Spokane7
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October 1, 2011 in City
Baumgartner says he’ll run for U.S. Senate
First-term legislator tells Seattle TV station of plans
After less than a year in the state Senate, Michael Baumgartner plans to run for the other Senate in the other Washington by entering the race against Democrat Maria Cantwell.
Baumgartner, a Republican who won the most expensive legislative race in state history last year in Spokane’s 6th District, told a Seattle television station he will announce his campaign against Cantwell next week.
The former State Department officer has been rumored for weeks to be considering the race, but said as recently as Wednesday he planned to take the weekend to talk with family before making a decision. But in an interview with KING-TV taped Friday for that station’s weekly news magazine, he said he’ll run.
That would make him the first Republican to announce a campaign against two-term incumbent Cantwell, who easily defeated Seattle businessman Mike McGavick in 2006 by about 350,000 votes. A former state legislator and one-term U.S. representative, Cantwell was first elected to the Senate in 2000, defeating Republican Slade Gorton in a close race.
Baumgartner said earlier this week that if he runs, one of his main issues will be foreign policy and the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He served in both countries while in the State Department and currently lectures on the Middle East.
Democrats appear poised to label Baumgartner an opportunist who is using the Legislature as a steppingstone to higher office. During a campaign appearance last year, he denied opponent Chris Marr’s contention that he’d use the state Senate seat that way, arguing Marr was projecting his own ambitions.
Although there is more than a year before the 2012 election, part of Baumgartner’s time during that period is spoken for. As a legislator, he faces a special session on the state’s budget problems that starts Nov. 28, and a regular, 60-day session that starts in January.
Earlier, when Baumgartner said he was considering the race, he said he wouldn’t give up his state Senate seat, but instead would cut back on outside employment.
As a candidate just entering the race, Baumgartner immediately faces several obstacles. One is money. Cantwell had raised $2.7 million as of July 1, the last date federal candidates were required to report, even though she had no announced opponent.
Another is name recognition. As a freshman legislator from one of 49 districts, Baumgartner is relatively unknown and will need to spend money to become familiar to the state’s voters.
The third is geography. About 75 percent of the state’s voters live in Western Washington, where Baumgartner is an unknown quantity. No candidate from Eastern Washington has won a U.S. Senate seat since C.C. Dill in 1928. George Nethercutt, a congressman who’d served five terms in the House after defeating Speaker Tom Foley, was the last to try. He lost to Democrat Patty Murray in 2004.
Supermajority for taxes unconstitutional, judge rules 
jimvw2 on October 01 at 8:20 a.m.
Hooray!! This enemy of working people in Washington state will be out of our Legislature! I’m getting out my checkbook to write a doanation to Cantwell. Let’s use this egotistical leap of his to send him back to the unemployment line. He can be just another jettisoned public employee. I hope Cantwell and the voters of Puget Sound stomp that puffed up Ken doll. Adios, you phony.
Dazzeetrader11 on October 01 at 10:48 a.m.
Oh Jimmy………why the long face;( Your little inflated union boys were looking for more bribe money from Cantwell…and now a true AMERICAN like Mike Baumgartner is taking a run at your handout princess? Wahhhhhhh…..
Look…you slobs have been stealing my money for years. The US money is drained from the activities of Cantwell types. Sorry Jimmy…this oinker is exactly what we DON’T need. We need people like Mike to fix this country. He’s a wonder man and a new father plus he’s a patriot. Harvard man. A true man of the people. A farmboy who went to Harvard.
Cantwell put $8 million of her own money ( Corprate Microsoft money) to get elected to bribe the electorate. Mike will need a large presence in the Seattle area. Fair minded Americans who know strategy and tactics will support that. I’ve already allocated $thousands$ to support Mike Lots of support for Mike. America knows socialists who take advantage……Cantwell is one of them. PLUS Mike is very handsome:) That counts for something!
Go Mike!
DickAdams on October 01 at 11:13 a.m.
How many times has Cantwell called a press conference broadcasting she is investigating the high gasoline prices? At least 3 times I know of. Her BS did nothing to change gas prices. One more item, when Cantwell first ran for senator, she said she would use her own money rather than the federal campaign funding. The end result, Cantwell reached into the fed cash register where there was campaign money and withdrew as much money as she could. Cantwell is a fast learner. Mike Baumgartner, IMO is the lesser of two evils. Who knows he may turn to be another Scoop Jackson.
SpokyDaBear on October 01 at 11:29 a.m.
He is just following Obama and plans to run for President.
Dazzeetrader11 on October 01 at 12:13 p.m.
A very good man Dick. I’ve come to know him and his parents. Highest standards. A very principled guy. I’m going to support him.
His parents are “salt of the earth” Normal people. Mike himself is very bright and quick to grasp concepts. He knows what’s wrong in the US. He’ll do much more for us the Cantwellhas in her three terms. She has done nothing but spend.
jane on October 01 at 12:22 p.m.
Same guy who ran a campaign falsely implying that Marr had been accused of sexual harassment? principled? My we have short memories. Think those that have forgotten his gross behaviour are now known as low information voters…..scary.
Byrdie714 on October 01 at 12:26 p.m.
He doesn’t have the experience, plus he is already abandoning his responsibility that we elected him to in the state senate.
Dazzeetrader11 on October 01 at 4:30 p.m.
No…he’s got more experience than Cantwell OR Murray had when they ran….Just a silly idea Byrdie.
But…for your viewing pleasure….:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVuOyTb3v7A
misjustice on October 01 at 5:00 p.m.
Cantwell for the EASY win!
Bummer doesn’t play well on the west side of the state which with the population base is critical for securing the election; only here in the depressed eastern district.
Oh, and in Dazee’s lil’ midnight fantasies!
DickAdams on October 01 at 9:14 p.m.
jane doe, says Marr had been accused of sexual harassment. Janie better do further investigating at the court house regarding Marr. Oh yeah, another thing, Marr was the lead cheerleader for the Cowles gang, during the River Park Square garage scandal. Marr offered testimony at a city council meeting I attended once. His pathetic pandering for the project make me sick. janie, do you understand if you are a homeowner some of your real estate tax is for the debt the corrupted players passed onto the taxpayers to pay for a parking garage, which they gave back to the Cowles free and clear, and the debt will not be paid off until 2030??
jane on October 01 at 10:25 p.m.
Thank you Adams for emphasizing my point about misinformed voters. I made no comment in reference.to the credibility of Chris Marr except how Baumgartner allowed a false malicious ad go on without comment. Rather than address the facts, you whine on with some unrelated subjective allegations. While most of the media patronize people like you with the friendly term ‘uninformed’, I have to stick with ignorant. Must be blissful in your world.
Traveler on October 01 at 10:36 p.m.
According to the article, “During a campaign appearance last year, he denied opponent Chris Marr’s contention that he’d use the state Senate seat [as a steppingstone to higher office], arguing Marr was projecting his own ambitions.”
That alone should be enough to disqualify him — or at least discredit him. How ‘bout it, Dazzee? Should what a politician says during a campaign be held against him later?
misjustice on October 02 at 9:56 a.m.
“Should what a politician says during a campaign be held against him later?”
ONLY if there is a “D” after their name!
kathrynmary on October 03 at 12:04 a.m.
Unions built this country ~ and gave working people decent paying jobs, ended child/slave labor.. don’t attack those who fought for ALL working people in America.
The_Seer on October 03 at 12:53 a.m.
Baumgartner won’t even make it out of the primary. On his facebook page he put out a teaser “if I were to run against Cantell blurb and it got four “likes!”
That’s about double the number of votes he’ll get in King County.
Run, Mikey, run. Then we can send you back to your farm or the mercenaries you used to work for!
Just ask George Nethercutt, another of Daisy’s boy toys!