In what will certainly be the cause of bad blood between Governor Christine Gregoire and the law enforcement agencies of her home turf, the King County Police Officers Guild (KCPOG) endorsed Dino Rossi for Governor yesterday.

Having already received the endorsement of Kitsap County’s sister organization, Rossi now has the support of two of the four largest law enforcement guilds in the Puget Sound. Should he obtain the nods from Pierce and Snohomish Counties, the former chief law enforcement officer of the state, Gregoire, might soon be scrambling to find a new negative radio ad campaign.

Citing his knowledge of public safety and the pensions of police officers, KCPOG was probably the last local guild that anyone expected to endorse the Republican challenger.

The following is the April 2, 2008 press release from Rossi’s campaign headquarters: Redmond, WA – Gubernatorial Candidate Dino Rossi today announced the endorsement of his candidacy for governor by the King County Police Officer’s Guild. This is the second law enforcement association to endorse Rossi’s bid for governor.

Steve Eggert, President of the King County Police Officers Guild, cited Rossi’s “impressive” views on public safety and knowledge of officers’ pension issues that led the board to endorse Rossi. “I am proud to have the support of this important law enforcement organization that serves the most populated county in our state,” said Rossi. “These men and women work hard day and night to meet the challenges of keeping our communities safe and secure.

“Our campaign is beginning to gain the endorsements of law enforcement organizations from across the state, and we anticipate more to come. I understand the importance of supporting people who put their life on the
line for our communities. They will continue to have my support when I am governor.”

When he served in the state Senate from 1997 to 2003, Rossi spearheaded a variety of public safety legislation, including: the “Mary Johnsen Act” requiring ignition interlock devices on vehicles of chronic DUI offenders; the “Dane Rempfer Bill” punishing drivers who flee the scene of an accident; and the “Two Strikes and You’re Out” law sending criminals who rape and molest children to jail for life after the second conviction.

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 3rd, 2008 at 5:25 pm and is filed under Politics, Politics & Business, Washington State. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.