New Ad Asks Rep. Geoff Simpson to Resign, Get Help

A devastating new ad by GOPAC will begin running on Comcast Cable in the 47th Legislative District. The ad features women asking Simpson to step down from office to seek help for his domestic violence issues.

Simpson was charged last week with gross misdemeanor assault for an incident involving his ex-wife in May:

King County Republicans Call for Rep. Geoff Simpson's Resignation

Washington state Rep. Geoff Simpson (D-Covington) made an appearance in Seattle Municipal Court yesterday where he was charged with gross misdemeanor assault for an incident involving his ex-wife at Seattle Children's Hospital on May 22.  According to the Covington Reporter:

The police report stated Simpson entered his daughter's room at the hospital after she requested he not visit her. The daughter was recovering from surgery that occurred May 19.

In the police report Simpson's ex-wife stated she tried to stop him outside the room and he "pushed her out of the way and back into the room." According to the report the ex-wife stated he used the door to force her out of the room. The ex-wife stated in the report he then, "barricaded the door and shut the blinds."

The police report stated a social worker described the incident to the Seattle police officer as the ex-wife did

Simpson plead not guilty.

Simpson's ex-wife also filed for a protection order against Simpson on May 27, which was granted; the third such order has been filed against Simpson.

These charges (Simpson was arrested for domestic violence in 2008 but the charges were dropped) have prompted the King County Republican Party to call for Simpson's resignation.  KCGOP chair Lori Sotelo stated in a press release that Washington Democrats are not calling for Simpson to resign for fear of losing his seat in the hotly-contested 47th Legislative District.

“The loudest message in the continuing saga of Geoff Simpson is the silence from Democratic leadership in the state House and state Democratic Party,” said Sotelo. “Tolerance should never apply to domestic violence issues.  Simpson has a history of aggressive behavior and obviously doesn’t have the sound judgment to know when he’s disqualified from serving in public office.”

Road to Olympia: The Front Lines

This is the second in a series of articles on this fall’s Washington state legislative races.

I have been hearing a lot about how voters are angry and that there is an anti-incumbent mood in the land.   Gallup recently reported that conservative enthusiasm is at its highest since 1994.

The 47th Legislative District in southeast King County, part of the sprawling suburban "Crescent" lying to the east of Seattle, is regarded as a key for Republicans to take back in order to reduce the Democratic supermajorities in both houses of the state legislature.  It's a swing district, going for Barack Obama and Dino Rossi in 2008.

Last Sunday evening, I joined Nancy Wyatt, a Republican running for the state house in the Washington 47th Legislative District, as she went doorbelling to see for myself.

Road to Olympia: The Millennials

This is the first in a series of articles on this fall’s Washington state legislative races.

Democrats currently enjoy 60% plus supermajorities in both houses of the Washington legislature. Republican candidates across the state are aiming to undo this and restore balance in Olympia.

The road to Olympia for these Republicans runs through two key suburban swing legislative districts: the 6^th in Spokane and the 47^th in King County. I will be covering the Republican races in these two districts extensively between now and November.

The Millennials (voters aged 18-29) were considered a key demographic in the 2008 election of Barack Obama. But the continuing recession has soured many Millennials, who face unemployment at much higher rates than their elders. They fret over deficits and most don’t think they will be better off than their parents. In other words, many Millennials don’t think Obama and the Democrats have lived up to their promise of hope and change.

A recent Harvard Institute of Politics study found that among Millennials who voted for Obama, only 44% plan to vote in this year’s midterm elections versus 53% of McCain voters. Among Republican Millennials, 41% say they will definitely be voting versus 35% of Millennial Democrats.

This enthusiasm gap was widely evident at last Sunday’s Kent Cornucopia Days parade.

ONE-ON-ONE: Mark Hargrove, Republican Candidate for Washington House of Representatives

As part of 47th Legislative District Week, today we meet Mark Hargrove, who is running for a second time against Rep. Geoff Simpson (D-Covington,) who is in the news again for domestic violence.  Hargrove lost by less than 3,000 votes to Simpson in 2008.

Hargrove is an Air Force Academy graduate and veteran Air Force pilot.  He has lived in the Covington area for the last 21 years.  Mark currently works for Boeing as an instructor pilot, teaching from around the world how to fly their new 777's and 747's.

TF:  My first question is what inspired you to run for the State House this year?

Rep. Geoff Simpson Accused of Domestic Violence....Again

This week is 47th Legislative District Week here at Palousitics.  And one of the current Democrats representing the 47th in the Washington House of Representaives has just been accused of domestic violence for the second time in two years:

The Seattle City Attorney's office today charged Rep. Geoff Simpson, D-Covington, with one count of assault stemming from an alleged incident of domestic violence at Seattle Children's Hospital on May 22.

Simpson is accused of pushing his ex-wife as she tried to stop him from entering a hospital room where their young daughter was recovering from surgery.

Once he got inside the ex-wife said she tried to open the door and go in and he “pushed her out of the room and used the door to force her all the way out,” according to a Seattle police report.

A social worker told police she saw Simpson “barrel” into the room, push the former wife and shut the door.

He “closed the blinds and barricaded himself inside using his body” and was yelling inside, according to the report. Once he came out, he left the property, witnesses said.

Simpson denied wrongdoing and issued a statement today which you can read below. Friction between Simpson and his ex-wife drew cops to their home in 2008 where Simpson was arrested but never charged for alleged domestic violence.

In a statement, Simpson denies the charges and predictably blames it on politics (no doubt the "teabaggers" are behind it all.)

Guilty or not, Simpson's domestic violence charges are a continual distraction.  47th LD voters deserve better.

ONE-ON-ONE: Joe Fain, Republican Candidate for Washington State Senate

As part of 47th Legislative District Week, I interviewed Joe Fain, the Republican candidate who is facing off against incumbent Sen. Claudia Kauffman (D-Kent.) 

Fain received a BA from the University of Washington and an MBA and a law degree from Seattle University. He is currently Chief of Staff for King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer.

Joe is very active in the community and sits on the foundation board of directors for Highline Community College and the board of Auburn Youth Resources, a nonprofit organization that provides treatment and counseling for at-risk youth throughout the region.

You can read more about Joe at http://votefain.com/

TF: My first question is what inspired you to run for the Senate this year?

It's 47th Legislative District Week!

The key to restoring balance and fiscal responsibility to the Washington Legislature can be found in the vote-rich suburbs of eastern King County in an area known as the Crescent. 

The 47th Legislative District is part of this Crescent, lying in southeast King County covering the Renton Highlands to the East Hill of Kent to Black Diamond.