2004 Candidate Questionnaire

SECTION I               

BASIC CANDIDATE INFORMATION

1. Name as it will appear on the ballot

First Name	Middle Initial or Nick Name	Last Name
Geoff	H	Simpson

2.   Office sought (include office, jurisdiction, position/district number):

State Representative 47^th LD Pos. 1

3.   Are you the incumbent?                  Yes              No

4.   How long have you resided in this district/city?

18 years

5.   How long have you resided in King County?

18 years

6.   Is the office sought partisan or nonpartisan?         Partisan      Nonpartisan         

7.   If partisan, please indicate party:  D

CAMPAIGN CONTACTS

Campaign Name:	Committee to Re-elect Geoff Simpson
Address:	16624 SE 254 PL
City/State/Zip:	Covington, WA 98042
Campaign Phone:	253.630.3498
Campaign Fax:	253.639.7565
Campaign E-mail:	geoff@votesimpson.com
Campaign Website:	www.votesimpson.com

POLITICAL BACKGROUND

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)
State Representative 47^th LD Pos. 1	Elected	November 2000 - Present	Transportation Committee Vice-chair, Financial Institutions & Insurance Committee Vice-chair, Assistant Whip for House Democratic Caucus, Community Security Committee Vice-chair
Covington City Council member	Elected	1997-2002	Mayor Pro Tem 1997-99
Member - Joint Select Committee on Veterans an Military Affairs	Appointed	2001-2003

2.   If you ran for public office but were not elected, please list those races below:

Office Title

Year of Run

 SECTION III

In this section, we are seeking responses that reflect the four ratings criteria: involvement, effectiveness, character, and knowledge.  These are defined as follows:

• Involvement: What has the candidate done previously in family, neighborhood, community, volunteer work, employment or public life to suggest readiness to accomplish challenging objectives? How do these activities demonstrate readiness for the challenges unique to the office sought?

• Effectiveness: Has the candidate demonstrated promise of being productive in the office sought?  Has the candidate shown the ability to work with other people?

• Character: Do the candidate's personal traits show the ability to take on the responsibilities of campaigning for and holding the public office she or he is seeking? Is the candidate a leader, participant or observer?  Is the candidate trustworthy, reliable and candid?

• Knowledge: Has the candidate demonstrated the willingness and ability to learn and adapt?  Does the candidate understand the duties and challenges of the office sought?  Does the candidate have a firm grasp of the issues important to his or her constituency and their potential effects?

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.)

I am running for re-election to this office because although I am proud of what I have accomplished in the past four years, there is still much work to be done.

I will continue to be a tireless and accessible public servant working with my colleagues across party lines, always putting my constituents ahead of partisan politics.  I will continue to work aggressively to improve our public education and healthcare systems and to be an advocate for working families, the environment, and our communities' most vulnerable citizens.

2. Describe your most important personal characteristics or traits as they relate to the office you seek.

I am a good listener and I’m empathetic. I am thoughtful and care about the well being of others. I work hard and take the time to understand issues, research solutions and form coalitions to enact change. I have the spirit of service and the ability to work across party lines to get things accomplished. I am responsive to my constituents.

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. 

As a city of Kent Firefighter in 1998, I responded to the scene of a traffic accident where a young mother was killed by a hit and run driver who fled the scene of the accident.  Because the driver fled the scene it was not possible to test him for drugs or alcohol and he received a lesser sentence than if he had tested positive for intoxicating substances.  I sponsored a bill in memory of this woman during the 2001 session which closed a loop hole in the law that allowed for a reduced penalty for drivers who flee the scene of an accident. 

This past session (2004), I sponsored a bill that reforms our drunk driving laws so that once convicted, a person is able to get a temporary restricted license provided that they have an ignition interlock device installed. This should end or severely cut-down on the number of drivers who are driving with a suspended license because they lost their license after being convicted of drunk driving. It is also a physical barrier to them driving drunk again. The bill had been a top priority for Mothers Against Drunk Drivers for the past decade.

I am proud to be recognized by the Washington Council of Police and Sheriffs as their 2003 Legislator of the Year, as an "Environmental Champion" by the Washington Conservation Voters and as having a 100% lifetime voting record with the Washington State Labor Council and the Washington Conservation Voters.

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.

State Rep. 47th LD 2000-2004, Covington City Council 1997-2002 / Mayor Pro Tem 1997-2000, Kent Youth and Family Services Board of Directors 2000-Present, Crestwood Elementary PTA member and volunteer 1995-present, Covington Rotary Club Charter Member 2004, Covington Lions Club member 1997-1998, S. King Co. Comm. Network Board Member 2000-2002, Hemophilia Foundation of Washington volunteer 1986-present, Kent Fire Department "Toys for Joy" Christmas Gift Program volunteer 1990-present, "Give Burns the Boot" Campaign volunteer 1990-present, member Joint Recommendations Committee for Community Development Block Grants 1999-2001, member International Association of Firefighters 1988-present, member Washington State Council of Firefighters 1990-present, 47th District Democrats member 1992-present, Kent Senior Center volunteer, Kent School District Career Day volunteer.

5. Please describe the duties of the office you seek.  Which are the most important duties and why?

Listen.  Recognize problems and seek solutions.  Work harmoniously together with others who might have different views.  Compromise.  Follow through.  Keep your word.  Use common sense.  Be a work horse, not a show horse.  Listen some more.  Enjoy the experience -- it might not last.  Be patient.  Put in extra hours to help solve a problem.  Treat others with kindness.  Follow the Golden Rule.  Do your best to represent your district -- but think about the big picture too.  Be cognizant of important cut-off dates.  Ask good questions.

I think all of them are important but listening is probably the most important because there is so much to learn before you can make good decisions.

EDUCATION BACKGROUND SUMMARY

FOR PUBLICATION IN CANDIDATE EVALUATION REPORT

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.

CIVIC INVOLVEMENT SUMMARY

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.

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.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION AND GOOD LUCK IN YOUR CAMPAIGN!

THE MUNICIPAL LEAGUE OF KING COUNTY

Candidate Evaluation Coordinator:  Rebecca Cooper

810 Third Avenue, Suite 224                  Phone: 206-622-8333                Email: rebecca@munileague.org

Seattle, WA 98104-1614                        Fax: 425-671-0506                        Website: www.munileague.org