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Republican activist to take on Reichert for Dunn's seat
By Warren Cornwall
Seattle Times Eastside bureau
Diane Tebelius, a Republican Party activist and former federal prosecutor, plans to enter the race for Congress to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Jennifer Dunn.
Her decision sets the stage for a Republican primary contest with at least two contenders for the 8th Congressional District seat. King County Sheriff Dave Reichert has announced his candidacy for the district, which covers much of east and south King County and east Pierce County.
Tebelius, 55, of Bellevue, could prove a formidable opponent to Reichert. Though she lacks his broad name recognition, she is well-known in Republican circles and has experience organizing large-scale political campaigns. Reichert had little involvement in party politics before entering this race.
Tebelius had been telling party officials she would enter the race and yesterday confirmed she plans to do so.
She expects to make a formal announcement of her candidacy next week, when her campaign organization is in place, she said.
Diane Tebelius
Age: 55
Employment: attorney in U.S. Department of Justice's tax division, 1983-86; assistant U.S. attorney in Seattle, 1986-2002; head of Office of the United States Trustee for Alaska, Washington, Montana, Idaho and Oregon, 2002-04
Party: Republican
Family: Husband, Rob McCallum
Residence: Bellevue
Education: Bachelor of Arts in history and mathematics, Walla Walla College; law degree, Whittier College of Law; Master of Laws in Taxation, Georgetown University
"My candidacy is based on a firm belief that my views and positions closely mirror Jennifer's, and aptly reflect those of the district. I am not a candidate of opportunity, but one of conviction," Tebelius said in a statement released yesterday.
She is one of three people elected from Washington state to serve on the Republican National Committee, the political arm of the national party. She has been active in Republican campaigns, as has her husband, tax attorney Rob McCallum.
She was vice chairwoman of Sen. Bob Dole's 1996 presidential campaign in Washington. McCallum was statewide chairman of that campaign and is co-chairman of the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign in the 8th Congressional District.
Her party credentials could be particularly helpful in a primary, where party faithful play a bigger role than in the general election, said Jim Keough, a Republican political consultant and past state political director for former Republican U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton.
"In the primary, you mostly have the hard-core voters turn out and people who work within the party structure," he said. "Her disadvantage is that she is not known by the general public. That will be her test over the next seven months or so. She'll need to raise money and then get her message out."
She and Reichert are relatively untested on the campaign trail, and their positions on issues dear to Republican voters aren't widely known. Tebelius hasn't run for office, and Reichert's only contested race was for sheriff in 1997. In an earlier interview, Tebelius said she would make her stand on issues known when she announced her candidacy.
Bellevue City Councilman Don Davidson, a Republican Party official who has known Tebelius for nearly a decade, described her as educated and a strong communicator.
Dunn's unexpected retirement announcement at the end of January set off hectic behind-the-scenes political positioning. Other Republicans who may enter the race include state Sen. Luke Esser, of Bellevue, and Bellevue City Councilman Grant Degginger.
Democrats see a prime opportunity to challenge for an open seat in suburbs that have grown increasingly friendly to the party. Two Democrats have entered the race, retired RealNetworks executive Alex Alben, and Heidi Behrens-Benedict, who lost to Dunn in three elections.
Warren Cornwall: 206-464-2311 |
