Insurance executive announces Senate run

OLYMPIA – Insurance executive Mike McGavick, who ran Slade Gorton’s successful U.S. Senate comeback bid years ago, on Wednesday announced his own campaign for the Senate.

For McGavick, it means running for Gorton’s old seat. He announced his challenge of freshman Democrat Maria Cantwell, who edged Gorton from office by a tiny margin in 2000.

McGavick, 47, who is retiring as chief executive officer of Safeco Insurance to return to politics, went on KIRO Radio to announce his candidacy and later elaborated in a statement.

For the past three months, he has been running an exploratory campaign, making little secret of his desire to run against Cantwell, but testing the waters to see if he has enough grass-roots support and financial backing.

To date, he has raised more than $800,000.

Cantwell, who declined comment on McGavick’s announcement, has raised nearly $5 million this year, and has at least $3.8 million cash on hand.

McGavick is considered the heavy favorite for the GOP nomination. Diane Tebelius, a former federal prosecutor and congressional candidate, bowed out of the primary earlier this month. Former broadcaster Susan Hutchison is still exploring the race.

McGavick said he intends to offer “a different kind of leadership.

“Time and time again, the political class in Washington, D.C., plays the same old blame game, rather than working to fix the very real problems that face our state and our nation.

“Simply put, the political class has lost its way. I’ve heard the outcry for new and different leadership, in this election. I will be that leader.”

He offered testimonials from some of his moderate backers, including Attorney General Rob McKenna, former U.S. Rep. Jennifer Dunn, and state Senate Republican Leader Bill Finkbeiner.

“Rarely do we have the opportunity to send someone to D.C. who has been so incredibly successful in both public service and the private sector,” McKenna said. “Mike’s energy is contagious and he is going to do things differently.”

McGavick said he’ll split his time between campaigning and working at the insurance company for the rest of the year.

State Democratic Party Chairman Paul Berendt criticized McGavick and said the GOP hopeful has no chance of defeating Cantwell.

“She took on the special interests in 2000 and won, and has spent the last five years fighting to protect the environment, championing our state’s industries, cutting taxes and protecting ratepayers from Enron’s price-gouging,” Berendt said.