As Gregoire launches re-election bid, Rossi barbs start to fly

Gov. Christine Gregoire shifted into full campaign mode Monday, embarking on a statewide tour to launch what promises to be a bitter and expensive rematch against Republican Dino Rossi.

"I'm ready with a proven record of results," Gregoire told a few hundred supporters during a rally at an Auburn computer company.

It has been no secret that Gregoire would seek a second term. She's been raising money for her re-election bid since soon after taking office more than three years ago.

But Monday seemed to mark the official start of the governor's race, with Gregoire and Rossi trading some nasty barbs, in essence, picking up where they left off after the contentious 2004 election.

Rossi, in a written statement, said Gregoire had failed to tackle many of the state's most pressing problems in transportation and education. He said families and businesses are "still struggling with skyrocketing health-care costs."

Gregoire, however, painted a much rosier picture.

She said the state has made significant gains in all of those areas. She pointed out that the state had one of the nation's highest unemployment rates when she took office, but now has one of the lowest. And she touted recent national scorecards that rank Washington as one of the best-managed states.

"Voters in November will be given a significant choice," Gregoire said. "What do we want to see in a governor of the state of Washington? A governor who brings hope to Washingtonians, who believes in our opportunity to be great? Or one who does nothing but criticize and promote fear across the state?"

Rossi also stepped up what has become a main theme for the Republicans, accusing Gregoire of "total fiscal recklessness." Under Gregoire, Rossi said, state spending has gone up by $8.5 billion, a 33 percent increase.

"Christine Gregoire has the taxpayer credit card, and we are getting stuck with the bill," Rossi said. "And if re-elected, she will raise taxes to spend more of our money."

Gregoire refuted Rossi's 33 percent figure. "It's much less than that," she said.

The governor's budget office said Monday a more accurate figure for how much the budget has grown is $6.7 billion, about 26 percent.

Gregoire said most of the new spending has come in education and other programs the public supports.

Aside from defending her budget, Gregoire ripped Rossi for the choices he made in 2003, when he was the Senate's lead budget writer. With the state facing a $2.3 billion shortfall that year, Rossi teamed up with then-Gov. Gary Locke — a Democrat — to push through deep cuts in education and health-care spending.

"Do we want a governor who's going to keep priorities and values in good times and bad times, or a governor who when things get a little tough is going to cut important things and cut our education and cut our health care and cut our family safety?" Gregoire said.

She started her kickoff tour with a private meet-and-greet at the Rainbow Cafe, the Auburn diner where her mother worked as a short-order cook when Gregoire was growing up. The crowd included the son of two of Gregoire's high-school classmates, her 81-year-old former driver's-education instructor and Auburn Mayor Pete Lewis.

"She really is a role model around here," Lewis said. "This is a small-town-girl-makes-good story."

Gregoire, traveling in a biodiesel bus, also stopped Monday in Tacoma and Vancouver. After making a swing through Eastern Washington, the governor will wrap up her tour Thursday in Seattle.

Though Gregoire has had a mostly trouble-free first term, Rossi and the Republicans are convinced she's vulnerable.

Rossi is hoping to tap into pent-up anger among many voters over the 2004 election. After initially being declared the winner that year, Rossi lost by 133 votes after a second recount and a protracted court battle.

Gregoire and Rossi are on pace to shatter the fundraising record they set that year, when both candidates raised more than $6 million.

Gregoire has raised more than $4.5 million since 2005. Under state law, Gregoire had to put her fundraising on hold while the Legislature was in session, but she's planning a big event this month in Seattle featuring New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.

Though Rossi didn't start raising money until shortly before announcing his candidacy last fall, he is quickly closing the gap. Rossi's campaign reported raising about $900,000 last month, bringing his total to $3.6 million.

Ralph Thomas: 360-943-9882 or rthomas@seattletimes.com