The 2015 election brought about mostly conservative victories—Spokane defeated an unprecedented minimum wage increase meant to benefit special interests and Republican Terri Hickel sailed to victory in the 30th Legislative District’s special election for state representative. The Left’s failure isn’t for lack of trying.
As Shift pointed out, Fuse pulled out all the stops to defeat Initiative 1366, the tax cut/tax-limiting constitutional amendment. Of course, to no avail. This Throw Back Thursday, we’re commemorating the failure of the Left’s tactics by taking a look back on three times Democrats relied on sketchy tactics and failed anyway.
- Democrats’ failed attempt to defeat GOP state Rep. Mark Hargrove.
Democrat Chris Barringer (who didn’t even live in the 47th Legislative District until he was recruited to run for office) launched a desperate and false attack via an ad in his race against incumbent Rep. Mark Hargrove. The ad made far-fetched—and simply dishonest—claims concerning Rep. Hargrove.
Barringer, like so many Democrats at the time, attempted to blame the McCleary decision on Hargrove. The problem with Barringer’s strategy was that Rep. Hargrove was elected in 2010. That meant he was not even in office when the original McCleary decision was delivered. More, as a Republican, Rep. Hargrove was (and is) in the minority in the State House. Democrats like Barringer would have done better to place blame on Speaker Frank Chopp.
Perhaps most importantly, Barringer’s line of attack ignores the reality (like most Democrats conveniently choose to do) that a Democrat governor has signed every state budget in Washington State. Additionally, Democrats have had control of at least one house of the legislature in 28 of the last 30 years – and complete control of the legislature in 14 of those years.
Democrats’ efforts on behalf of Barringer failed. Hargrove won re-election.
- Democrats’ sleazy and offensive attack on then GOP state Senate candidate Mark Miloscia.
Democrats and their lefty supporters reached a new low when they attacked state Senator Mark Miloscia’s religious beliefs during his race in the 30th Legislative District. An anonymous website set up by a supporter of Miloscia’s Democrat challenger attacked him for his Catholic faith, portraying him in an anti-Catholic caricature complete with a confederate flag suitcase, accusing him of representing “the people of the Vatican” and not “the people of Federal Way.”
Perhaps the most shocking of part of the scandal was the fact that Democrats who profess the Catholic faith were noticeably silent on the bigoted attack. Democrats failed to publically condemn it.
Democrats’ sleazy attack did not work out in the end. Miloscia sailed to victory, helping grant Republicans a majority in the state Senate.
- Democrats’ highly unethical use of students for campaign purposes.
Democrat candidate for state representative Mike Wilson’s campaign fell under scrutiny when news broke that 44th Legislative District Democrat actively used his position as a high school cross country coach to recruit students to volunteer for his campaign. Wilson, who was a teacher at the high school where he coaches, and his coaching buddies at other district high schools asked students to canvass their neighborhoods during a practice. Students were sent home with doorbelling packets complete with home addresses, maps and a script. After complaints from parents, the Everett School District launched an investigation into the incident.
That wasn’t the extent of Democrats’ sketchy behavior in the 44th LD. A public records request for Wilson’s emails revealed that the Democrat used public resources to benefit his campaign. During school hours, Wilson used his school email account and school scanner for campaign business. Additionally, email correspondences between Wilson and other staff and students proved he used school resources for his campaign. State law bars public employees from using public resources for their personal use.
Democrats’ unethical tactics did not—in the end—benefit them. Republican Mark Harmsworth became the 44th LD’s state representative.
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