Endorsements as of July 15th, 2008

John McCain
President

Larry Ismael
Congress - 1st District

Rick Bart
Congress - 2nd District

Steve Behrens
Congress - 7th District

Dave Reichert
Congress - 8th District

Dino Rossi
Governor

Marcia McCraw
Lt. Governor

Sam Reed
Secretary of State

Rob McKenna
Attorney General

Allan Martin
State Treasurer

Doug Sutherland
Commissioner of Public Lands

Charles Johnson
State Supreme Court

Debra Stephens
State Supreme Court

Randi Becker
State Senator - 2nd District

Dianna Wilhite
State Rep. - 4th District

Cheryl Pflug
State Senator - 5th District

Jay Rodne
State Rep. - 5th District

Glenn Anderson
State Rep. - 5th District

Larry Haler
State Rep. - 8th District

Barbara Bailey
State Rep. - 10th District

Norma Smith
State Rep. - 10th District

Jay Rodne
State Rep. - 5th District

Mike Armstrong
State Rep. - 12th District

Linda Parlette
State Senator - 12th District

Curtis King
State Senator - 14th District

Norm Johnson
State Rep. - 14th District

Al Schweppe
State Rep. - 14th District

Mike Hewitt
State Senator - 16th District

Gary Alexander
State Rep. - 20th District

Richard DeBolt
State Rep. - 20th District

Thomas Thomast
State Senator - 24th District

Marlyn Jensen
State Rep. - 26th District

Jan Angel
State Rep. - 26th District

Skip Priest
State Rep. - 30th District

Brad Gehring
State Rep. - 35th District

Randy Netherlin
State Rep. - 35th District

Leslie Bloss
State Rep. - 36th District

Steve Litzow
State Rep. - 41st District

Mike Hope
State Rep. - 44th District

Toby Nixon
State Rep. - 45th District

Shawn Bunney
Pierce County Executive

George Appel
Snohomish County Superior Court Judge

Endorsement Process

One of our most important Mainstream activities is the endorsement of candidates, and occasionally, ballot issues. We endorse only Republican candidates, or if it is a non-partisan position, those who reflect Republican ideals. We have the advantage of making pre-primary endorsements, something the state party cannot do. We can raise money to support some candidates, and do that within our financial ability. Mainstream has both a state and federal PAC, and works closely with the state Public Disclosure Commission.

We do not attempt to endorse all Republican candidates for office. In fact, some candidates might not find our endorsement useful, and one of our requirements is that a candidate ask for our consideration. When we make an endorsement, it is up to the candidate on how to use it in their campaigns.

What do we consider before taking a potential endorsement to our state Board of Directors for decision? We have a goal and process to find out as much as we can about the candidate and to know the district or area in which they are running. We are interested in the ability of a candidate to not only run a good campaign but to really reflect the nature of the constituency, increasing the potential for being returned to office for many years.

We are moderate Republicans. We avoid both the far right and the far left. "The winners are in the middle" has been a long-time slogan, and it turns out to be correct. All of our state-wide Republican office holders are active Mainstreamers, in a state dominated by Democrats. This said, we have no "litmus tests" for endorsement. For instance, we have endorsed both pro-choice and pro-life candidates, as long as they are good people dedicated to making government work effectively and for all people, and they match the interests of their jurisdictions.

We try to use local citizens and office holders as part of our candidate screening process, and we seek the advice of our Mainstream Chapters across the state. There is a concerted effort to work with the House and Senate Republican caucuses and stay coordinated, particularly during candidate recruitment and for the general election.

Candidates that advance through the screening process are recommended to the Mainstream Board whose members are elected at our annual conference. The Board may decide to invite certain candidates to make presentations at our monthly meetings, usually held in Tacoma. A 2/3 favorable vote is required to endorse candidates or ballot issues.