Democrats aim to recapture Tom Foley's old House seat

By Jim Brunner
Seattle Times staff reporter

Democrat Don Barbieri: hotel CEO and civic leader

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Now that Nethercutt is stepping down to run for the U.S. Senate, Democrats want to sweep their sour memories away and recapture the 5th District's congressional seat.

They've pinned their hopes on Don Barbieri, a hotel mogul and civic leader who has pledged up to $350,000 of his own money to his campaign.

	Republican Shaun Cross: partner in law firm

"I think he is the first real candidate we've had in a long time," said Mary Pat Laushot, chairwoman of the Spokane Democrats.

With only 34 open seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, the race has attracted the attention of both parties, who vow to pour money into the contest this fall.

But some observers doubt the Democrats' best efforts will be enough to overcome Eastern Washington's increasingly Republican leanings. Independent political analysts give the edge to whichever of the three Republicans winds up taking on Barbieri.

	Republican Cathy McMorris: state representative

In some ways it doesn't matter much which Republican wins the primary. The three contenders admit they essentially agree on all the major issues. They're pro-gun, anti-abortion, and want to cut taxes while steering more federal spending into their district. They disagree only on who would make the best successor to Nethercutt.

Two longtime state lawmakers, Larry Sheahan and Cathy McMorris, say their legislative experience qualifies them to make the jump to Congress. Corporate bankruptcy attorney Shaun Cross, meanwhile, touts his status as a political newcomer with a strong business background.

	Republican Larry Sheahan: lawyer, state senator

While the GOP won't know who its nominee is until September, Barbieri will have the Democratic spotlight basically to himself throughout the summer. He plans on kicking off a 12-county tour soon.

Barbieri, 58, is already well known in the Spokane area as chairman and chief executive officer of WestCoast Hospitality, a family business that owns or manages 48 hotels across the Western U.S. and Canada. The company employs more than 4,000 people and reported $184 million in sales last year. Barbieri stepped down from the company last year to devote his time to the campaign.

Barbieri's wealth has given him a big fund-raising edge. He'd already raised $620,000, including $311,000 of his own money, by the end of March — more than the three Republican candidates combined.

Barbieri is a past chairman of the Spokane Regional Chamber of Commerce and has served on the boards of several local hospitals and nonprofit groups.

"A centrist"

Barbieri, who has contributed to both Republicans and Democrats in the past, says he's running as a moderate who would rise above ideological squabbles.

"What this district needs is somebody who is a centrist, who is not partisan, somebody who likes putting people around the table who don't like each other," Barbieri said.

It remains to be seen whether voters will believe Barbieri is a moderate or whether his critics will be able to portray him as too liberal for the district.

For example, Barbieri says he's "pro-gun" but favors extending the federal assault-weapons ban — a hot-button issue that hurt Foley in 1994 when the National Rifle Association, a former ally, turned harshly against him.

National Democratic leaders rank the 5th District on their short list of seats they hope to capture from the GOP in an effort to weaken the Republican majority in Congress.

"It's a very solid opportunity for us," said Kori Bernards, spokeswoman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "I think Don Barbieri is the right kind of Democrat for this district."

The House has 228 Republicans, 206 Democrats and one Democratic-leaning independent. Most independent observers say it is unlikely the Democrats can retake the majority this year. Republicans expect to pick up five seats in Texas alone, thanks to redistricting that favored the GOP.

Carl Forti, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said the party will aggressively defend both of Washington's open House seats. (Bellevue Republican Jennifer Dunn is also retiring, setting off a scramble for her 8th District seat.)

GOP strength

Plenty of evidence suggests the vast and largely rural 5th District has grown more solidly Republican since it ousted Foley in 1994. Nethercutt has been re-elected by a wider margin every term — even easily winning in 2000, the year he broke a well-publicized promise to serve only three terms. That year, the district went for George Bush over Al Gore, 56 percent to 40 percent. Only four of the district's 21 state legislators are Democrats, three of them from Spokane.

The three Republicans vying for the party's nomination are confident any of them could easily defeat Barbieri, despite his advantage in money and name recognition.

At 35, McMorris is the youngest candidate in the race, but she already has a decade of experience in the state Legislature, rising through the ranks to become House Republican leader last year.

Since 1994, McMorris has represented the 7th Legislative District, the largest in the state, covering all or part of six Eastern Washington counties. Before entering politics, she worked in her family's orchards and fruit stand in Kettle Falls, a town that boasts "1,535 friendly people and one grouch" in Stevens County.

McMorris touts her experience and says the fact that she is a young woman "puts a different face on the Republican Party."

She led the GOP candidates in fund-raising through March, collecting more than $200,000.

Sheahan, 44, was the first to enter the race, announcing his candidacy the day after Nethercutt said he would run for the Senate.

Sheahan has represented the 9th Legislative District since 1992, moving from the state House to the state Senate in 1999. The district runs from the southern part of Spokane County to the Oregon border. He was named Republican floor leader in 2001.

He's already plotting how to rise up the leadership ranks in Congress, saying he'd run for the little-known position of head of the freshman GOP class and work his way up from there. The 5th District needs the clout in Washington, D.C., Sheahan says.

"There is a real concern that we make sure we have someone who can be as effective as possible from day one," he said.

With his father, Sheahan runs a law firm in Rosalia, Whitman County, specializing in estate planning. His campaign had raised $112,000 by the end of March.

Cross, 54, has no legislative experience but says his private-sector success sets him apart.

"I'm the only one that has really been deeply immersed in the business area in the entire region for 25 years," he said.

Cross has handled federal-court bankruptcies for many large Eastern Washington companies, from airlines to lumber mills. He also helped start a new evangelical church in Spokane after growing dissatisfied with what he described as creeping liberalism in the Episcopal Church.

Cross has been the managing partner of Paine Hamblen, a prestigious Spokane law firm with 110 employees. He also led an effort to expand Spokane's convention center as a member of the city's Public Facilities District board.

Cross had raised $186,000 through March.

Jim Brunner: 206-515-5628 or jbrunner@seattletimes.com

Seattle Times news researcher Gene Balk contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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