Dave Reichert outpaces Karen Porterfield to represent Issaquah in Congress
November 6, 2012
By Warren Kagarise
Karen Porterfield
Dave Reichert
UPDATED — 11:10 p.m. Nov. 6, 2012
Dave Reichert is poised to return to Washington, D.C., to represent Issaquah and the 8th Congressional District.
Reichert, a former King County sheriff and Auburn Republican, faced Issaquah Democrat Karen Porterfield, a nonprofit professional and adjunct instructor at Seattle University.
Reichert led, 59 percent to 41 percent, in the initial results released Tuesday night.
The district stretches from Auburn to Issaquah, and then across the Cascades to Ellensburg and Wenatchee.
“We toured cities from Eatonville to Chelan, and I heard the same thing, ‘We’ve got to get the economy moving again,’” Reichert said at the GOP election night celebration in Bellevue. “I’m in a good position to do that in the Ways & Means Committee.”
Reichert and the Republican candidate for governor, state Attorney General Rob McKenna, greeted phone bank volunteers at Reichert’s campaign headquarters in Issaquah on Monday.
“We were out in the community, in businesses in Issaquah, our business offices and our campaign offices are in Issaquah,” Reichert said at the election night celebration. “We are excited to be part of the Issaquah community.”
Porterfield conceded the race after the initial results arrived. (In King County, she garnered about 44 percent of ballots counted in the initial round, to Reichert’s 56 percent.)
“Campaigning was the hardest work that I’ve ever done and the most fun that I’ve ever had,” she said after leaving the Democrats’ election night celebration at the Westin Seattle.
Reichert held on amid spirited challenges from Democrats in 2006, 2008 and 2010. Redistricting last year reshaped the landscape for the district, and the 2012 race did not attract the same attention as the earlier battles.
Porterfield said the attention on competitive races elsewhere in the state shifted the focus from the 8th District contest. The novice candidate said facing a seasoned incumbent also posed a challenge.
Reporter Sebastian Moraga contributed to this report.
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7 Responses to “Dave Reichert outpaces Karen Porterfield to represent Issaquah in Congress”
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Well of course Reichert won. Slade took care of that. It is to bad, however, in order to win, they had to go to very conservative eastern WA to ensure Reichert’s position for him. Not much credibility or integrity there. It also ensures that Issaquah will never be leaning forward to progress or mend the problem that it took eight years plus to make. Reichert might hear things along the way but is he listening. Let’s see, he votes no on women, children, the poor, the sick, the old, the informed and oh yes. the jobs bill, but he did sign the pledge to Grover Norquist. I am sorry people don’t care about these United States enough to really know how DR performs in Congress. Representation is a joke and we are stuck. Thank you Slade, your gerrymandering, as slick as it was, worked.
Ever since I read Ann Rule’s take on what this guy did to take credit for capturing the Green River killer, I’ve had a low opinion of him. Just another self-serving ego winning a popularity contest. Sad for our area.
Reichert does not represent the people of Issaquah. I will support any effort to reverse the right-wing gerrymandering scam.
Without a doubt, Dave Reichert is a self-serving career politician that should have been tossed out with the rest of the rubbish after his vote FOR the “bailout” in 2008. Bad for the country, bad for the community, bad for our environment.
It’s a shame that Reichert would relocate his Mercer Island office to the
wonderful, progressive community of Issaquah. Why not go over the pass
to a community that is more representative of a congressperson who voted
against the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, Planned Parenthood ( located in Issaquah),
Title X Family Planning, the list goes on. Reichert has never introduced meaningful legislation and has rubber stamped every Tea Party proposal put before him. As he stated during his debate with Darcie Burner, all he does in his job is to follow the instructions of the GOP.
We need an innovative, independent thinker that will work hard to help our
growing community be the very best it can be. The people in this last election
spoke loud and clear they no longer want the do nothing partisan politics of
the last few years from a Congress with a approval rating in the 20′s. It’s sad
Issaquah was caught up in the gerrymandering that took place and is
represented by a party member who’s party is broken and out of touch with
the future of the country.
rep reichert has 2 more years to un-impress his new constituents. let’s hope he does so and is finally replaced. i’m counting the days.
What a dud! The kindest word I could think of this creep. Glad i live in California though we also have plenty like him unfortunately.