The 24th District Eagle

Representatives Hudgins and Van De Wege talk about Prescription Drug Waste

2011-03-19T23:03:00.003-07:00

Legislation would give Quileutes higher ground -- Port Angeles Port Townsend Sequim Forks Jefferson County Clallam County Olympic Peninsula Daily news

2011-03-19T23:00:00.000-07:00

Legislation would give Quileutes higher ground -- Port Angeles Port Townsend Sequim Forks Jefferson County Clallam County Olympic Peninsula Daily news

24th District Eagle Blog

2011-03-05T10:01:00.000-08:00

Starting today, the 24th District Eagle will act as the new blog home for news from Washington's 24th Legislative District. This will focus not just on the 24th Legislative District's state representatives and state senator in Olympia, but also any local political developments that might interest our leadership. The blog will not be a daily news updates during the political off-season, but it will try to bring some occasional exclusive stories to our readership.

Jefferson Co. State Committeeman Bill Miller, Clallam Co. Vice Chairperson Jack Slowriver, Governor Christine Gregoire, Clallam Co. Communications Chair Melissa Randazzo, Clallam Co. Chairman & 24th LD State Committeeman Matthew Randazzo

Please feel free to send photos, news updates, or anything else you might think is of interest to us at 24thDistrictEagle@Gmail.com.

Official Van De Wege & Tharinger Campaign Victory Statements

2010-11-06T21:51:00.001-07:00

These are the sort of victories that the Democratic Party so desperately needs. This was a truly inspiring and rewarding campaign, and it's great to see the rights candidates win. Below you will find both Kevin Van De Wege and Steve Tharinger's victory statements.

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State Representative-Elect Steve Tharinger

"My opponent in the race for the 24th District's second State Representative seat, Jim McEntire, has conceded. I commend him for a well-run, vigorous campaign. It is with great pleasure and humility that I thank the voters of the 24th District for entrusting me with the great responsibility of being their new representative in Olympia. I could not be more honored to be the successor of the great Lynn Kessler, whose distinguished service on behalf of our local communities will always guide and inspire my own conduct in Washington's House of Representatives.

I am very proud of the sort of campaign we ran and the message we spread across the 24th District, so I would like to thank everyone who made it possible. First and foremost, I must once again thank the voters of the 24th District for their belief in me. Next, I must thank my wonderful campaign staff, from my campaign manager Sam Gibboney on down to all of the campaign's tireless staff members and volunteers. This victory would not be possible without the support, friendship, and counsel of Lynn Kessler and Kevin Van De Wege. Last but not least, I must thank my wonderfully supportive wife Yvonne and the rest of my friends and family for standing by me through this long campaign."

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State Representative Kevin Van De Wege

"I am extremely honored and humbled by the news that I have been reelected for a third term as state representative of Washington's 24th District. It means so much to me that our local communities have placed their faith in me to continue to fight for a better future for Washington. I would like to thank my family, all of my supporters, and especially the campaign staff, donors, and volunteers who made this victory possible. Special thanks goes out to my campaign manager, Larry Clark, who selflessly committed himself over the past few months to sharing our campaign's message with every single undecided voter in the entire District.

I will return to Olympia in January incredibly inspired by the time I've spent with the wonderful people of the 24th District over the past few months on the campaign trail. It is with all of them in mind that I will continue to work tirelessly to alleviate the hardships of the average hard-working Washington family by creating family-wage jobs, improving both the quality and efficiency of government services, and acting as the voice of the common people against the special interests and lobbyists in Olympia."

Election Day Results

2010-11-03T00:32:00.000-07:00

Quick update before bedtime here at the 24th District Eagle. If the news nationally was very harsh for Democrats, it turns out to have been uncommonly bright for the 24th District Democrats.

As expected, the great Kevin Van De Wege won a landslide 55-44% victory against Dan Gase. Kevin ran a fantastic, tireless campaign, and he earned every point of this devastating margin. Kevin has claimed victory, although his apparently math-challenged opponent is waiting for Friday for a miraculous intervention.

In the open-seat race, things are a bit closer: Steve Tharinger currently leads Jim McEntire 51.85% - 48.15%, a margin of roughly 1500 votes with about 20,000 left to count (20,401 - 18,948). The way these outstanding votes are distributed between Clallam, Jefferson, and Grays Harbor County require McEntire to win in the neighborhood of 58%-60% of the vote remaining in Clallam to even have a chance at winning. He's currently running at 53% in Clallam.

In other words, Tharinger is looking very good, but we won't know for sure until Friday. We'll keep everyone updated!

ELECTION DAY

2010-11-02T01:33:00.000-07:00


Campaign Manager Larry Clark with His Candidate, Kevin Van De Wege

So, it's finally election day, and all we can say is: whew!

Oh yes, there is one other thing we can say: get in those ballots today! Do not forget! A lot of the local races are going to be very, very, very uncomfortably close, and none of us want to regret letting down great candidates like Kevin Van De Wege and Steve Tharinger (or Norm Dicks or Patty Murray) because of a few voters' forgetfulness. Make sure those ballots get in today.

Lynn Kessler, Steve Tharinger, Maria Cantwel

It's important today -- of all days -- to remind ourselves why it is so important to support Washington Democrats: they are fighting to help improve the quality of life of the average working people of Washington. The following news was actually sent to us by one of the most accomplished, venerable, and admired Democrats in the state of Washington, Lynn Kessler.

NewWood Manufacturing, Inc. (NewWood), a manufacturer of sustainable wood-plastic composite building materials today announced the opening of a 275,000 square foot facility in the Satsop Development Park in Elma. The company plans to employ 150 individuals in a region facing an unemployment rate of 12.0%. And who does NewWood President and CEO John Bowser credit for this incredible economic breakthrough that will help so many hard-pressed Washington families?

According to the press release put out today:

Bowser credits the assistance of local, state and national elected representatives and organizations in making it possible to re-open the plant which has been idle since 2006. “The leadership of Senator Murray and Governor Gregoire was critical in putting together our financing package, including our USDA rural business loan guarantee,” said Bowser. “This is a tremendous community asset that we are working in partnership with the Grays Harbor Public Development Authority and suppliers like Glacier Recycle and Smurfit Stone to finally put into full production.” Congressman Norm Dicks and State Representative and House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler were strong advocates for the plant’s re-opening over the year and a half that NewWood has been working to assemble financing and acquire the technology.

Just some food for thought from Rep. Kessler. Hopefully, today the voters of the 24th District give her a successor that will uphold her legacy.

Let's Finish Strong,
The 24th District Eagle

Democrats Says No To Offshore Oil Drilling in the 24th District

2010-10-19T04:31:00.000-07:00

October 19, 2010

Contact: Press@KevinVanDeWege

Kessler, Van De Wege, Tharinger

Blast Republican Plans to Lift Offshore Oil Drilling Moratorium In Washington’s Coastal Waters

Sequim – State representatives Lynn Kessler and Kevin Van De Wege have joined with Clallam County Commissioner Steve Tharinger — who is running to succeed Kessler — to denounce Republican plans to lift the moratorium on offshore oil drilling off Washington’s coasts. All three 24^th District Democrats have come out strongly against proposals that they believe would jeopardize the ecological and economic health of the entire Olympic Peninsula.

“To be honest, I am pretty stunned to see Republican after Republican in Washington come out in favor of selling out the Strait of Juan De Fuca and Pacific coastline to the same multinational oil companies that have destroyed the Gulf of Mexico and all of the wildlife species and industries that rely on it,” says Representative Van De Wege.

Republican congressional candidate Doug Cloud was quoted in the Peninsula Daily News’ primary voters’ guide as saying, “Yes, the moratorium on off-shore oil drilling should be lifted.” Republican senatorial candidate Dino Rossi has signed the Republican “Contract with America” that endorses an “All-of-the-Above Energy Policy” that includes “exploration of proven energy reserves.” And Van De Wege’s opponent, Port Angeles businessman Dan Gase, was quoted by Grays Harbor County’s The Daily World newspaper as saying “With proper safeguards in place it is not unrealistic to participate in oil and gas drilling” on October 3 and “We have tremendous dependence on foreign sources of energy and I think this [offshore oil drilling] has to be looked at,” on October 12.

“I can’t believe how out of touch the Republicans’ ‘deregulate everything’ ideology is with the voters of the 24^th District on this issue,” says Van De Wege. “As long as I’m in office there is never any scenario, any scenario at all, whatsoever, that I would support oil drilling in the Strait of Juan De Fuca or off the Pacific coastline. All of the safeguards were in place in the Gulf of Mexico, and they had a catastrophic disaster there. I could not live with myself if I knowingly risked our coastal ecosystems and all of the industries that depend on them.”

Van De Wege’s stand against offshore oil drilling is supported by his fellow 24^th District Democratic state representative, the retiring House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler, and Clallam County Commissioner Steve Tharinger, who is running to succeed her.

“During eighteen years of service, I worked hard to protect our coastline for the environment and shellfish, crabbing, and salmon industries that rely on it,” says Representative Kessler. “The Olympic Peninsula contains some of the most pristine, stunning, and undisturbed coasts in the entire United States. I have worked hard to secure rescue tugboats, ensure shipping lanes are not overcrowded, and guarantee that ballast water coming here from the rest of the world is safe.

“To know that there are candidates running in this district that would put all of the protections I have worked hard to accomplish in jeopardy by allowing oil drilling off our coast is disappointing,” continues Kessler. “We cannot allow this to happen. Our district stands to lose too much. I don’t support offshore oil drilling, and I know the people of the Olympic Peninsula don’t either. This election, it is more important than ever to choose candidates that will represent us and stand up for our values. Steve Tharinger and Kevin Van De Wege will do that for us in Olympia.”

“I stand with Representatives Kessler and Van De Wege against offshore oil drilling anywhere along Washington’s fragile, economically pivotal coastline,” says Tharinger. “It simply is against all common sense given what we’ve seen over the past few years from the oil industry. I take my job as an ecological steward of the 24^th District too seriously to wager countless lives and jobs on the business practices of companies like British Petroleum.”

“Judging by the outraged feedback I’ve been receiving from my constituents,” says Van De Wege, “the very first question any voters or journalist should be asking candidates for office in the 24^th District is if they would even entertain the idea placing offshore drilling platforms along our precious coastline. That will tell voters all they need to know about that candidates’ judgment and seriousness as a public servant.”

]

HUGE News Update: Newspaper Endorsements, Oil Drilling in the Strait of Juan De Fuca, and New Jobs for the District

2010-10-16T03:35:00.000-07:00


The Daily World's Choice

In the biggest news since the primary, Grays Harbor's newspaper of record, The Daily World, has announced its formal endorsement of Kevin Van De Wege and Steve Tharinger.

Grays Harbor is probably the most competitive and electorally pivotal county in the 24th District -- it is the swing community that determines many 24th District races. Arguably, no entity in Grays Harbor can compete with the influence of The Daily World, so that's why it's such great news to read quotes like the following:

Our best chances for retaining strong representation are with a pair of Democrats, Kevin Van De Wege, a Sequim firefighter with two terms in the Legislature, and with Steve Tharinger, a Clallam County commissioner with real-world local government experience, strong political instincts and a lot of experience dealing with regional natural resource issues.

[...]

Van De Wege's spending priorities are for public education and protecting those of us who can't protect themselves -- seniors in nursing homes and children in early childhood nutrition programs, for instance. That shows he must have learned something from being Kessler's seatmate for four years.

[...]

Tharinger, on the other hand, is bright and he's been in the trenches in Clallam County -- a local chemical dependency/mental health advisory board, Olympic Area Agency on Aging, economic development board, the United Way and a host of other local non-profit organizations that form the backbone of social services in communities like ours. ... Despite that, Tharinger's real-world local government experience is what the district needs in Olympia.

The momentum has never been greater than right now: if you'd like to volunteer, please contact campaign managers Larry "No Nickname Required" Clark and the always lovely Sam Gibboney. They're looking for people willing to make phone calls from the comfort of their homes at their own leisure, so this is a pretty easy sell!

The Local Republican Party's New Mascot: Slick the Oil Smothered River Otter

Yes, believe it or not, 24th District Republican candidate for state representative "British Petroleum" Dan Gase has endorsed deep sea oil drilling in the Strait of Juan De Fuca and Washington's Pacific coast. This borders on the definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over again while expecting different results. The Olympic Peninsula has a few Louisiana expatriates who you can feel free to ask about the wonderful side-effects, ecologically and politically, of selling your community's future to multinational oil conglomerates has.

I know it's hard to comprehend that a candidate running in 2010 would actually endorse such a destructive policy, so don't take my word for it:

"We have tremendous dependence on foreign sources of energy and I think this has to be looked at," Gase said. "Certainly we shouldn't go out there with a barge and just start drilling by any stretch of the imagination, especially with a lot of the problems that have happened in other areas throughout the years. It would have to be looked at very carefully with proper safeguards, but I don't think you can just automatically rule everything out. ... I think we always have to be open to new innovative ideas that, quite frankly, create jobs."

Van De Wege said that about the only jobs that would be created from coastal drilling would be in "cleaning up the oil" that could spill.

"I don't view oil drilling as a new creative idea," Van De Wege said. "I think that's more of the same. I think this is just a stark contrast between the two of us. As long as I'm in office there is never any scenario, any scenario at all, whatsoever, that I would support oil drilling off the coast of Washington. All of the safeguards were in place in the Gulf of Mexico and they had an absolute disaster there. I do not want to see that happen off the coast of Washington."

There's Kevin Van De Wege being Kevin Van De Wege: a no-BS, straightforward, vigorous defender of the 24th District's interests. That's also Dan "Trickle Down" Gase and the local Republican Party in a nutshell: promoting obsolete and irresponsible policies that have repeatedly been proven extremely counterproductive and destructive, all out of a blind ideological faith. Gase, you may remember, is no ecological steward: he wants to cut the Department of Ecology's budget by 30%, no doubt motivated less by "fiscal responsibility" than his Exxon-style contempt for the health of the local environment when Big Business interests are concerned.

Anyone care to ask Tharinger's opponent, Jim McEntire, if he supports off-shore oil drilling as well?

The Great Lynn Kessler at the Ribbon Cutting in Forks

More jobs have come to the 24th District thanks to the hard work of committed Democratic legislators like Kevin Van De Wege and the retiring Lynn Kessler. Through the hard work of Kessler, state senator Jim Hargrove, and Van De Wege, a state-of-the-art biomass heating system has been installed at Forks High School that will act as a pilot project for many schools around the world and a model for Clallam Bay Prison. The 24th District Democratic contingent in Olympia has been working on this project for five years and secured $1 million in funding for it from the state.

Yet more evidence that government actually works for our communities ... if you have representatives who believe in the need for a working government!

One final note: Kevin and Steve will both be making appearances tomorrow afternoon at a fundraiser for OlyCAP Senior Nutrition at Suncrest Retirement Village at 251 S. 5th Ave. in Sequim. The fundraiser has a Oktoberfest theme and will be amply stocked with delicious German food. Come by from 3 to 6pm!

Van De Wege & Tharinger Q&A : Day 3

2010-10-01T01:54:00.000-07:00

Steve Tharinger with supporters.

James asked: I do not consider myself to be a Democrat or Republican. I vote for whoever I think will do the best job. I am very concerned about the future of jobs in our area let alone our whole country. So many people are unemployed, and I want to know what have you done and what do you plan on doing for our district when it comes to helping people get back to work?

Steve Tharinger:

As a County Commissioner, I have never let the economic livelihood of my constituents in the 24th District stray far from my mind. I have a proven record of far-sighted, long-term fiscal responsibility, and the foundation of that record has been my respect for maintaining the sustainability of our local natural resources-driven economy. I have fought to preserve our agricultural economy by protecting farmland. I have made it a personal mission on the local and state level to restore our salmon population, both to re-balance our local environment and to sustain jobs in recreation, tourism, commercial fishing, and sport fishing.

Just as importantly, I have reached out to local businesses and succeeded in developing numerous local public/private partnerships that are the best of both worlds: deals that result in stimulus and new jobs for local business and much-needed improvements in local infrastructure. The Elwha Bridge project is a perfect example: a major infrastructure project that was completed in a cost-effective manner, with multiple private and public partners, an enterprise that also stimulated the local economy. The role I played in providing funding to help open Peninsula Plywood is another great example.

Kevin Van De Wege

Unlike Steve and I's opponents, who both cling to a nonsensical ideology that government cannot create jobs despite the available evidence, I believe strongly in my ability and my responsibility as a legislator to provide assistance to our local communities through this devastating recession. Instead offering my suffering constituents a selfish "every man for himself" ideology, I prefer to look at results, and my record proves that I have been effective in creating family-wage jobs for our local communities through my efforts in Olympia.

During the past two terms, I have crafted legislation that funded alternative energy and created capital projects at Nippon Paper in Port Angeles and PT Paper in Port Townsend. In both cases, these new initiatives both created new family-wage jobs and protected ones that were in danger of being downsized. In Grays Harbor, I secured the contracts for the construction work on the 520 Pontoon Project to be handled in Aberdeen. I also interceded on Peninsula Plywood's behalf and helped them obtain capital improvements and an operating loan on behalf of the state, leading to scores of new jobs for my hardworking constituents. Finally, I led the effort to streamline reporting requirements for small businesses, which eased the burden on local enterprise and likely saved many jobs.

And I'm not finished. Everyday I look for new opportunities to help my hardworking constituents weather this economic storm. I'm currently working on legislation which will improve our local schools and create much needed local contracting and construction jobs. I've also pledged to protect our coastal shellfish industry and local timber industry, ensuring that they are both handled sustainably to maintain the long-term economic and environmental viability of the 24th District. Finally, I will fight reckless budget cuts currently being proposed to our state infrastructure, which will save and even create countless jobs in Carlsborg, Port Hadlock, and Sequim.

Van De Wege & Tharinger Q&A: Day 2

2010-09-29T00:32:00.000-07:00

Rep. Van De Wege fishing with his son off Sekiu.

Keep the questions coming!
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SeasideJackP: The Peninsula Daily News mentions that the blog was named after a rehabilitated bald eagle. So, what are the candidates' ideas on ways government can help preserve and protect local wildlife from big business, over-development, and careless people?

Commissioner Steve Tharinger:

I think the combined efforts of the state and local conservation groups to restore ecosystems, wildlife corridors and protect endangered species are working. The key to maintaining the progress we have made over the past few decades is twofold. First, we must to continue to support local efforts to increase awareness and educated the populace about the importance of protecting and not abusing wildlife and the biodiversity we all depend on. Secondly, the populace must continue to support ecologically sensitive and informed public servants who take seriously their responsibility to protect the environmental splendor of the Pacific Northwest.

Representative Kevin Van De Wege:

From listening to my constituents, I know that a lot of folks live on the Olympic Peninsula to enjoy the incredible natural beauty we have here. As their representative, I have made it my job to protect the health of our local ecology while still making the compromises necessary to protect our natural resource-based local economy from collapse. We need to continue to make balanced, informed, and smart decisions about development to save open space, farmlands, and our wildlife, while still creating a progressive future for our local economy. Even if you're not a fan of the outdoors, I don't think most 24th District residents want a future where we lose control of our local environment to out-of-district Big Business interests who are not accountable to any of us.

News Update for September 28, 2010

2010-09-28T14:40:00.000-07:00


Organized Labor in Action

The local branches of 1.4 million-member International Brotherhood of Teamsters is coming out in force to support Kevin Van De Wege and Steve Tharinger in the upcoming 24th District's state representative races. On Thursday, September 30, Teamsters Joint Council 28 and Teamsters 117 Clallam County Legislative are joining together in Forks to host a phone banking effort from 10am - 1pm at the Forks Transit Center. Breakfast will be offered by the Teamsters.

Please contact heather.weiner@jc28.org or lily.wilson-codego@teamsters177.org with questions.

The Van De Wege and Tharinger campaigns send out their thanks to the Teamsters for their incredible support.


Sam Gibboney (center left) and the one and only Larry Clark (center right)

Speaking of phonebanking, Van De Wege campaign manager, the legendary Larry Clark, and the lovely Sam Gibboney, campaign manager of Steve Tharinger, have sent word that they are looking for local volunteers to participate in virtual phonebanking efforts from the comfort of their homes. The always quotable Larry assures us that it is the campaigns' plan to reach out to thousands of local residents through virtual phonebanking, so they'll need help.

Please contact Sam and Larry directly if you're willing to volunteer.

Lynn Kessler (Far left) and Senator Maria Cantwell (second from right) with Clallam County Democrats

The Clallam County Democratic Party threw its annual Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Dinner this past weekend, which featured all the local limelights including a visit from Senator Maria Cantwell. Possibly the biggest star of the event was retiring state House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler, whose long history of sacrifice on behalf of the 24th District was honored by all attendees. Rep. Kessler promised that she would continue to play an active role in the 24th District affairs and trusted that her chosen successor, Steve Tharinger, would do a wonderful job replacing her in Olympia.

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Keep the questions for the online Q&A coming in. We have another round tonight. Don't forget to send any interesting local news stories to me, either.

We'll also have an announcement from the Dicks campaign tomorrow.

Van De Wege & Tharinger Q&A: Day 1

2010-09-27T20:15:00.000-07:00

Steve Tharinger with Lynn Kessler & Senator Maria Cantwell

We'll have Tuesday's news update tomorrow, but first, let's get to our first question submitted to the blog for the Democratic state representative candidates of the 24th District:

From TomPAFisher:

"Do you think the extreme right-wing rhetoric of the Tea Party base of the Republican party will affect Republican legislators ability to make compromises and actually govern?"

Steve Tharinger: Governing requires compromise, and extreme rhetoric on either side affects the ability of the legislative process to find workable solutions. Although there is legitimate frustration and anxiety among the populace, the angry and ideologically extreme Tea Partiers seem to be drowning out the much-needed voices of civility that Lynn Kessler has said are so important to finding solutions in our legislative process. Lynn embodied civility, moderation, and civic cooperation in Olympia -- not divisiveness and ideological intolerance --and I plan to live up to Lynn's legacy as her successor in Olympia.

Kevin Van De Wege: I agree with Steve that this sort of extreme, immature rhetoric can damage the legislative process in Olympia, but only if a large number of extremist Tea Party candidates are actually elected. Though this movement has made a lot of noise, it has not actually won any major two-party elections in Washington state. We'll see in November if Washington's populace feels that if any of the more intemperate members of the Tea Party reflect their views on how public servants should conduct themselves.

If it is the will of the electorate, then I will look forward to working with Tea Party candidates in the same way I look forward to working with mainstream Republicans and Democrats. I sought public office so I would have the opportunity to craft effective legislation that meets the needs of our struggling local communities -- not to fight pointless partisan political battles. I hope that whoever is elected in November views their job as an opportunity to work with their fellow legislators, regardless of party, to achieve a brighter future for Washington.

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Look forward to Day 2 of the online Q&A tomorrow evening. We're still taking questions in the comments of the blog, on Facebook, and via e-mail, so please send some more in!

The 24th District Eagle

24th District Eagle To Host Exclusive Q&A with Van De Wege & Tharinger All Next Week!

2010-09-24T05:40:00.000-07:00


Steve Tharinger & Kevin Van De Wege

It looks like The 24th District Eagle is going to have a busy week next week! Questions can be asked in the comments section of this post or at our Facebook page.

Press release below:
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Rep. Van De Wege & Commissioner Tharinger

Announce Online Q&A Open To Public

Sequim – State Representative Kevin Van De Wege and Clallam County Commissioner Steve Tharinger are proud to announce that their campaigns have partnered with a newly formed local political blog, The 24^th District Eagle (http://www.The24thDistrictEagle.blogspot.com), to host an online Q&A open to the public over the next week. Both Representative Van De Wege and Commissioner Tharinger, his fellow 24^th District Democratic candidate for state representative, have endorsed The 24^th District Eagle as their official campaign blog.

“I work daily to ensure that I am the most accessible, responsive, and in-touch representative in Olympia,” says Rep. Van De Wege. “I think hosting an online Q&A where the public can submit questions is a fantastic chance to let my constituents know that I care about hearing and addressing their concerns in these extremely tough times for the 24^th District.”

“I'm very excited to directly interact with my constituents online as I've been doing face-to-face during my extensive travels across the 24th District over the past few months,” says Commissioner Tharinger. “Partnering with the 24th District Eagle for online outreach and public Q&As is my way of signaling my commitment to staying directly in-touch with the needs and concerns of our community."

Rep. Van De Wege and Commissioner Tharinger will answer a question a day over a week beginning on Monday, September 27, 2010. The public can submit questions to the Q&A through posting questions to the 24^th District Eagle’s Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/24thdistricteagle) or the comments section on its site (http://www.The24thDistrictEagle.blogspot.com).

The News for September 23, 2010

2010-09-23T06:21:00.000-07:00

Kevin Van De Wege at the The Northwest Raptor & Wildlife Center with a Rescued Bald Eagle

Welcome to another day of local political news on Washington's greater Olympic Peninsula. As you can see, I lead off today with maybe the most patriotic photo of the 2010 election season, in which firefighter/paramedic State Rep. Kevin Van De Wege visits The Northwest Raptor & Wildlife Center to witness the release of a rescued juvenile bald eagle. Considering Kevin's considerable record as a life-saving firefighter and defender of local environmental causes, you couldn't find a more symbolic photo for his re-election campaign.

How about we name that eagle, now residing in the wild in the Sequim/Dungeness area, the official mascot of this blog? After all, he is literally a 24th District eagle.

Things Are Going Great for Steve Tharinger

24th DISTRICT EAGLE EXCLUSIVE!
JACK DWYER ENDORSES STEVE THARINGER

The 24th District Eagle is proud to be the first place to publish that the Tharinger campaign has officially announced that they have been endorsed by Jack Dwyer, the Montesano School Board Member who came third in the primary for the state house seat vacated by Lynn Kessler. "I ask for the support of all Democrats throughout this District for Steve Tharinger,” says Dwyer in a prepared release. “He needs your help in order to achieve our goals.”

“As Democrats, we have always had a history of fighting hard because we care deeply about our principles and purposes,” continues Dwyer. “Now it is time to come together as Democrats. We must win this seat and continue the long tradition of representation of the 24th District. The cause is just and the hope lives on.”

Following Lynn Kessler's endorsement earlier this week, this is yet another sign that the 24th District's Democratic leaders are uniformly uniting in support of Steve in this incredibly important election.

ANOTHER EXCLUSIVE: The Tharinger campaign has more endorsements to announce in the coming days. The feeling among campaign staff is that momentum is building.


NFL Legend Jim Brown, VDW Campaign Manager Larry Clark's Only Competition in the Ground Game Department

VAN DE WEGE CAMPAIGN FUNDRAISING AND GROUND GAME REPORT

I've received an update from Van De Wege campaign manager, the legendary Larry Clark, on the progress of the campaign's doorbelling operation in Grays Harbor. According to Larry, a hardworking Washington native who went back to school and remade himself as a political guru after being laid off at his job, the campaign is breaking its own records for the numbers of doors knocked on and conservative Republican voters converted to the Van De Wege team down in Grays Harbor.

Also, directly from Kevin, we hear that the campaign has raised over $10,000 over the past week, money the campaign needs to ensure a decisive victory -- one hopefully with some coattails across the district -- in November. Kevin also is looking forward to attending the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Dinner on Saturday, Sept. 25, in Port Angeles at the Red Lion to honor the departing Lynn Kessler. Word is there's also a field trip with his daughter on Friday which is being kept hush-hush.

Lastly, one more note from Larry: the campaign is looking for volunteers as phone bankers and virtual phone bankers (calling from the comfort of your home) to help reach out to voters over the next few weeks. According to Larry, it is an extremely important part of the campaign's strategy to be diligent about reaching every single available voter before ballots go out. You can contact Larry if you'd like to volunteer at LarryClark@KevinVanDeWege.com

That's it for today. Please remember to join our Facebook and follow us on Blogspot.

The News for September 22, 2010

2010-09-22T04:53:00.000-07:00

Steve Tharinger & Lynn Kessler

STATE HOUSE MAJORY LEADER LYNN KESSLER ENDORSES STEVE THARINGER
Retiring House Majority Leader, Lynn Kessler (D), has officially endorsed Clallam County Commissioner Steve Tharinger as her successor as 24th District state representative. Representative Kessler is one of the most powerful, respected, and distinguished public servants in the history of the 24th District, and her retirement considerably lessens the influence of the 24th District statewide if she is not replaced by a strong leader -- such as Commissioner Tharinger.

On her presumed successor, Rep. Kessler said, "“Steve is extremely well qualified to serve our large and diverse district. We need his experience and leadership in the Legislature. I am urging my supporters, regardless of which side of the aisle they are on, to vote for Steve Tharinger."

On August 26, the Republican candidate for Kessler's seat issued an odd press release in which he announced that "Lynn Kessler leaves big shoes to fill, but fill them I can." Apparently, the esteemed Rep. Kessler disagrees.

Read the rest of Rep. Kessler's endorsement at The Port Townsend Leader.

7PM Tonight at 111 South Wooding Street in Aberdeen

REP. VAN DE WEGE IN ABERDEEN TONIGHT FOR FUNDRAISER
The very busy lieutenant firefighter/parademic/father/husband/two-term state representative, Kevin Van De Wege, will be appearing at 7PM tonight at 111 South Wooding Street in Aberdeen for a fundraiser with Representatives Brian Blake and Dean Takko.

JEFFERSON COUNTY REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE IS DANGEROUSLY QUOTABLE
Thanks to the incredible investigative journalism of The Port Townsend Leader, we now know that Republican candidate for Jefferson County Commissioner Jim Boyer is, well, an extremely colorful and opinionated character ... who hates Port Townsend residents and apparently supports the armed overthrow of the United States government. A few selections from his online manifestos (my favorites in bold):

"Port Townsend is populated by those types who are migrating there from all over. Most of the town is welfare or trustafarians."

“Ugly old gay hippies in floppy hats would never consider loading a backpack and heading into the wilderness for a week or two with fishing pole instead of a Sierra Club Discovery Card.”

"There are NO well meaning democrats, but that’s a topic for another day."

“Liberalism is a mental disease.”

“For years I have believed that NORPLANT birth control should be mandatory for women (white or whatever) on welfare and government drug dependency programs.”

"Our congress is being taken over by liberals and we are sliding down the slippery slope to socialist destruction of the greatest nation the world has ever known ... What are the alternatives?... Armed revolution – march on the Capitol and demand that congress stand down and go home alive."

CONCLUSION
We'll start posting some organizing/volunteering opportunities a little later this week, along with some exclusive interviews and news. In the meantime, please spread the word and join the official 24th District Eagle Facebook.

THE 24TH DISTRICT EAGLE

Welcome to The 24th District Eagle

2010-09-22T02:28:00.000-07:00


Steve Tharinger and Kevin Van De Wege

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Welcome to the 24th District Eagle, the daily news and opinion source for the Democrats, progressives, and moderate independents of Washington's 24th District and the Olympic Peninsula at large. We are also honored to be the official campaign blog of State Representative Kevin Van De Wege and Clallam County Commissioner Steve Tharinger, who is running to join Rep. Van De Wege in Olympia as the 24th District's second state representative.

Disclaimer: Though this blog is the official blog of the campaigns Rep. Van De Wege and Commissioner Tharinger and will be featuring exclusive content from their campaigns, the opinions expressed here still belong only to us, the staff at The 24th District Eagle. We are our own independent voice and, unless directly quoting them, do not speak for either Kevin or Steve.

The key to success in modern politics is a persistent, organized, and passionate electorate. Our goal for this blog is to give the citizens of Washington's 24th District everything they'll need to make a difference for the better in local politics. We aim to provide members of Washington's 24th District -- which covers Clallam, Jefferson, and Grays Harbor counties -- with a daily digest of local political news, events, organizing opportunities, and volunteer/fundraising drives.

Hopefully, the 24th District Eagle can become the central hub of local progressive and moderate organizing efforts to ensure that our wonderful area is governed by inspiring public servants who appreciate and wish to preserve the 24th District's incredible natural surroundings, who fight for the welfare of the hardworking common people and local small businesses of our district, and who prize the freedom and prosperity of their constituents more than the support of Big Business, lobbyists, and outside special interests.

Every day, the 24th District Eagle will attempt to give its readership the inside story on local Democratic and progressive politics, along with exclusive interviews, news updates, and volunteering/fundraising/action drives. In short, we hope to make a difference, both on a local level and on a statewide level.

We're always looking for opinions, sugggestions, and help, so please reach out to us through e-mail and friending us on Facebook.

The 24th District Eagle