Reichert will have to get used to Republicans' minority role

In his first term in Washington, D.C., Dave Reichert joined a GOP majority as a celebrated former sheriff straight out of central casting.

When he returns for a second term in January, Reichert joins the minority, stripped of his committee chairmanship and bruised from an election much closer than his first.

Reichert, of Auburn, said he'll rely on an old skill from his law-enforcement career to deal with his new reality: "I've learned to be a listener all my life."

The state's Democrats in Congress, now in power, strongly backed Reichert's opponent, Darcy Burner, of Carnation. They said they will try to cross partisan divides but said Reichert's claims of being an independent and a moderate will be tested.

"It will be kind of a rude shock for him. He was in the majority and had a subcommittee chair. Now he loses about 90 percent of his power," said U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Seattle, who is in line for a subcommittee chair.

"Part of what we'll go through with Dave is whether he wants to follow his leadership and play 'Let's defeat the Democrats' or to come across the line and work with us."

Burner reluctantly conceded Tuesday. With tens of thousands of ballots left to count, she had held hope of a miracle comeback but called to congratulate Reichert late Monday after The Associated Press declared Reichert the winner. Burner briefly left her news conference Tuesday as tears welled up, then returned.

"Obviously we came incredibly close," said Burner, a 36-year-old in her first run for office. "We still haven't finished counting in King and Pierce counties."

Burner left open a future run for office. "I haven't made any decision about what I'll do next, aside from taking Henry to Disneyland on Thursday," said Burner, referring to her 3-year-old son.

U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Bainbridge Island, who called Burner the "most impressive, most improved candidate" he'd ever seen, said Democrats did not need Reichert's vote to pass their agenda. But he said the state delegation has worked cooperatively on local priorities and could rely on Reichert as a liaison to the White House on issues such as renewable power if the former King County sheriff wants the role.

"I'm going to take off my love-in hat and say Dave has not been terribly active on energy issues to date. If he gets up to speed on energy, that'd be great," Inslee said.

Mike Shields, Reichert's chief of staff, said Reichert had worked with Democrats, including Inslee, and would not change his approach.

Reichert, who returned to Washington, D.C., when Congress reconvened, had been one of just a handful of freshmen in Congress' history to lead a committee, on emergency preparedness. He now will likely lose two staff members, and one of Reichert's patrons, Dennis Hastert, will no longer be speaker of the House.

Reichert said he'll push the GOP to address criticisms of fiscal irresponsibility and lax ethics policies. "Those are areas we've been hearing from independents, moderates, Democrats and Republicans," he said. "Everyone wants to see change there, to see leadership."

Although votes are still being tallied, both parties have begun dissecting why Reichert survived the Democrats' takeover.

Late Tuesday, Reichert held a 51.3 percent to 48.7 percent edge, and continued to add to his 5,767-vote lead.

Reichert and GOP officials credit his roots in the 8th District and Burner's lack of high-profile public service.

Burner, at her news conference, suggested the estimated $6 million spent by the GOP made the difference. "It was certainly the case that the Republicans threw everything they had into keeping this seat: $6 million in Republican expenditures, the president, the vice president, the speaker of the House, the first lady, Newt Gingrich, Karl Rove. And with that, they barely kept it," she said.

McDermott, who campaigned and raised money for Burner, agreed with the GOP analysis.

"He's in a swing district, and he got re-elected on one vote, for ANWR," he said, referring to Reichert's vote against oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. "That convinced people that he was independent of the White House."

Jonathan Martin: 206-464-2605 or jmartin@seattletimes.com