was initially blocked by Republican leadership in the Legislature and when it came to a vote in the House on the morning of the last day of the 2005 session, it was blocked again in a procedural vote. After extensive lobbying from Governor Gregoire, House Democratic and Republican leadership met and agreed to let the measure come up for a vote. It cleared the House shortly thereafter and was swiftly passed by the state Senate. Gregoire signed it into law later that week.
The tax package was met with mixed reviews. While she was praised widely by Democratic and Republican leaders of the House and Senate for her leadership skills regarding passing this deal, several state legislators disagreed with the merits of the tax because of the already high price of gas. An initiative
Initiative
In political science, an initiative is a means by which a petition signed by a certain minimum number of registered voters can force a public vote...
to repeal the tax, Measure No. 912
Washington State 2005 Initiative Measure No. 912
Initiative Measure No. 912 was a proposed initiative in Washington, USA on the ballot in 2005 that would have repealed new motor vehicle fuel taxes passed earlier in the year by the state Legislature. The fuel tax, and this measure, were a major political issue during the 2005 elections in the state...
, was a part of the November 2005 ballot, but was rejected by the voters.
2006 legislative session
Gregoire's agenda for the 2006 legislative session included implementing education reforms, including early childhood education programs and using international standards for math and science. She also lobbied for a constitutional amendment to make a school levy approval contingent on a majority of voter support, rather than a 60% super-majority. The amendment got the necessary 2/3 vote in the state congress, but ultimately the state voters rejected the amendment. Governor Gregoire spearheaded the effort to set aside a portion of the state's $1.4 billion surplus for a rainy day fund .On March 28, 2006, Gov. Christine Gregoire signed a bill to add prohibitions to the Gambling Act and the State Lottery
Washington's Lottery
Washington's Lottery is run by the government of Washington. Its games include Mega Millions, Powerball, Keno, Hit 5, and scratch games.-Games:Washington's Lottery offers several draw games, plus scratch ticket games...
to prohibit online gambling in the state.
A landmark gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
bill failed in the 2005 session but subsequently passed in the 2006 session. It was primarily responsible for expanding the scope of protected classes to include sexual orientation
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
and gender identity
Gender identity
A gender identity is the way in which an individual self-identifies with a gender category, for example, as being either a man or a woman, or in some cases being neither, which can be distinct from biological sex. Basic gender identity is usually formed by age three and is extremely difficult to...
in cases of discrimination
Discrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
. The bill was signed by Gregoire on January 31, 2006.
2007 legislative session
Spokane (tribe)
The Spokane are a Native American people in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of Washington. The Spokane Indian Reservation, at , is located in eastern Washington, almost entirely in Stevens County, but includes two very small parcels of land and part of the Spokane River in...
it had submitted for approval. The original compact would have allowed the tribe, and any other tribe that signed on to the compact, to have off-reservation gambling facilities, increase the number of slot machine
Slot machine
A slot machine , informally fruit machine , the slots , poker machine or "pokies" or simply slot is a casino gambling machine with three or more reels which spin when a button is pushed...
s allowed to 7,500, operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, removed betting limits for some card players, and give credits to high rollers in exchange for sharing the profits from gambling with state and local governments. It was opposed by many of the state's lawmakers of both parties and by anti-gambling groups that were concerned about the spread of gambling across the state, as well as other Native American tribes. The renegotiated compact, which was signed by the Spokane and 26 other Washington tribes, was signed by Gregoire in early 2007 and eliminated the revenue sharing and off-reservation facilities, but included an increase of allowed slot machines to 4,700 with a limit of 2,000 per location, increased the betting limit of some of its slot machines to $20, and allowed high-stakes gambling on blackjack and poker tables to players who pass financial screening and aren't known problem gamblers. The tribe also agreed to donate 2 percent of the gross revenue from table games and 1 percent from gambling devices to charity.
Governor Gregoire signed a law on April 21, 2007 granting same-sex couples domestic partnership
Domestic partnership
A domestic partnership is a legal or personal relationship between two individuals who live together and share a common domestic life but are neither joined by marriage nor a civil union...
rights.
Following a ruling by the state's supreme court that a 1% property tax cap voted into law via initiative
Initiative
In political science, an initiative is a means by which a petition signed by a certain minimum number of registered voters can force a public vote...
was unconstitutional, Gregoire ordered a special session
Special session
In a legislature, a special session is a period when the body convenes outside of the normal legislative session. This most frequently occurs in order to complete unfinished tasks for the year , such as outlining the government's budget for the next fiscal year, biennium, or other period...
to reinstate the cap. In the days leading up to the special session Gregoire and the Democrats were accused by liberals that they were caving in to Tim Eyman
Tim Eyman
Tim Eyman is a conservative political activist in the U.S. state of Washington. He advocates for a smaller state government, through lowering state taxes and fees...
, the person who submitted the property tax initiative, and rushing the legislative process to reinstate the cap but not making other, more meaningful, property tax reform.
2008 re-election campaign
Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008
The 2008 Democratic presidential primaries were the selection process by which voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for President of the United States in the 2008 U.S. presidential election...
, Governor Gregoire was heavily lobbied by both Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and Hillary Clinton for her endorsement as a superdelegate
Superdelegate
"Superdelegate" is an informal term commonly used for some of the delegates to the Democratic National Convention, the presidential nominating convention of the United States Democratic Party....
. Gregoire officially endorsed Barack Obama on February 8, 2008, hours before an event at Key Arena in Seattle, Washington where she introduced Senator Obama before a crowd of 18,000 people. The Washington caucuses
Washington Democratic caucuses, 2008
The 2008 Washington Democratic caucuses were a series of events held by the Washington State Democratic Party to determine the delegates that the Party sent to the 2008 Democratic National Convention...
were held the next day with Obama beating Clinton in every county in the state.
Governor Gregoire began her re-election campaign at her late mother's former employer, the Rainbow Café in Auburn, Washington
Auburn, Washington
-Parks:Auburn has an extensive system of parks, open space and urban trails comprising 29 developed parks, 5 undeveloped sites under planning, 2 skate parks, 2 water roatary parks, and over of trails , and almost of open space for passive and active recreation.-Environmental Park:The Auburn...
, on April 7, 2008. Immediately after her announcement, Gregoire began a biodiesel bus tour of the State of Washington. Her opponent in the race, Dino Rossi, had announced his candidacy in October 2007.
Both Gregoire and her opponent fast approached fundraising records early in their campaigns. In April, Governor Gregoire hosted a fundraiser with Bill Richardson at the Seattle Westin
The Westin Seattle
The Westin Seattle is a twin tower highrise hotel in Seattle, Washington. The 47-storey north tower, completed in 1982 is the tallest hotel tower in the city. The south tower, with 40 floors at was completed in 1969...
which net the campaign over $300,000. Later, in July, Gregoire held another large fundraiser with Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States...
at the WaMu Theater with 1,600 attendees raising over $400,000.
The Seattle Times later reported that Gregoire gave cost of living increases to state employees who had received no raises in "many years," and funded voter-approved initiatives to raise the pay of teachers, all groups that gave money to fund her 2004 recount campaign.
Gregoire won Washington's first ever top two primary
Jungle primary
A nonpartisan blanket primary is a primary election in which all candidates for elected office run in the same primary regardless of political party. Under this system, the top two candidates who receive the most votes advance to the next round, as in a runoff election...
on August 19, 2008 with 49%. She advanced to the general election against Dino Rossi
Dino Rossi
Dino Rossi is an American commercial real estate executive, former Washington State Senator, two-time Republican candidate for Governor of Washington, and former Republican candidate for United States Senate. His first run for the Governor's mansion in the 2004 election became the closest...
. The general election on November 4 was expected to be close, but Gregoire benefited from a large turnout among Democrats to vote for Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
in the United States Presidential election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
and ended up defeating Rossi 53% to 47%. There was a marked geographical split in the 2008 election: the more populous and Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
-leaning Western Washington
Western Washington
Western Washington is a region of the United States defined as that part of Washington west of the Cascade Mountains.It is known as being far wetter in climate than the eastern portion of the state, which...
counties supported Gregoire, whilst the less populous and more Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
-leaning Eastern Washington
Eastern Washington
Eastern Washington is the portion of the U.S. state of Washington east of the Cascade Range. The region contains the city of Spokane , the Tri-Cities, the Columbia River and the Grand Coulee Dam, the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and the fertile farmlands of the Yakima Valley and the...
counties supported Rossi.
2012 re-election campaign
On June 13, 2011, Gregoire announced she would not be seeking a third term.Union lawsuits
Before the start of the 2009 legislative session, four separate unionsTrade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
representing state workers filed lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
s against the governor for suggesting that the workers' pay raises be dropped as part of addressing the looming state budget deficit.
Awards and honors
In 2009, the Governor became the recipient of a sort of tongue-in-cheek Fuse "Fizzle" Award. The awards program is aimed at promoting leadership and accountability in the Washington State Legislature.Approval rating
A SurveyUSA poll taken in March 2010 showed her disapproval rating at 31%, with 65% approving of her performance as governor. As of April 2011, Gregoire had a 37% Approval / 61% Disapproval rating.Electoral history
External links
- Governor Christine Gregoire official Washington state site
- Chris Gregoire, Governor official campaign website
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