Gregoire in Everett on 1st day on job

EVERETT — The past couple of months seemed to follow Gov. Christine Gregoire through her first day in office, despite her determination to move forward.

She spent it in Snohomish County, which she lost decisively in her extremely close race with Republican Dino Rossi. She has said she should have spent more time in Snohomish and Pierce counties — two historically Democratic counties that favored her opponent — during the campaign.

Gregoire said she will visit Tacoma on Monday for its Martin Luther King Day Jr. celebration.

She said yesterday's visit to Everett was not about politics. She went to observe the county's Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration and to discuss Naval Station Everett with local officials.

A string of racially motivated incidents in the county last year prompted local groups to bring in Southern Poverty Law Center co-founder Morris Dees to speak yesterday.

"This is part of an effort to heal," Gregoire said.

About a dozen protesters greeted her in front of the Snohomish County Courthouse, waving Rossi signs and demanding a revote.

Other Democratic candidates won easily in Snohomish County, the state's third-largest county. Political observers say Gregoire may have taken the county for granted.

"I think Snohomish County is a classic swing county," said Ron Dotzauer, a political analyst.

The county has a Republican-controlled County Council but a Democratic county executive. Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic presidential candidate, carried the county.

"It makes sense to me strategically that her first day on the job would be in an area where she kind of needs to go back and introduce herself," Dotzauer said. "That is a very smart move."

During her short speech at the Martin Luther King Jr. observance, she told the crowd, "My husband is an Everett High School Seagull."

She was well-received at the event, with several standing ovations.

"For the governor on your first day to offer your support ... means a lot to this community," Everett Mayor Ray Stephanson said after the Martin Luther King event.

Stephanson, County Executive Aaron Reardon and Gregoire also announced a pilot program with Snohomish County to help local and state governments work better together. The Government Management Accountability and Performance program will seek to eliminate duplicate services. Reardon said Gregoire chose Snohomish County for the program because of a similar program the county already has set up.

"Gov. Gregoire is very serious about improving the state's bureaucracy," he said.

The new governor vowed to advocate Naval Station Everett in an upcoming federal review of military bases. The Navy base is the county's second-largest employer behind Boeing.

"My husband or I will visit all the bases around the state," she said, and added that a representative from her office should accompany local officials on trips to Washington, D.C., in connection with the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure, a review designed to find ways to consolidate or close military bases to save money.

Speaking about the election, the governor said her plans for election reform do not include another look at the race she won in a hand recount by 129 votes.

"I'm not investigating the election," she said.

A task force will recommend legislation by March 1, she said.

"Because of the contentiousness of this election, I didn't feel that it was satisfactory to devise legislation on my own," she said.

Gregoire is beginning her term behind schedule and has not finished hiring staff for her office, let alone reviewed 420 appointments to boards and commissions, she said.

But this morning she made a call to the governor's office and heard "Governor Gregoire's office" when the staff answered.

"It really kind of hit me," she said. "It was an exciting moment, I have to say."

Emily Heffter: 425-783-0624 or eheffter@seattletimes.com