'Rossi is a three-time loser:' Wash. Dems react to campaign announcement

SEATTLE -- The head of the Washington State Democratic Party says Republican Congressional candidate Dino Rossi is a three-time loser.

Thursday, Rossi, a state senator from Sammamish, announced he is running to replace Representative Dave Reichert in Washington’s 8th district. It’s a district that has been represented by the GOP since it was created in 1982.

But Democrats say they can flip it, especially if Rossi is the Republican challenger.

“Republicans are full of climate deniers, but OK with recycling a failed candidate,” said Tina Podlodowski, Washington State Democratic Party Chair. “From his anti-choice, anti-woman policy stances, to his support for lowering the minimum wage and his allegiance to corporate interests, Washington voters have repeatedly rejected Rossi’s extreme views”

Rossi ran for governor in 2004 and lost a nail-biter to Christine Gregoire. By the end of election night, Rossi was winning the election by a few hundred votes. Gregoire called for a recount and ended up with 129 more votes that Rossi, sending her to the governor’s mansion for four years.

In 2008 it was Rossi v Gregoire: The Rematch!

But the outcome was the same. Voters sent Governor Gregoire back to Olympia for another four years and by a wider margin. She won by more than 194,000 votes.

In 2010 Rossi took a stab at the U.S. Senate Seat held by Patty Murray since 1993. He lost.

In a tweet, Rossi wrote “I can now answer the question- I’m in! – I am running for Congress #WA08.”

As for the Democrats, Podlodowski says they’re excited to take on Dino. “He has a multi-decade history of not accomplishing anything for Washington,” said Podlodowski. “Sorry he’ll be 0 and 4.”

Of course, only time will tell if Podlodowski and her eventual candidate can flip a district that has never gone blue.