Coalition of labor groups looks to unseat middle-of-the-road candidates

A renegade group of Democrats thought they could chart a moderate course through the 2010 legislative session as lawmakers sought to close a $2.6 billion state budget deficit.

Now two members of the group known as the "Roadkill Caucus" have been targeted by a traditional ally of Democratic candidates — organized labor — which says the members have supported business interests more than working families.

A coalition of labor groups including the Washington State Labor Council, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the Washington Federation of State Employees and the Public School Employees of Washington have formed independent political committees and donated about $20,000 to defeat Sen. Steve Hobbs in the 44th District and $122,000 to oust Sen. Jean Berkey in the 38th.

Labor is critical of the two lawmakers' refusal to eliminate a tax exemption for out-of-state banks or to extend unemployment insurance for workers in some hard-hit industries, including construction.

Hobbs advocates privatizing state liquor stores and Berkey the state print shop, which together employ more than 1,000 union members. Both voted to impose furlough days and higher medical co-payments on state employees.

Rick Bender, president of the state Labor Council, told members in an end-of-session report: "We used to have a name for legislators who held conservative views about restricting access to unemployment insurance and workers' compensation, privatizing government and cutting state employee compensation. ... They were called Republicans."

In addition to funding multiple hit pieces against the incumbents, the labor groups are extending their grass-roots support, including doorbelling and phone calls, to more liberal Democratic challengers in the two races — Lillian Kaufer in the 44th district and Nick Harper in the 38th.

"Some in the Democratic Caucus have taken us for granted," said Larry Brown, president of the Aerospace Machinists Local 751. "We felt we needed to get some people's attention."

44th District

Hobbs' coined the name for the caucus, suggesting that "roadkill" could be the fate of legislators who stuck to the middle-of-the-road in the face of a more liberal Democratic majority in Olympia.

But the more conservative course hasn't hurt Hobbs in fundraising. He's amassed more than $194,000 for his re-election campaign, almost 10 times the amount of any of his opponents, with most of the contributions coming from business.

Dave Schmidt, 56, who hopes to regain the Senate seat he lost to Hobbs in 2006, estimates that about $60,000 in contributions from business interests that he previously received as the Republican incumbent are going this election to Hobbs. For the primary, Schmidt has more than $20,000.

Hobbs, 40, a captain in the Army National Guard, defends his voting record.

"There was no voice for moderates who advocated fiscal responsibility and government reform," he said. "I represent a moderate district."

Hobbs says he's brought together other elected officials in the district to set legislative priorities and secured state funding for transportation projects, including improvements to Highway 9.

Democratic challenger Lillian Kaufer, 43, a paralegal and small business owner, also ran for state Senate in 2006. She is critical of Hobbs' vote against $700 million in new state taxes that Democrats approved this year. Those taxes, Kaufer said, prevented even deeper cuts to education and state services.

She is the only candidate in the race who supports Initiative 1098, which would establish an income tax on high-income earners in the state. Kaufer has raised more than $17,000.

Schmidt, who retired from the Army National Guard in 2007 as a staff sergeant, served eight years in the state House of Representatives and four years in the Senate. He said Hobbs voted to increase state spending in each of his first three years in office, exacerbating the state's budget crisis. Schmidt said he would work to improve education and transportation without new taxes.

Political newcomer Republican Ryan Ferrie, 37, who owns a Lynnwood insurance agency, is also running for the 44th District Senate seat. Ferrie supports privatizing state services including liquor stores. He'd like to see the state get out of workers' compensation, saying that the current system is rife with fraud and is overly bureaucratic. Ferrie has raised more than $7,000.

Both Schmidt and Kaufer have previously filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Schmidt said he was a partner in a planned condominium development in Everett and lost all his investment when the real-estate market collapsed. He filed for bankruptcy in 2009.

He has not paid Snohomish County property taxes on his Mill Creek condominium since 2008 and currently owes about $4,400 including interest and penalties, according to county records. He is appealing the county's assessment of the condo's value.

Kaufer and her husband Patrick filed for bankruptcy in 2005. She said their company, Kaufer Vending, has since reorganized and is back in business.

38th District

Jean Berkey, 71, had no opponent for the 38th District Senate seat in 2006, and she won a contested election in 2004 with 65 percent of the vote. Her lifetime voting record in support of labor is 89 percent. But the same coalition of union advocates that is disillusioned with Hobbs is also targeting Berkey.

She said voters in her district are getting two and three mailings a day attacking her. The labor coalition also has spent about $61,000 in support of her more liberal Democratic opponent in the primary, Nick Harper.

Among their complaints is her refusal to eliminate a tax exemption for out-of-state banks that could have netted the state about $60 million in revenue.

Berkey said banks were already facing new taxes totaling about $73 million, and she thought "everybody should share the pain."

But David Rolf, president of SEIU Local 775, said it's another example of Berkey siding with business at the expense of working families.

"The state cut 40,000 people off the Basic Health Plan," Rolf said. "We'd rather have government on the side of the working poor than Wall Street banks."

Berkey describes herself as a fiscal moderate who tried to balance tax increases with protecting the state's business climate. She supports privatizing the state print shop because it's not efficient and hasn't responded to repeated criticism from its customers in state government, she said.

"Labor wants 100 percent support. Apparently 87 percent isn't enough," she said. Berkey has also been a strong advocate of adding a four-year college to the north Snohomish County region, saying a better trained workforce will command higher wages and attract more employers. She has raised more than $88,000 for her re-election campaign.

Harper, 31, a lawyer turned environmental advocate, says the state needs significant tax reform including a tax on high-income earners to support essential services such as education and health care. He doesn't think Berkey has been a strong enough advocate for funding these programs.

He's also critical of Berkey's proposal that a future college be sited on land slated for habitat restoration. He said he'd take a more collaborative approach to problem-solving than the incumbent. Harper has raised more than $38,000 in contributions.

No Republican filed against Berkey, but an independent, conservative candidate, Rod Rieger, is running. Rieger, who owns a Marysville security business, said he would like to see government contracts opened to nonunion companies as a way to increase competition and bring down costs.

Lynn Thompson: 206-464-8305 or lthompson@seattletimes.com

This story, published Aug. 7, was corrected Aug. 8. Sen. Jean Berkey identifies herself as a Democrat. A previous version of this story listed her as a Republican.