Election 2009: I-1033 Loses, R-71 Wins, and Dow Constantine is is the new King County Executive

For an off-year election, we had a lot at stake. Our work of making thousands of phone calls and knocking on thousands of doors paid off, as we came through with key victories.


I-1033 was defeated. This was the first Tim Eyman-sponsored initiative to lose in an off-election year, and his first tax-related initiative to go down to defeat. I-1033 would have been a disaster for long-term care.



R-71, which protects domestic partnership rights for same sex and older Washington couples, was approved. R-71 is about fairness for all Washington working families.






Dow Constantine won his race for King County Executive, defeating conservative Republican Susan Hutchison. Dow has a strong record of advocating for working families and healthcare.




Most 775NW-backed candidates were victorious throughout Washington.

In local races:

• All SEIU-endorsed Seattle city council candidates (Licata, Conlin, O’Brien, Bagshaw) were elected handily.
• All SEIU-endorsed Snohomish County Council candidates (Gossett, Somers, Koster) were re-elected handily.
• SEIU-endorsed Spokane city council candidate Amber Waldref defeated Tim Eyman’s partner in crime Mike Fagan.
• SEIU-endorsed Tacoma mayoral candidate Marilyn Strickland has a slight lead after the first round of vote counting.
• SEIU-endorsed Tacoma city council candidate Keven Rojecki (and Firefighter Union ally) is losing in his race.
• The SEIU-endorsed Seattle Housing Levy is passing easily.

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Election Day - Last Day to Vote

Today is the last day to vote.
For most of the state this means it's the last day to postmark your ballot.

We are encouraging a No vote on Initiative 1033.
Despite a growing senior population, funding for nursing homes, in-home care and adult day health services are being cut. Tim Eyman’s plan will make our health care crisis even more severe.

In King County, there's a key race between Dow Constantine and Susan Hutchison, a conservative Republican.
We endorsed Dow Constantine after a lengthy and comprehensive process that included a candidate questionnaire, individual meetings between candidates and the leaders of the local unions, and an interview with members of each of the SEIU locals.

Click here for additional endorsements and more detailed background information.

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Vote "No" on I-1033... if you can find it

We've heard from a number of you that the design of ballots distributed in King County is somewhat confusing.

We wanted to make sure you knew where to vote NO on I-1033 -- and ask you to let all of your friends and family know. 

The layout of the ballot puts I-1033 into the bottom, left-hand corner of the first page, immediately below the instructions.
 
(To help make this clear, check out the graphic to the right.)

This election is going to be incredibly close so please make sure you vote NO on I-1033 and pass this on to other voters you know.

We can't afford anyone missing where I-1033 is on the ballot and appreciate your help getting the word out about this confusion.

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Video Clips from Endorsement of Dow Constantine for King County Executive

Lari Power, Home Care Worker and
Member, SEIU Healthcare 775NW

 

David Rolf
President, SEIU Healthcare 775NW


Dow Constantine

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