Washington United States Senate election, 2006
Encyclopedia
The 2006 United States Senate election in Washington was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell
won re-election to a second term.
ranked Cantwell's seat as number 13 of the top 20 races to watch based on the likelihood of switching party control, and the third-highest Democratic seat likely to flip.http://nationaljournal.com/racerankings/senate/ However, in an election marked by discontent over the Republican leadership in D.C., Cantwell easily won by a 16% margin of victory. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003366966_wasenate08m.html
Statewide politics in Washington have been dominated by the Democratic Party for many years. The governor, lieutenant governor, treasurer, state auditor, and insurance commissioner are Democrats, while only secretary of state, attorney general, and commissioner of public lands are Republican. Of the nine representatives Washington sends to the House of Representatives, six are Democrats. Democrat Patty Murray
is the state's senior senator. Cantwell won her initial election to the Senate in 2000 over Slade Gorton
by 2,229 votes. Due to the closeness of that race, and the close gubernatorial contest between Democrat Christine Gregoire
and Republican Dino Rossi
in November 2004, many Republicans believe they have a strong chance of capturing Cantwell's seat in 2006.
announced his decision to seek the Green Party's
nomination for U.S. Senate, challenging Cantwell on her continued support for the U.S. presence in Iraq and the USA PATRIOT Act
. On May 13, 2006, Mr. Dixon secured the party's nomination at the Green Party of Washington state's Spring Convention.
Initially, Cantwell had two challengers from within the Democratic primary, both of them taking strong stances against the Iraq war that brought attention to Cantwell's votes for the Iraq Resolution and against a timeline for withdrawal: Mark Wilson and Hong Tran
. Three other Democrats also entered the primary race: Mike the Mover, Michael Goodspaceguy Nelson, and Mohammad H. Said.
On August 8, 2006, the incumbent Democratic Senator from Connecticut, Joe Lieberman
, lost his primary race to challenger Ned Lamont
by 52%-48%, and appears to be following through on his earlier commitment to run as an Independent in the general election. A great deal of attention has focused on this race, as an early barometer of both anti-incumbent and anti-war sentiment nationwide. Comparisons have been made between Lieberman's troubles and Cantwell's re-election bid, citing Cantwell's vote in favor of the Iraq Resolution
that led to the war, her refusal to say she regretted the vote, and her vote against a timetable for withdrawal.http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/07/nyregion/07campaign.html?_r=1&ref=washington&oref=sloginhttp://mediamatters.org/items/200608060002http://www.nysun.com/article/37604?page_no=1 However, a Seattle P-I article notes that comparisons between Lieberman's loss and Cantwell's situation are limited at best. Unlike Lamont's campaign, Cantwell's anti-war opponents' campaigns have received much less funding and have not had the same support from the blogosphere that brought Lamont to prominence and improved his name recognition. Also, unlike Lieberman, Cantwell has altered her position on the war during her campaign and criticized the Bush Administration for its conduct of the war. She also hired her most vocal anti-war primary opponent, Mark Wilson, at $8,000-a-month salary, a move that was described by political commentators as "buying out" the opposition (which she also allegedly attempted with other anti-war challengers Hong Tran and Aaron Dixon) http://soundpolitics.com/archives/006979.html. The article does, however, note that, despite the differences in exact circumstances, the Lieberman defeat also shows that voters are in an anti-incumbent mood, which could create problems for Cantwell. http://seattlepi.com/local/280737_cantwell10.html This is supported by another P-I article that also notes that the primary loss of Lieberman and two House
incumbents, Michigan Republican Joe Schwarz
and Georgia Democrat Cynthia McKinney
, on the same day indicates that there may be a nationwide anti-incumbent trend. http://seattlepi.com/national/1130AP_Incumbents_Beware.html
Following the primary results, Cantwell endorsed Ned Lamont and McGavick responded by endorsing Senator Lieberman.http://www.kgw.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D8JD94VG1.html The Dixon campaign released a statement criticizing Cantwell's "spin and vague rhetoric" on the war, and equating her current position to a pro-war stance similar to Lieberman's.http://www.gp.org/press/states/wa_2006_08_16.shtml
On August 14, less than a week after Lamont's win and nearly four years after the actual event, Cantwell for the first time said she would have voted against the authorization to use force in Iraq if she knew then what she knows today.http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003199347_frist15m.html However, she did so only after hearing her opponent McGavick say that he would have voted against the authorization under those conditions.http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003204613_iraqpoll17m.html Cantwell has stated that she had no regrets for her vote in favor of the authorizationhttp://www.soapblox.net/36thdems/showDiary.do?diaryId=21 and has not changed that position.http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5682389
On July 9, anti-war challenger Mark Wilson announced he would abandon his bid, endorse Cantwell, and take a paid position offered by Cantwell's campaign, one day after progressive activist and anti-war critic Dal LaMagna had been hired to be the Cantwell campaign's co-chair. Initially, Cantwell's campaign refused to state how much they were paying Wilson, but under pressure from the media, disclosed that he was receiving $8,000 per month, only slightly less than Cantwell's campaign manager Matt Butler, who earns $8,731 per month. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2003129895_campaigned16.htmlhttp://seattlepi.com/local/277718_cantwell15.html The next day, Hong Tran received a call from LaMagna saying they would like her to join their campaign, in a context that she interpreted as a job offer, which she refused.http://seattlepi.com/local/277260_senate12.html Political commentators, including those at the Seattle Post Intelligencer and one at The Washington Times
, expressed their views that Cantwell was attempting to eliminate the viable options anti-war Democrats had to voice their opinion on the war in the upcoming primary by having Wilson join her campaign and then soliciting Tran.http://washingtontimes.com/commentary/20060723-093644-5778r.htmhttp://seattlepi.com/jamieson/277134_robert11.htmlhttp://seattlepi.com/opinion/277298_cantwelled.html
http://seattlepi.com/paynter/285695_paynt20.html
Wilson's supporters and journalists expressed surprise at his withdrawal from the race after a 16 month campaign, where he was a sharp critic of the incumbent Senator, who he referred to on his campaign website as a "free-trading corporate elitist" who "bought her seat", then "alienated and alarmed" her base.http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_071006WABmarkwilsonKC.45ceb0a1.html When asked by reporters if he still believed what he said about Cantwell during his primary bid, he stated: "I believed in it to a point in order to capitalize on what was already existent, which was a rift within the Democratic Party over the issue of the war." http://msnbc.msn.com/id/13801927/ Both Dixon and Tran have publicly doubted that Wilson's apparent change of heart was genuine, citing his paid position with the campaign and his initial refusal to disclose his salary.http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_071006WABmarkwilsonKC.45ceb0a1.html
On September 25, Joshua Frank
reported that Dixon was alleging that he had been contacted twice in July by Mark Wilson, who implied that large donations to Dixon's non-profit organization, Central House, would be made if he were to withdraw his candidacy before filing. Dixon also claimed that Wilson was not the only Cantwell staffer to contact him, but declined to disclose who the other staff was. Dixon also made this claim on a Democracy Now!
broadcast. http://www.worldnewstrust.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=218 David Postman of the Seattle Times contacted the Cantwell campaign about the allegations; their spokesperson didn't say it didn't happen, but stated that no one on the campaign had authorized to speak to Dixon about his campaign. The campaign did not allow access to Wilson so he could respond as to whether the conversation took place.http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/davidpostman/archives/2006/09/green_candidate_dixon_says_cantwell_campaign_wante.html Other reporters also have had trouble contacting Wilson in recent weeks; Susan Paynter
of the Seattle P-I, in an article on his shunning of the media, noted that there had been a widespread assumption after Wilson's hire that the intent was to silence him and that his disappearance only reinforced this assumption, calling it "the political equivalent of a farm subsidy." Paynter also quoted Hong Tran as saying that the reaction to Wilson's initial appearances on the campaign trail after he had joined Cantwell were so negative that she was not surprised he disappeared.http://seattlepi.com/paynter/285695_paynt20.html
While some of Washington's legislative districts did not give endorsements for the primary election, Cantwell received the sole endorsement of at least fourteen of the forty-nine legislative districts in the state http://www.34dems.org/endorsements.htmhttp://www.43rddems.org/http://www.wa47dems.org/. Hong Tran won the sole endorsement of one district, the 32nd (Cantwell's home district), and split dual endorsements with Cantwell in three others: the 40th, 25th, and 26th.http://seattlepi.com/local/285379_theothers16.html. Tran attended the endorsement meeting for the 32nd Legislative District in person and, according to one blogger who claims to have spoken to people who attended the meeting, made her positions clear and responded to questions. According to the blogger, Cantwell sent Mark Wilson in her stead, who was unable to defend Cantwell's votes in favor of the USA PATRIOT Act
, NAFTA
, CAFTA, and the Iraq War.http://www.washblog.com/story/2006/8/13/195246/768
On September 19, after her defeat in the Democratic primary, Hong Tran lamented to the Seattle Times of "how undemocratic the Democratic Party really is",http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/davidpostman/archives/2006/09/hong_tran_looks_to_the_next_race.html saying the state Democratic party had tried to keep her from getting attention, forbidding her from putting up signs at Coordinated Campaign events and not giving her access to the state party voter rolls.http://www.hongtran.com/press.php?id=2 Cantwell, whose campaign hired two of her early critics, had also refused to debate Tran. When asked before the primary whether she would endorse the senator if her primary bid proved unsuccessful, Tran had responded, "certainly not."http://washingtontimes.com/national/20060918-105742-6654r.htm
Speculation next centered on Rick White (who had taken Cantwell's House seat in 1994), state GOP chair Chris Vance, former Seattle television reporter Susan Hutchinson, and former 8th district Congressional candidate and Republican National Committee
member Diane Tebelius
. None of those chose to enter the race. Republican leaders finally got behind former Safeco Insurance CEO Mike McGavick.
studios in Seattle. Cantwell and McGavick were the only candidates included in the Eastern Washington debate, but Libertarian Bruce Guthrie, who had mortgaged his home and emptied his savings to loan his campaign $1.2 million to meet the debate's invitation requirements, joined them in the Seattle debate.http://seattlepi.com/local/289026_debatetv17ww.html
After failing to meet any of the requirements for an invitation to the Seattle debate, Aaron Dixon attempted to enter the KING-5 studios in order to participate in the debate. Accompanied by around 50 of his supporters, Dixon was prevented from entering the studios by station security and when Dixon refused to leave the building Seattle police were called and Dixon was arrested for investigation of trespassing.http://www.spokesmanreview.com/breaking/story.asp?ID=7681http://www.kirotv.com/news/10099705/detail.html
According to the Seattle P-I, Bruce Guthrie won the Seattle debate just by being there.http://seattlepi.com/local/289088_debate18.html McGavick and Cantwell mainly stuck to their tried and true campaign messages and Guthrie was able to expose his campaign messages to a wide audience, something most third-party candidates are not able to do.
Both McGavick and Cantwell have said that if they knew then what they know now they would have voted against the October 2002 Iraq Resolution
, but neither have been completely clear on where they stand on the current presence of US troops in Iraq.http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003199347_frist15m.html When questioned further, McGavick has said that discussing the legitimacy of the war is inappropriate until all the troops come home.http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003199347_frist15m.html Cantwell has declined to apologize for her vote in favor of the resolutionhttp://seattlepi.com/national/274038_cantwelliraq15.html and, according to her campaign site, Cantwell still favors U.S. forces remaining in Iraq until they "achieve stability through greater international cooperation".http://www.cantwell.com/issues/nationalsecurity/
Cantwell has voted in favor of beginning withdrawal of troops, albeit a non-binding amendment with no timetable for completion (the Levin-Reed Amendment to S.2766)http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00182, but voted against the Kerry-Feingold Amendment, which would have set a firm deadline of July 2007 for completing a withdrawal.http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00181http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/iraq/2003079936_iraqsenate23.html She also co-sponsored an amendment to prohibiting the establishment of permanent US bases in Iraq.http://cantwell.senate.gov/news/record.cfm?id=261416
On August 16, the Seattle Times criticized the vagueness of the major party candidates' positions on the war and demanded more clarity. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2003201424_questioned16.html The next day, Stuart Elway, director of The Elway Poll, described Cantwell's and McGavick's positions as "almost identical,".http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003204613_iraqpoll17m.html
Democratic primary challenger Tran, the Green Party's Dixon and Libertarian Guthrie all advocated an immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq.
. She explained her vote against the bill by noting that the bill would have represented a $5 per hour wage drop for over 120,000 tip workers in Washington and overridden existing state minimum wage laws and was an attempt by the Republican party to pass its estate tax cut bill, which continuously failed to pass on its own in the senate.http://seattlepi.com/local/6420AP_WA_Minimum_Wage_Wash.html?source=mypi
McGavick called Cantwell's vote against the bill "profoundly disappointing". http://seattlepi.com/local/6420AP_WA_Minimum_Wage_Wash.html?source=mypi
Democratic challenger Tran and the Green Party's Dixon favored raising the national minimum wage to a "living wage". Libertarian Guthrie advocated eliminating the minimum wage laws altogether.
which is intended to help candidates compete against wealthy opponents that self-finance their campaigns. The amendment allows supporters of the wealthy candidate's opponents to donate up to $12,600 in the primary and another $12,600 in the general election instead of $2,100 in the primary and general election. The McGavick campaign denied the amendment applies to Cantwell as the loan was made prior to the primary election and would only affect his Republican opponents.http://seattlepi.com/local/281072_mcgavick12.html
On August 29, the FEC issued a unanimous ruling on the question, saying that the millionaire's amendment was currently only triggered for McGavick's opponents in the primary; however, if either McGavick or Cantwell carry over some of their donations to their own campaign that were made in the primary into the general election, these donations would then trigger the Amendment.http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=webfeccantwell29&date=20060829&query=Millionaire+amendment
On October 1, Libertarian nominee Bruce Guthrie loaned his campaign nearly $1.2 million, but it is unclear if the loan triggers the amendment for McGavick and Cantwell. Both Cantwell and McGavick have a significant fund raising lead over Guthrie and the amendment might not be triggered in cases where the self-financed candidate is already out funded by their opponents.http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/davidpostman/archives/2006/09/libertarian_senate_candidate_loans_campaign_12_mil.html Guthrie apparently made the loan in order to get himself invited to a televised debate on a western Washington television station http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/davidpostman/archives/2006/10/more_on_guthries_1million_debate_ticket.html and he eventually repaid himself all but $6,000 of the loan. http://herndon1.sdrdc.com/cgi-bin/cancomsrs/?_06+S6WA00271
of alcohol when he blew a 0.17 in a breath analyzer
test, well above the .10 legal limit in Montgomery County, Maryland
.http://www.mikemcgavick.com/blogs_comments.asp?blogid=134 However, on September 1, the Everett Herald newspaper uncovered the original police report and disclosed that there was several inaccuracies in McGavick's recount, namely that he actually charged with running a "steady red light", not "cutting a yellow a little close" and he was actually arrested for the DUI, not merely cited.http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/06/09/01/100loc_c1mcgavick001.cfm The DUI charge was later removed from McGavick's record, in accordance with Maryland law, after completing an alcohol awareness program, paying a fine, and a year's probation.http://seattlepi.com/local/283622_mcgavick02.html According to Jennifer Duffy of the The Cook Political Report, McGavick's undermined the rationale of his campaign that he was not acting like a typical politician and his omissions caused cynical voters to think he acted like a typical politician.http://seattlepi.com/local/284751_senate12.html
Maria Cantwell
Maria E. Cantwell is the junior United States Senator from the state of Washington and a member of the Democratic Party....
won re-election to a second term.
Background
The filing deadline was July 28, 2006, with the primary held on September 19, 2006 http://www.politics1.com/wa.htm. Cantwell consistently led in polling throughout the race, although political analysts saw her as vulnerable this election cycle due to her extremely narrow win in 2000 and discontent among progressive voters. In November, The National JournalNational Journal
National Journal is a nonpartisan American weekly magazine that reports on the current political environment and emerging political and policy trends. National Journal was first published in 1969. Times Mirror owned the magazine from 1986 to 1997, when it was purchased by David G. Bradley...
ranked Cantwell's seat as number 13 of the top 20 races to watch based on the likelihood of switching party control, and the third-highest Democratic seat likely to flip.http://nationaljournal.com/racerankings/senate/ However, in an election marked by discontent over the Republican leadership in D.C., Cantwell easily won by a 16% margin of victory. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003366966_wasenate08m.html
Statewide politics in Washington have been dominated by the Democratic Party for many years. The governor, lieutenant governor, treasurer, state auditor, and insurance commissioner are Democrats, while only secretary of state, attorney general, and commissioner of public lands are Republican. Of the nine representatives Washington sends to the House of Representatives, six are Democrats. Democrat Patty Murray
Patty Murray
Patricia Lynn "Patty" Murray is the senior United States Senator from Washington and a member of the Democratic Party. Murray was first elected to the Senate in 1992, becoming Washington's first female senator...
is the state's senior senator. Cantwell won her initial election to the Senate in 2000 over 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...
by 2,229 votes. Due to the closeness of that race, and the close gubernatorial contest between Democrat Christine Gregoire
Christine Gregoire
Christine O'Grady "Chris" Gregoire 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...
and Republican 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 November 2004, many Republicans believe they have a strong chance of capturing Cantwell's seat in 2006.
Candidates
- Maria CantwellMaria CantwellMaria E. Cantwell is the junior United States Senator from the state of Washington and a member of the Democratic Party....
, incumbent U.S. Senator - Michael Goodspaceguy Nelson - Ran in the 2005 primary for King CountyKing County, WashingtonKing 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....
Executive and received 9.12% of the Democratic vote, former Libertarian primary candidate for Governor in 2004. - Mike The Mover - Moving company owner and perennial candidatePerennial candidateA perennial candidate is one who frequently runs for public office with a record of success that is infrequent, if existent at all. Perennial candidates are often either members of minority political parties or have political opinions that are not mainstream. They may run without any serious hope...
. Ran in the 2004 primary for Governor and received 1.96% of the Democratic vote. - Mohammad Said - Ran in the 2004 Democratic U.S. Senate primary. Received 1.75% of the Democratic vote.
- Hong TranHong TranHong Thi Tran was a candidate in the Washington Democratic Party primary election for the United States Senate in 2006, challenging incumbent Maria Cantwell. Tran received more than five percent of the Democratic vote, and her differing views from those of Maria Cantwell drew the attention of...
- an attorney from Seattle, WashingtonSeattle, WashingtonSeattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
who was born in VietnamVietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
; opposed to the Iraq War.http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=37188 http://news.ncmonline.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=52c23996cd9a31de22853db7d277810b - Mark Wilson - Former 2002 Libertarian candidate for U.S. Congress and 2004 Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate. Campaigned as a Democrat as a sharp anti-war critic of Senator Cantwell for 16 months, before withdrawing on July 9 and taking a paid position on the senator's campaign.
Campaign
On March 9, 2006, Aaron DixonAaron Dixon
Aaron Dixon is an American activist and a former captain of the Seattle chapter of the Black Panther Party for its initial four years. In 2006, he ran for the United States Senate in Washington state on the Green Party ticket....
announced his decision to seek the Green Party's
Green Party (United States)
The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties...
nomination for U.S. Senate, challenging Cantwell on her continued support for the U.S. presence in Iraq and the USA PATRIOT Act
USA PATRIOT Act
The USA PATRIOT Act is an Act of the U.S. Congress that was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001...
. On May 13, 2006, Mr. Dixon secured the party's nomination at the Green Party of Washington state's Spring Convention.
Initially, Cantwell had two challengers from within the Democratic primary, both of them taking strong stances against the Iraq war that brought attention to Cantwell's votes for the Iraq Resolution and against a timeline for withdrawal: Mark Wilson and Hong Tran
Hong Tran
Hong Thi Tran was a candidate in the Washington Democratic Party primary election for the United States Senate in 2006, challenging incumbent Maria Cantwell. Tran received more than five percent of the Democratic vote, and her differing views from those of Maria Cantwell drew the attention of...
. Three other Democrats also entered the primary race: Mike the Mover, Michael Goodspaceguy Nelson, and Mohammad H. Said.
On August 8, 2006, the incumbent Democratic Senator from Connecticut, Joe Lieberman
Joe Lieberman
Joseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman is the senior United States Senator from Connecticut. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was the party's nominee for Vice President in the 2000 election. Currently an independent, he remains closely affiliated with the party.Born in Stamford, Connecticut,...
, lost his primary race to challenger Ned Lamont
Ned Lamont
Edward Miner "Ned" Lamont, Jr. is a businessman and heir and most recently an unsuccessful candidate for the 2010 Democratic nomination for Governor of Connecticut. On May 22, 2010, Lamont received more than fifteen percent of the vote at the state Democratic convention, and appeared on the...
by 52%-48%, and appears to be following through on his earlier commitment to run as an Independent in the general election. A great deal of attention has focused on this race, as an early barometer of both anti-incumbent and anti-war sentiment nationwide. Comparisons have been made between Lieberman's troubles and Cantwell's re-election bid, citing Cantwell's vote in favor of the Iraq Resolution
Iraq Resolution
The Iraq Resolution or the Iraq War Resolution is a joint resolution passed by the United States Congress in October 2002 as Public Law No: 107-243, authorizing military action against Iraq.-Contents:The resolution cited many factors to justify the use of military force against...
that led to the war, her refusal to say she regretted the vote, and her vote against a timetable for withdrawal.http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/07/nyregion/07campaign.html?_r=1&ref=washington&oref=sloginhttp://mediamatters.org/items/200608060002http://www.nysun.com/article/37604?page_no=1 However, a Seattle P-I article notes that comparisons between Lieberman's loss and Cantwell's situation are limited at best. Unlike Lamont's campaign, Cantwell's anti-war opponents' campaigns have received much less funding and have not had the same support from the blogosphere that brought Lamont to prominence and improved his name recognition. Also, unlike Lieberman, Cantwell has altered her position on the war during her campaign and criticized the Bush Administration for its conduct of the war. She also hired her most vocal anti-war primary opponent, Mark Wilson, at $8,000-a-month salary, a move that was described by political commentators as "buying out" the opposition (which she also allegedly attempted with other anti-war challengers Hong Tran and Aaron Dixon) http://soundpolitics.com/archives/006979.html. The article does, however, note that, despite the differences in exact circumstances, the Lieberman defeat also shows that voters are in an anti-incumbent mood, which could create problems for Cantwell. http://seattlepi.com/local/280737_cantwell10.html This is supported by another P-I article that also notes that the primary loss of Lieberman and two House
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
incumbents, Michigan Republican Joe Schwarz
Joe Schwarz
John J. H. "Joe" Schwarz, M.D. , an independent politician from Michigan, was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2004 as a moderate Republican...
and Georgia Democrat Cynthia McKinney
Cynthia McKinney
Cynthia Ann McKinney is a former US Congresswoman and a member of the Green Party since 2007. As a member of the Democratic Party, she served six terms as a member of the United States House of Representatives. In 2008, the Green Party nominated McKinney for President of the United States...
, on the same day indicates that there may be a nationwide anti-incumbent trend. http://seattlepi.com/national/1130AP_Incumbents_Beware.html
Following the primary results, Cantwell endorsed Ned Lamont and McGavick responded by endorsing Senator Lieberman.http://www.kgw.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D8JD94VG1.html The Dixon campaign released a statement criticizing Cantwell's "spin and vague rhetoric" on the war, and equating her current position to a pro-war stance similar to Lieberman's.http://www.gp.org/press/states/wa_2006_08_16.shtml
On August 14, less than a week after Lamont's win and nearly four years after the actual event, Cantwell for the first time said she would have voted against the authorization to use force in Iraq if she knew then what she knows today.http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003199347_frist15m.html However, she did so only after hearing her opponent McGavick say that he would have voted against the authorization under those conditions.http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003204613_iraqpoll17m.html Cantwell has stated that she had no regrets for her vote in favor of the authorizationhttp://www.soapblox.net/36thdems/showDiary.do?diaryId=21 and has not changed that position.http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5682389
On July 9, anti-war challenger Mark Wilson announced he would abandon his bid, endorse Cantwell, and take a paid position offered by Cantwell's campaign, one day after progressive activist and anti-war critic Dal LaMagna had been hired to be the Cantwell campaign's co-chair. Initially, Cantwell's campaign refused to state how much they were paying Wilson, but under pressure from the media, disclosed that he was receiving $8,000 per month, only slightly less than Cantwell's campaign manager Matt Butler, who earns $8,731 per month. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2003129895_campaigned16.htmlhttp://seattlepi.com/local/277718_cantwell15.html The next day, Hong Tran received a call from LaMagna saying they would like her to join their campaign, in a context that she interpreted as a job offer, which she refused.http://seattlepi.com/local/277260_senate12.html Political commentators, including those at the Seattle Post Intelligencer and one at The Washington Times
The Washington Times
The Washington Times is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. It was founded in 1982 by Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, and until 2010 was owned by News World Communications, an international media conglomerate associated with the...
, expressed their views that Cantwell was attempting to eliminate the viable options anti-war Democrats had to voice their opinion on the war in the upcoming primary by having Wilson join her campaign and then soliciting Tran.http://washingtontimes.com/commentary/20060723-093644-5778r.htmhttp://seattlepi.com/jamieson/277134_robert11.htmlhttp://seattlepi.com/opinion/277298_cantwelled.html
http://seattlepi.com/paynter/285695_paynt20.html
Wilson's supporters and journalists expressed surprise at his withdrawal from the race after a 16 month campaign, where he was a sharp critic of the incumbent Senator, who he referred to on his campaign website as a "free-trading corporate elitist" who "bought her seat", then "alienated and alarmed" her base.http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_071006WABmarkwilsonKC.45ceb0a1.html When asked by reporters if he still believed what he said about Cantwell during his primary bid, he stated: "I believed in it to a point in order to capitalize on what was already existent, which was a rift within the Democratic Party over the issue of the war." http://msnbc.msn.com/id/13801927/ Both Dixon and Tran have publicly doubted that Wilson's apparent change of heart was genuine, citing his paid position with the campaign and his initial refusal to disclose his salary.http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_071006WABmarkwilsonKC.45ceb0a1.html
On September 25, Joshua Frank
Joshua Frank
Joshua Frank, born in Billings, Montana, is a journalist and progressive author living in the United States and covers current political and environmental topics...
reported that Dixon was alleging that he had been contacted twice in July by Mark Wilson, who implied that large donations to Dixon's non-profit organization, Central House, would be made if he were to withdraw his candidacy before filing. Dixon also claimed that Wilson was not the only Cantwell staffer to contact him, but declined to disclose who the other staff was. Dixon also made this claim on a Democracy Now!
Democracy Now!
Democracy Now! and its staff have received several journalism awards, including the Gracie Award from American Women in Radio & Television; the George Polk Award for its 1998 radio documentary Drilling and Killing: Chevron and Nigeria's Oil Dictatorship, on the Chevron Corporation and the deaths of...
broadcast. http://www.worldnewstrust.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=218 David Postman of the Seattle Times contacted the Cantwell campaign about the allegations; their spokesperson didn't say it didn't happen, but stated that no one on the campaign had authorized to speak to Dixon about his campaign. The campaign did not allow access to Wilson so he could respond as to whether the conversation took place.http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/davidpostman/archives/2006/09/green_candidate_dixon_says_cantwell_campaign_wante.html Other reporters also have had trouble contacting Wilson in recent weeks; Susan Paynter
Susan Paynter
Susan Paynter is a journalist and regular columnist for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Her column is featured in the lifestyle section, and addresses social issues of varying gravity. She has historically written columns that deal with civil rights and social equality, as well as everyday issues...
of the Seattle P-I, in an article on his shunning of the media, noted that there had been a widespread assumption after Wilson's hire that the intent was to silence him and that his disappearance only reinforced this assumption, calling it "the political equivalent of a farm subsidy." Paynter also quoted Hong Tran as saying that the reaction to Wilson's initial appearances on the campaign trail after he had joined Cantwell were so negative that she was not surprised he disappeared.http://seattlepi.com/paynter/285695_paynt20.html
While some of Washington's legislative districts did not give endorsements for the primary election, Cantwell received the sole endorsement of at least fourteen of the forty-nine legislative districts in the state http://www.34dems.org/endorsements.htmhttp://www.43rddems.org/http://www.wa47dems.org/. Hong Tran won the sole endorsement of one district, the 32nd (Cantwell's home district), and split dual endorsements with Cantwell in three others: the 40th, 25th, and 26th.http://seattlepi.com/local/285379_theothers16.html. Tran attended the endorsement meeting for the 32nd Legislative District in person and, according to one blogger who claims to have spoken to people who attended the meeting, made her positions clear and responded to questions. According to the blogger, Cantwell sent Mark Wilson in her stead, who was unable to defend Cantwell's votes in favor of the USA PATRIOT Act
USA PATRIOT Act
The USA PATRIOT Act is an Act of the U.S. Congress that was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001...
, NAFTA
North American Free Trade Agreement
The North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA is an agreement signed by the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The agreement came into force on January 1, 1994. It superseded the Canada – United States Free Trade Agreement...
, CAFTA, and the Iraq War.http://www.washblog.com/story/2006/8/13/195246/768
On September 19, after her defeat in the Democratic primary, Hong Tran lamented to the Seattle Times of "how undemocratic the Democratic Party really is",http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/davidpostman/archives/2006/09/hong_tran_looks_to_the_next_race.html saying the state Democratic party had tried to keep her from getting attention, forbidding her from putting up signs at Coordinated Campaign events and not giving her access to the state party voter rolls.http://www.hongtran.com/press.php?id=2 Cantwell, whose campaign hired two of her early critics, had also refused to debate Tran. When asked before the primary whether she would endorse the senator if her primary bid proved unsuccessful, Tran had responded, "certainly not."http://washingtontimes.com/national/20060918-105742-6654r.htm
Polling
| Source | Date | Cantwell | Nelson | Mike the Mover | Said | Tran | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SurveyUSA | August 17, 2006 | 90% | 3% | 0% | 2% | 2% | 3% |
Results
From the Washington Secretary of Statehttp://vote.wa.gov/elections/PrimaryResults/Results.aspx?o=8f43af96-81c1-47c6-8b5f-3ad9dee0e6adBackground
In early hypothetical matchups in 2005 compiled by conservative pollster Strategic Vision http://www.strategicvision.biz/political/washington_poll_0520.htm, Rossi led Cantwell. Republican leadership reportedly pleaded with Rossi to jump into the ring. Rossi declined.Speculation next centered on Rick White (who had taken Cantwell's House seat in 1994), state GOP chair Chris Vance, former Seattle television reporter Susan Hutchinson, and former 8th district Congressional candidate and Republican National Committee
Republican National Committee
The Republican National Committee is an American political committee that provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is...
member Diane Tebelius
Diane Tebelius
Diane Tebelius is an American attorney and former federal prosecutor, Tebelius was the chair of the Republican Party of Washington from 2006 to 2007...
. None of those chose to enter the race. Republican leaders finally got behind former Safeco Insurance CEO Mike McGavick.
Candidates
- Brad Klippert - U.S. Army Reserves veteran. 2004 Republican primary candidate for U.S. Senate (received 5.72% of the Republican vote) and self-described "God fearing, Bible-believingBible believerBible believer is a self-description by conservative Christians to differentiate their teachings from others who see non- or extrabiblical tradition as higher or equal in authority.In normal usage, "Bible believer" means an individual or organisation that believes the Christian Bible is true in some...
, Ten Commandment honoring, evangelicalEvangelicalismEvangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
ChristianChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
." - Warren E. Hanson - Commercial fisherman and perennial candidate. Ran as a Democrat in the 2004 Senate primary and received 6.04% of the Democratic vote.
- B. Barry Massoudi - Founder, Cubicon management consulting; former chairman, Mercer Island Arts Council. http://www.ci.mercer-island.wa.us/Agendas.asp?Display=Minutes&AMID=1037.
- Gordon Allen Pross - Ran in the 2004 Republican Senate primary and received 1.59% of the Republican vote.
- William Edward Chovil - Ran in the 2004 Republican Senate primary and received 0.95% of the Republican vote. Running on a platform of opposition to what he refers to as "National and Global Communism and Socialism".
- C. Mark Greene - Legal Assistant and Armed Forces veteran. Won 47% in the 2004 Republican House of Representatives primary (9th District). Emphasizes anti-imperialism platform in his campaigns. Failed to secure ballot access through a lack of filing fee waiver petition signatures. Filed Writ of Mandamus request in Thurston County Superior Court to be admitted to ballot.
Polling
| Source | Date | Chovil | Hanson | Klippert | Massoudi | McGavick | Pross | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SurveyUSA | August 17, 2006 | 3% | 6% | 3% | 2% | 66% | 1% | 19% |
Results
From the Washington Secretary of Statehttp://vote.wa.gov/elections/PrimaryResults/Results.aspx?o=8f43af96-81c1-47c6-8b5f-3ad9dee0e6adCandidates
| Candidate | Party | Biography |
|---|---|---|
 Maria Cantwell Maria Cantwell Maria E. Cantwell is the junior United States Senator from the state of Washington and a member of the Democratic Party.... |
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... |
Incumbent and former U.S. Representative, won U.S. Senate seat in 2000 over 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... by a 2,229 vote margin. -- Candidate statement |
| Mike McGavick Mike McGavick Michael S. "Mike" McGavick is an American business executive and a graduate of the University of Washington.... |
Republican |
Chairman & former CEO Chief executive officer A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization... of Safeco Safeco Safeco Insurance, a member of Liberty Mutual Group, is a national U.S. insurance company. It holds naming rights to the Seattle Mariners' baseball stadium, Safeco Field.- History :... . He resigned as CEO when he became a candidate. -- statement |
| Bruce Guthrie Bruce Guthrie Bruce Guthrie is an American politician and lecturer in the Department of Management at Western Washington University. He is also a competitive speed skater, and a coach in the Whatcom Speed Skating Club and developmentally disabled adults through NW Washington Special Olympics... |
Libertarian |
Chair of the Whatcom County Whatcom County, Washington Whatcom County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. Its name ultimately derives from the Lummi word Xwotʼqom, meaning "noisy water." As of 2010, the population was 201,140. The county seat is at Bellingham, which is also the county's largest city... Libertarian Party and 2004 U.S. Congressional candidate. -- statement |
 Aaron Dixon Aaron Dixon Aaron Dixon is an American activist and a former captain of the Seattle chapter of the Black Panther Party for its initial four years. In 2006, he ran for the United States Senate in Washington state on the Green Party ticket.... |
Green Green Party (United States) The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties... |
Former captain of the Seattle chapter of the Black Panther Party Black Panther Party The Black Panther Party wasan African-American revolutionary leftist organization. It was active in the United States from 1966 until 1982.... , longtime community activist. -- Candidate statement |
 Robin Adair |
Independent | -- Candidate statement |
Debates
McGavick and Cantwell participated in two televised debates; one in Eastern Washington, sponsored by the Spokane Rotary, and another filmed at KING-5KING-TV
KING-TV, virtual channel 5, is a television station in Seattle, Washington, affiliated with the NBC network. Owned by Belo Corporation, it broadcasts on UHF digital channel 48. Its offices and broadcasting center are located just east of Seattle Center...
studios in Seattle. Cantwell and McGavick were the only candidates included in the Eastern Washington debate, but Libertarian Bruce Guthrie, who had mortgaged his home and emptied his savings to loan his campaign $1.2 million to meet the debate's invitation requirements, joined them in the Seattle debate.http://seattlepi.com/local/289026_debatetv17ww.html
After failing to meet any of the requirements for an invitation to the Seattle debate, Aaron Dixon attempted to enter the KING-5 studios in order to participate in the debate. Accompanied by around 50 of his supporters, Dixon was prevented from entering the studios by station security and when Dixon refused to leave the building Seattle police were called and Dixon was arrested for investigation of trespassing.http://www.spokesmanreview.com/breaking/story.asp?ID=7681http://www.kirotv.com/news/10099705/detail.html
According to the Seattle P-I, Bruce Guthrie won the Seattle debate just by being there.http://seattlepi.com/local/289088_debate18.html McGavick and Cantwell mainly stuck to their tried and true campaign messages and Guthrie was able to expose his campaign messages to a wide audience, something most third-party candidates are not able to do.
Iraq War
According to a CBS News poll conducted August 11 - August 13, 28% of Americans feel that the Iraq War as the most important problem facing the country.http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/08/14/opinion/polls/main1890820.shtml An November 6 poll conducted by Strategic Vision indicated that 68% of Washingtonians approve of an "immediate withdrawal of United States military forces from Iraq, within six months".http://www.strategicvision.biz/political/washington_poll_110606.htmBoth McGavick and Cantwell have said that if they knew then what they know now they would have voted against the October 2002 Iraq Resolution
Iraq Resolution
The Iraq Resolution or the Iraq War Resolution is a joint resolution passed by the United States Congress in October 2002 as Public Law No: 107-243, authorizing military action against Iraq.-Contents:The resolution cited many factors to justify the use of military force against...
, but neither have been completely clear on where they stand on the current presence of US troops in Iraq.http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003199347_frist15m.html When questioned further, McGavick has said that discussing the legitimacy of the war is inappropriate until all the troops come home.http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003199347_frist15m.html Cantwell has declined to apologize for her vote in favor of the resolutionhttp://seattlepi.com/national/274038_cantwelliraq15.html and, according to her campaign site, Cantwell still favors U.S. forces remaining in Iraq until they "achieve stability through greater international cooperation".http://www.cantwell.com/issues/nationalsecurity/
Cantwell has voted in favor of beginning withdrawal of troops, albeit a non-binding amendment with no timetable for completion (the Levin-Reed Amendment to S.2766)http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00182, but voted against the Kerry-Feingold Amendment, which would have set a firm deadline of July 2007 for completing a withdrawal.http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00181http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/iraq/2003079936_iraqsenate23.html She also co-sponsored an amendment to prohibiting the establishment of permanent US bases in Iraq.http://cantwell.senate.gov/news/record.cfm?id=261416
On August 16, the Seattle Times criticized the vagueness of the major party candidates' positions on the war and demanded more clarity. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2003201424_questioned16.html The next day, Stuart Elway, director of The Elway Poll, described Cantwell's and McGavick's positions as "almost identical,".http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003204613_iraqpoll17m.html
Democratic primary challenger Tran, the Green Party's Dixon and Libertarian Guthrie all advocated an immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq.
Minimum wage
Despite voting against a bill that would have raised the minimum wage, extended sales tax deductions, and cut estate taxes, Cantwell supports an increase in the federal minimum wageMinimum wage
A minimum wage is the lowest hourly, daily or monthly remuneration that employers may legally pay to workers. Equivalently, it is the lowest wage at which workers may sell their labour. Although minimum wage laws are in effect in a great many jurisdictions, there are differences of opinion about...
. She explained her vote against the bill by noting that the bill would have represented a $5 per hour wage drop for over 120,000 tip workers in Washington and overridden existing state minimum wage laws and was an attempt by the Republican party to pass its estate tax cut bill, which continuously failed to pass on its own in the senate.http://seattlepi.com/local/6420AP_WA_Minimum_Wage_Wash.html?source=mypi
McGavick called Cantwell's vote against the bill "profoundly disappointing". http://seattlepi.com/local/6420AP_WA_Minimum_Wage_Wash.html?source=mypi
Democratic challenger Tran and the Green Party's Dixon favored raising the national minimum wage to a "living wage". Libertarian Guthrie advocated eliminating the minimum wage laws altogether.
Millionaire Amendment
On August 11, Mike McGavick loaned his campaign $2 million. Some observers thought that the donation could trigger "millionaire's amendment" of the 2002 Campaign Reform ActBipartisan Campaign Reform Act
The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 is a United States federal law that amended the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, which regulates the financing of political campaigns. Its chief sponsors were Senators Russell Feingold and John McCain...
which is intended to help candidates compete against wealthy opponents that self-finance their campaigns. The amendment allows supporters of the wealthy candidate's opponents to donate up to $12,600 in the primary and another $12,600 in the general election instead of $2,100 in the primary and general election. The McGavick campaign denied the amendment applies to Cantwell as the loan was made prior to the primary election and would only affect his Republican opponents.http://seattlepi.com/local/281072_mcgavick12.html
On August 29, the FEC issued a unanimous ruling on the question, saying that the millionaire's amendment was currently only triggered for McGavick's opponents in the primary; however, if either McGavick or Cantwell carry over some of their donations to their own campaign that were made in the primary into the general election, these donations would then trigger the Amendment.http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=webfeccantwell29&date=20060829&query=Millionaire+amendment
On October 1, Libertarian nominee Bruce Guthrie loaned his campaign nearly $1.2 million, but it is unclear if the loan triggers the amendment for McGavick and Cantwell. Both Cantwell and McGavick have a significant fund raising lead over Guthrie and the amendment might not be triggered in cases where the self-financed candidate is already out funded by their opponents.http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/davidpostman/archives/2006/09/libertarian_senate_candidate_loans_campaign_12_mil.html Guthrie apparently made the loan in order to get himself invited to a televised debate on a western Washington television station http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/davidpostman/archives/2006/10/more_on_guthries_1million_debate_ticket.html and he eventually repaid himself all but $6,000 of the loan. http://herndon1.sdrdc.com/cgi-bin/cancomsrs/?_06+S6WA00271
McGavick's DUI arrest
The McGavick campaign suffered a setback when on August 24 McGavick claimed on his campaign blog to have been cited in 1993 and charged with driving under the influenceDriving under the influence
Driving under the influence is the act of driving a motor vehicle with blood levels of alcohol in excess of a legal limit...
of alcohol when he blew a 0.17 in a breath analyzer
Breathalyzer
A breathalyzer or breathalyser is a device for estimating blood alcohol content from a breath sample...
test, well above the .10 legal limit in Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
.http://www.mikemcgavick.com/blogs_comments.asp?blogid=134 However, on September 1, the Everett Herald newspaper uncovered the original police report and disclosed that there was several inaccuracies in McGavick's recount, namely that he actually charged with running a "steady red light", not "cutting a yellow a little close" and he was actually arrested for the DUI, not merely cited.http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/06/09/01/100loc_c1mcgavick001.cfm The DUI charge was later removed from McGavick's record, in accordance with Maryland law, after completing an alcohol awareness program, paying a fine, and a year's probation.http://seattlepi.com/local/283622_mcgavick02.html According to Jennifer Duffy of the The Cook Political Report, McGavick's undermined the rationale of his campaign that he was not acting like a typical politician and his omissions caused cynical voters to think he acted like a typical politician.http://seattlepi.com/local/284751_senate12.html
Fundraising
Totals as of December 18, 2006 http://www.opensecrets.org/races/summary.asp?cycle=2006&id=WAS1:| Candidate | Party | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cantwell, Maria | Democrat | $18,873,026 | $16,516,060 | $338,024 |
| McGavick, Mike | Republican | $10,821,279 | $10,796,775 | $24,502 |
| Guthrie, Bruce | Libertarian | $100,345 | $82,900 | $13,201 |
| Dixon, Aaron | Green | $87,699 | $85,179 | $2,520 |
| Adair, Robin | Independent | $16,199 | $16,079 | $120 |
Polling
| Source | Date | Cantwell (D) | McGavick (R) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strategic Vision (R) | November 6, 2006 | 53% | 42% |
| Mason-Dixon/MSNBC | November 5, 2006 | 54% | 38% |
| Zogby/WSJ | October 31, 2006 | 50% | 46% |
| Rasmussen | October 30, 2006 | 54% | 42% |
| Mason-Dixon/MSNBC | October 24, 2006 | 52% | 37% |
| Strategic Vision (R) | October 20, 2006 | 51% | 42% |
| Rasmussen | October 17, 2006 | 53% | 38% |
| Zogby/WSJ | October 16, 2006 | 52% | 45% |
| Mason-Dixon/MSNBC | October 2, 2006 | 50% | 40% |
| Elway | October 1, 2006 | 53% | 35% |
| Strategic Vision (R) | September 28, 2006 | 49% | 40% |
| Zogby/WSJ | September 28, 2006 | 50% | 43% |
| Rasmussen | September 20, 2006 | 48% | 42% |
| Rasmussen | September 12, 2006 | 52% | 35% |
| Zogby/WSJ | September 11, 2006 | 50% | 42% |
| Strategic Vision (R) | August 29, 2006 | 48% | 43% |
| Zogby/WSJ | August 28, 2006 | 51% | 43% |
| Rasmussen | August 24, 2006 | 46% | 40% |
| Strategic Vision (R) | July 26, 2006 | 48% | 44% |
| Zogby/WSJ | July 24, 2006 | 49% | 42% |
| Elway | July 22, 2006 | 47% | 33% |
| Rasmussen | July 17, 2006 | 48% | 37% |
| Strategic Vision (R) | June 30, 2006 | 47% | 43% |
| Zogby/WSJ | June 21, 2006 | 48% | 43% |
| Rasmussen | June 19, 2006 | 44% | 40% |
| Strategic Vision (R) | May 24, 2006 | 47% | 42% |
| Rasmussen | May 16, 2006 | 46% | 41% |
| Elway | May 5, 2006 | 52% | 23% |
| Strategic Vision (R) | April 26, 2006 | 48% | 40% |
| Rasmussen | April 13, 2006 | 48% | 40% |
| Strategic Vision (R) | March 31, 2006 | 49% | 39% |
| Zogby/WSJ | March 31, 2006 | 49% | 42% |
| Rasmussen | March 20, 2006 | 49% | 36% |
| Strategic Vision (R) | February 15, 2006 | 48% | 40% |
| Rasmussen | February 12, 2006 | 50% | 36% |
| Elway http://www.horsesass.org/index.php?p=1422 | February 9, 2006 | 55% | 25% |
| Rasmussen | January 5, 2006 | 51% | 36% |
| Strategic Vision (R) | December 7, 2005 | 50% | 39% |
| Rasmussen | December 5, 2005 | 52% | 37% |
| Rasmussen | November 10, 2005 | 52% | 37% |
| Strategic Vision (R) | October 27, 2005 | 48% | 39% |
| Zogby/WSJ | September 29, 2005 | 49% | 39% |
| Strategic Vision (R) | September 2005 | 49% | 39% |
| Strategic Vision (R) | August 2005 | 46% | 38% |
Results
From the Washington Secretary of Statehttp://vote.wa.gov/Elections/general/Results.aspx?o=8f43af96-81c1-47c6-8b5f-3ad9dee0e6ad