(CNN) - Rep. Dennis Kucinich, the anti-war Ohio congressman, announced Wednesday that he will retire from the House at the end of his term, opting not to launch a bid for a house seat in Washington state after losing a primary for his own seat.
Kucinich's primary loss came in March, when he was defeated by fellow Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur after the Republican-led state legislature combined their districts. He then explored a run in Washington.
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Spokane, Washington (CNN) - It may not have been the marquee Senate debate of Thursday night – that one took place in Nevada – but the clash in Washington between Sen. Patty Murray and her Republican challenger Dino Rossi was another study in contrasts highlighted by sharply different visions of President Obama's record.
Seated next to Murray in a Spokane television studio for the first of two debates, Rossi worked overtime to portray the three-term incumbent as beholden to the president's agenda by voting in favor of the health care reform bill, the stimulus package and financial regulatory reform.
Eager to tap into concerns about the economy and the national Republican tailwind, Rossi painted a picture of "extreme partisanship in Washington, D.C. that has really taken us in the wrong direction and down the wrong path."
Seattle, Washington (CNN) - With Sen. Patty Murray looking vulnerable for the first time in her 18-year career, outside groups have pumped millions of dollars into the state of Washington to influence a marquee race that might ultimately decide which party controls the Senate next year.
Among the big-spenders here: American Action Network, a Republican-friendly group that's spent roughly $1.3 million attacking Murray with TV ads criticizing her homespun "mom in tennis shoes" image, and Crossroads GPS, the free-spending arm of American Crossroads, an independent group with ties to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and being advised by GOP heavyweights Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie.
Crossroads GPS has spent $1.3 million on television ads in Washington, including one spot on the air accusing Murray of increasing the national debt by $14 trillion with her votes since joining the Senate in 1993.
(CNN) - A new poll indicates that Sen. Patty Murray of Washington leads her Republican challenger Dino Rossi by eight points.
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According to CNN/Time/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Wednesday, 51 percent of likely voters in Washington State back the three term senator, with 43 percent supporting Rossi, who was the GOP gubernatorial nominee in 2004 and 2008, with two percent undecided. Murray's eight point advantage is down from a nine point lead from mid-September.
(CNN) - A new poll indicates that Sen. Patty Murray of Washington leads her Republican challenger Dino Rossi by nine points.
According to CNN/Time/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Wednesday, 53 percent of likely voters in Washington State back the three term senator, with 44 percent supporting Rossi, who was the GOP gubernatorial nominee in 2004 and 2008.
While the poll indicates that the two candidates are splitting the independent vote, Murray holds an overwhelming lead among members of her own party -Democrats– who outnumber Republicans in the state.
"The state of Washington has been considered pretty blue in recent elections and Murray is capitalizing on that. She is winning support from 95 percent of self-identified Democrats," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "And 93 percent of Republicans support Rossi, showing how polarized the electorate is - a consequence of the two extremely close gubernatorial races that Rossi ran in 2004 and 2008."
(CNN) – It hasn't been the greatest of months for Sarah Palin when it comes to her political star power.
The two candidates Palin backed in Tuesday's primaries lost their bids, making the former Alaska governor 0-for-5 when it comes to endorsements this month.
In Washington State, Palin had backed Tea Party activist Clint Didier in his bid for the Senate over businessman Dino Rossi, the favorite of national Republicans.
In making her endorsement of Didier last May, Palin said the Tea Party favorite had "inspired" her, and hailed him as a "patriot running for U.S. Senate to serve his state & our country for all the right reasons!"
(CNN) - Dino Rossi holds a large lead over two other Republican candidates in the battle to challenge Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, according to a new survey.
An Elway Poll of registered voters in Washington state indicates that 43 percent back Murray, who's bidding for a fourth term in the Senate, in the state's August 17 primary.
Thirty-one percent support Rossi, with fellow Republicans Clint Didier at five percent and Paul Akers at two percent. Seventeen-percent were undecided. Washington is the only state in the nation to hold a non-partisan primary, with the top two vote-getters advancing to the general election. Earlier this month California voters passed a referendum that would move the Golden state towards a similar system.
Rossi, who announced his candidacy last month, is arguably the best known Republican in Washington state, thanks to his two bids for governor. In an election that went into overtime, Rossi lost to Democrat Christine Gregoire by just a handful of votes six years ago. He was again defeated in a 2008 rematch by a wider margin.
(CNN) – Two-time Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi officially jumped into the Senate race in Washington state Wednesday, following months of cajoling from national Republicans who view the area businessman as the strongest candidate to defeat incumbent Democrat Sen. Patty Murray.
"Over the past several months, as I watched Congress pile more and more debt on top of our children and grandchildren, as I watched them ram through a partisan, ill-conceived health care bill, as I watched them pass new job-killing taxes and regulations, I knew I had to do something about it," Rossi says in a web video. "That's why I've made the decision to run for the United States Senate."
Rossi, currently a commercial real estate investor, is arguably the best known Republican in Washington state, thanks to his two bids for governor. In an election that went into overtime, Rossi lost to Democrat Christine Gregoire by just a handful of votes six years ago. He was again defeated in a 2008 rematch by a wider margin.
Polls of Washington state voters conducted this year suggest that Rossi could be competitive with the three-term Murray - the so-called Senate "soccer mom" whose approval rating is hovering around 50 percent back home. But Murray is sitting on a formidable $6 million campaign war chest, according to disclosures filed with the Federal Elections Commission at the end of March, and handily won her reelection bids in 1998 and 2004.
Rossi, a former state senator, appears to be kicking of his campaign in the Democratic-leaning state with a message of inclusion, touting his record of working to balance the budget with both Republicans and Democrats.
(CNN) - Sarah Palin bucked the GOP establishment on Thursday when she endorsed Washington state Tea Party activist Clint Didier in his bid for the Senate.
On Twitter Thursday, Palin said she is "inspired" by Didier and said he is a "patriot running for U.S. Senate to serve his state & our country for all the right reasons!"
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has heavily recruited another Republican to run in the race, businessman and former gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi. But Rossi, currently a commercial real estate investor, has so far remained uncommitted with only three weeks to go before the June 11 filing deadline.
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