|
 |
|
|
|
Perspective: GOP Leaders Have Deep Roots in Chambers |
|
|
|
Written On: March 2006 |
|
|
|
Written By: by Charles Henry Thomas |
|
|
|
Business people are often heard to complain: "If we only had folks in Olympia who understood business, they would make better decisions." Rightly or wrongly, employers believe people who sweat making payroll and paying the bills have a better sense about the impact of taxes, fees and regulations on the citizenry and economy.
Who better to fit that mold than a chamber of commerce executive?
Washington’s new Republican leaders have experience in the private sector and honed their leadership skills as local chamber of commerce executives.
Mike Hewitt, the Senate's new Republican leader, sold Hewitt Distributorship, a beer and wine wholesale business he owned and operated for 23 years in Walla Walla and then became executive director of the Walla Walla Chamber of Commerce, an organization in which he'd been an active volunteer.
On the other hand, Richard DeBolt, the new House GOP leader, was executive director of the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber before taking a position with TransAlta, the Canadian company which owns the Centralia steam and power plant. DeBolt is serving his fifth term from the 20th District which includes part of south Olympia and Lewis County.
Both Hewitt and DeBolt come from districts which lean Republican, but occasionally elect Democrats. For example, in 2000 Hewitt filed for the 16th District senate seat against the high-ranking incumbent Democrat, Valoria Loveland, and won by 2,057 votes. He was re-elected in 2004 by a two-to-one margin.
Hewitt Unseated Powerful Chairman
In the 20th, the last Democrat to occupy a legislative seat was Sen. Gary Odegaard, a teacher at Centralia Community College.
Loveland, now Department of Agriculture director, came from Pasco and a background of public employment. The long-time Franklin County Assessor won the open seat in 1993. She rose quickly in the Democrat circles becoming the chair of the coveted Ways and Means Committee—the powerful collection of lawmakers who control how the state collects and spends our tax dollars.
In the 16th, the political power base shifts between Walla Walla on the east side and Pasco bordering the west. It is generally classified as a swing district even though half of registered voters live in Republican leaning Walla Walla County.
That region, home to pioneer settler Dr. Marcus Whitman, who is only one of two people with statutes in the state capitol, produced some of the state's most influential politicians. Before Loveland, Republican Jeannette Hayner was elected from Walla Walla and served as Republican Leader from 1979 to 1993.
Knocking off Loveland would be no easy task. Hewitt would have to siphon enough votes away from Pasco to build upon his strong base in Walla Walla to win. He did and now has risen to become the new Republican boss in the state's senior legislative chamber.
Hewitt, a past AWB Board member, was selected by his caucus when Sen. Bill Finkbeiner, R-Kirkland, stepped down to finish his masters degree.
DeBolt's Power Base
Last fall, DeBolt replaced Rep. Bruce Chandler, R-Granger, as House Republican leader. He'd served in that position in 2004.
In 2002 he was uncontested, but in 2004 he easily won by 13,000 votes.
Both have sterling AWB voting records and are not courted by the AFL-CIO. They are Cornerstone winners with better than 90 percent AWB voting records. On the other hand, the AFL-CIO rates Hewitt as a lifetime seven percent voter and DeBolt has 11 percent.
Hewitt and his wife, Cory, have a long record of community involvement. They have two grown sons. DeBolt is a University of Wyoming graduate, and he and his wife, Amy, have two young children, Sophie and Austin.
|
|
|
|
