Rossi's choice loses for GOP chair

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Monday, January 30, 2006

Rossi's choice loses for GOP chair
Tebelius voted in despite strong campaign for her rival

By NEIL MODIE
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Dino Rossi, the once and likely future Republican candidate for governor, has been defeated in an election in which he wasn't even running.

Defeated by grass-roots Republicans, no less, who generally revere him.


	Diane Tebelius called Dino Rossi "a wonderful guy. ... He is going to be the next governor."

In electing Diane Tebelius of Bellevue the party's new state chairwoman Saturday, the Republican State Committee rejected Fredi Simpson of Wenatchee despite ardent campaigning on Simpson's behalf by Rossi and endorsements of her by a number of party establishment leaders and elected officials. The vote was 60 to 54.

Rossi lost the 2004 election for governor by 129 votes and is considered the party front-runner for the job again in 2008. During the state GOP's weekend meeting in Tukwila, he lobbied for Simpson, the party vice chairwoman, at a reception Friday night and spoke on her behalf at gatherings Saturday.

Rossi also reportedly phoned and wrote to state committee members -- three from each county -- urging support for Simpson. She had been an Eastern Washington leader in his campaign. Other efforts reportedly were made by several Republican political operatives and consultants who have ties to Rossi, party leaders, former Sen. Slade Gorton and 2006 Senate candidate Mike McGavick, Gorton's former chief of staff.

Tebelius was magnanimous in an interview Sunday, calling Rossi "a wonderful guy. ... We are going to work to encourage Dino to run (again in 2008), and he is going to be the next governor." She said the party is unified. Rossi couldn't be reached for comment.

Ironically, Tebelius, 57, is a longtime stalwart of the party leadership while Simpson, although backed by what some saw as would-be GOP kingmakers, is a relative newcomer to Republican politics. Simpson is the Chelan County vice chairwoman as well as the state chairwoman.

Tebelius, an attorney and former Justice Department prosecutor, has been the state's Republican national committeewoman since 2000 and a member of the state party executive board since 1998. She previously held local party offices and was an unsuccessful candidate for Congress.

"I think my election has really revitalized the (GOP) grass roots," she said. "They really feel there is someone here who cares about their interests. This is no longer a top-down administration in the Republican Party."

She was elected despite endorsements of Simpson by such party bigwigs as Rossi, U.S. Reps Dave Reichert and Doc Hastings and Attorney General Rob McKenna. Both major political parties, meeting three miles apart Saturday, elected sharp-tongued, sharp-elbowed, campaign-hardened leaders. The new state Democratic chairman, Dwight Pelz, 54, a former King County councilman from Seattle, is, like Tebelius, known as a tough, capable partisan.


	Dwight Pelz said Tebelius "seems like a professional. She's just working for the wrong team."

They succeed Paul Berendt, the state Democratic chairman for 11 years, and Vance, the Republican chairman for five years. Both resigned midway through their current two-year terms.

Berendt has said he is looking at new career options but hasn't settled on a new job yet. Vance is expected to join the Gallatin Group, a Northwest lobbying and public affairs consulting firm composed of former congressional staffers and political operatives.

The two new chairmen expressed wary respect for each other Sunday. Pelz labeled Tebelius "Chris Vance with a skirt," alluding to the former GOP chairman's tart partisan tongue, but added: "She seems like a professional. She's just working for the wrong team."

Tebelius said Pelz is "highly competent ... I think he is focused, and I am focused, too."

The state Democratic Central Committee, meeting in Kent, chose Pelz, a one-time union and community organizer, over former state Rep. Laura Ruderman of Redmond. The vote was 95 to 70 on the second ballot after a third candidate, Pierce County Democratic Chairwoman Jean Brooks, was eliminated on the first ballot.

For both parties, the main 2006 focus will be on this fall's U.S. Senate election, in which Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell is expected to face Mike McGavick, the former chairman of Safeco.

And both parties remain deeply in debt from the litigation costs of the contested 2004 election for governor.

The state GOP formally endorsed McGavick Saturday, freeing up national Republican campaign organizations to help finance his campaign.

P-I reporter Neil Modie can be reached at 206-448-8321 or neilmodie@seattlepi.com.

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