1. Name as it will appear on the ballot
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First Name |
Middle Initial or Nick Name |
Last Name |
2. Office sought (include office, jurisdiction, position/district number):
3. Are you the incumbent? Yes No
4. How long have you resided in this district/city?
5. How long have you resided in King County?
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35 Years |
6. Is the office sought partisan or nonpartisan? Partisan Nonpartisan
CAMPAIGN CONTACTS
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Campaign Name: |
Friends to Elect Jeffrey Possinger |
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Address: |
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Campaign Phone: |
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Campaign Fax: |
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Campaign E-mail: |
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Campaign Website: |
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1. Beginning with the most recent position, please list public offices which you have held. Include positions on appointive Boards or Commissions.
Public Office |
Elective or Appointive? |
Dates Held |
Leadership Role (if any) |
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2. If you ran for public office but were not elected, please list those races below:
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In this section, we are seeking responses that reflect the four ratings criteria: involvement, effectiveness, character, and knowledge. These are defined as follows:
1. In a page or less, why are you running for this office? (Note: the interview committee will be given a copy of this statement before your interview; at the beginning of your interview you will have the opportunity to expand on this statement in any way you wish.)
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I believe that in many ways the state government has lost touch with its local communities. This is not only true in the state's relationship with its individual citizens, but also in the state's relationship with cities and local governments as well. As a city councilmember, I have seen a myriad of unfunded mandates and other requirements placed on cities as well as voters with limited options to either pay for or deal with the requirements.
Infrastructure improvements that are desperately needed remain gridlocked in Olympia, and the effects of that gridlock impact our cities and citizens right where they live. I am running because we need the leadership in our legislature that can find solutions with the resources we now have, and not wait for the perfect solution.
Cities have had to address their issues head on, often with limited options. They have had to make tough choices that have been foisted upon them by the state and federal government. There are tough choices to be made. Now, more than ever, voters want accountability in their elected officials as well as their public servants. I have made public accountability a priority while on city council; and I will make public accountabilty a priority as a state legislator. |
2. Describe your most important personal characteristics or traits as they relate to the office you seek.
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Hard work is a prerequisite to being effective in any endeavor; but working smart and being able to think hard about thorny problems and then finding creative solutions is what sets candidates apart. In my professional as well as public life, I look for different avenues to reach common goals. I have found that often there are creative ways to achieve ends that appear blocked by traditional routes.
Perseverance and tenacity are also traits that have seen me through many tough times in my life and career - dogged determination to push through challenges and continue working on a goal despite setbacks often is what separates the wheat from the chaff. I have had a number of challenges in my own life, which I have worked hard to overcome, and have succeeded by pure determination. This is a trait that will serve me well in the legislature as it has in other areas of my life.
Empathy and listening are not only good skills for communication, but they are also a good source of true learning. Not only has this skill been effective for me in the past, but in this legislative race particularly, I have found that listening to voters and even opponents has expanded my thinking on issues as well as made me a better elected official. |
3. Please describe in sufficient detail, one to three accomplishments or contributions of which you are most proud. These examples should illustrate effective skills and capabilities you think apply to the office you are seeking. These accomplishments may have occurred at any time in your personal, professional, or public life.
4. Please list or describe your current and past activities in the community in which you have acquired skills that relate to the office you seek. Include your role in the activity and the year(s) in which you were involved. Involvement consists of many areas such as family, neighborhood, community, employment, or public life.
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For most of my life, I have been involved in my community in various ways - many times volunteering in informally.
In my profession, I have volunteered many hours of pro-bono work for nonprofit organizations as well as the King County Family Law Mentorship Program, which aids low income families with legal needs related to domestic relations and domestic violence. I have regularly made myself a resource to those needing legal advice or assistance.
In Duvall, I have participated in various community events, including community clean up days, fundraisers for local groups, and most recently, coordinating relief efforts for a family that was rendered homeless because of a barn fire that also burned their home.
My commitment to my family is a top priority. In addition to spending time with my wife and children generally; I particpate in my daughter's sports events as well as school. I have volunteered time at my daughers school, putting on a program teaching basic economic principles and also volunteering time for writing awareness day, where I spoke to 4th, 5th, and 6th Graders about the use of writing in the legal profession.
I believe that communites are made better as a result of informal volunteer work like this.
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The legislative branch of government is responsible for drafting and changing the law and policy of the State of Washington. Although the Governor carries this out, it is the duty of the legislature to make the laws that will ultimately govern the state. It is a critical duty that as legislators we make the right choices not only in the laws that we sponsor and pass, but also those laws that we do not pass.
As a related matter, the state's budget and the ability to tax and spend are the purview of the state legislature. Decisions made in the budget affect every citizen either positively or negatively. I consider it critical that legislators pass budgets that are affordable to their citizens; and pass budgets that live within the means of the state. Being sure that the maximum value is being purchased with the taxpayer's money is something that I believe every legislator should consider has having a top priority. |
EDUCATION BACKGROUND SUMMARY
The Municipal League’s Candidate Evaluation Report is distributed to voters in print and/or on our website. It includes a summary of the candidate’s education. Please summarize your education in 120 characters (letters, punctuation, and space all combined). The League will delete material that exceeds the space limit by beginning with the last entry. Suggested order is (degree) (subject) (school) (year, if desired).
Note: If this question is left blank the League will not include education information in your candidate profile.
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Diploma - Juanita High School (1987) Kirkland, WA Bachelor of Arts - Economics, Univeristy of Washington (1997) Juris Doctor (Cum Laude), Seattle University School of Law (2000) |
FOR PUBLICATION IN CANDIDATE EVALUATION REPORT
The Municipal League’s Candidate Evaluation Report also includes a summary of each candidate’s civic involvement. Please summarize your civic involvement in the space below. We will make every attempt to include the information in the Candidate Evaluation Report as submitted. Due to space restrictions in the Report, your response is limited to 500 characters (letters, punctuation, and spaces all combined). It is important that you list your involvement beginning with the most important and ending with the least important. If you exceed the length of response permitted, or if the League should find it necessary to shorten responses for publication purposes, deletions will be made beginning with the last item listed.
Note: This information will appear verbatim on the League’s Candidate Evaluation Report. If this question is left blank, the Municipal League will not include information on your civic involvement in the Report.
Check here if you would like the Municipal League to copy the first 500 characters from Question 4 to paste into this section.
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Finished!
If at all possible, send your response to the Municipal League electronically as an attachment, or insert it into an e-mail message (rebecca@munileague.org). Mail and fax numbers are listed below. If the League has not contacted you to schedule an interview, please call the League office at your earliest convenience.
Don’t forget to send the following to the Municipal League: a resume, a photo, campaign literature, and, if you are an incumbent, constituent newsletters and other materials. Please use the check-off list on the cover sheet of this packet to indicate which items you have sent.
Candidate Evaluation Coordinator: Rebecca Cooper
Seattle, WA 98104-1614 Fax: 425-671-0506 Website: www.munileague.org