On the strength of strong fundraising, and an incredible display of leadership in creating and organizing A Responsible Plan to End the War, Darcy Burner has fought her way to a new CQ rating in her efforts to unseat Republican Dave Reichert. CQ now rates the race as "no clear favorite." At the same time, they've upgraded Gov. Christine Gregoire's race from no clear favorite (a ranking that was too conservative, in my view) to leans Democrat.
In the 8th District, which encompasses the Eastern suburbs of Seattle, analysts say former Microsoft executive Burner’s organization, fundraising, and her views on the Iraq war have boosted her campaign. Observers add that the state and national Democratic organizations are also helping.Burner shocked many in 2006 when in her first campaign for public office she narrowly lost to Republican Rep. Dave Reichert by 3 percent in what was once a Republican stronghold....
Burner has made the Iraq war, which is highly unpopular in the district, a centerpiece of her 2008 campaign. She initiated an effort to create a plan to end the war . After six months of consultation with retired generals and national security experts, she was joined by nine Democratic challengers in the release of a formal plan March 17. It reiterates many of the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group and calls for removing all U.S. troops from Iraq (without proposing a specific timeline), enlisting allies to help stabilize Iraq, and improving America’s international reputation....
Burner reported $607,000 on hand at the end of 2007 (the latest figures available) and Reichert reported $463,000 on hand. New fundraising numbers through March 31 will be available April 15.
Rachel Maddow featured Darcy on her Air America show Wednesday afternoon, with a lengthy discussion of the Iraq Plan, which now more than 50 Congressional candidates have endorsed. She touched on the involvement of many high-ranking retired military officers who helped her formulate the plan, including Petraeus's predecessor in Iraq, Gen. Paul Eaton, and their concern that the U.S. military is being destroyed by the ongoing occupation of Iraq. That concern was echoed in testimony yesterday by senior Army and Marine Corps leaders.
It's on the basis of the kind of leadership she's shown in creating the Plan that Darcy has build such a strong base of Democratic support here in Washington state, and nationally. This race is certainly now in the top five House races to watch, while Gov. Gregoire should hold onto her office without a serious scare.
On the Web:
Darcy Burner for Congress
Blue Majority ActBlue page
Chris Gregoire for Governor