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?
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I have resided in the new District 1 for seven years. I also attended high school in the District. |
5. How long have you resided in King County?
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I am a native of King County and have lived here for 34 years. I am a 4th generation Washingtonian. |
6. Is the office sought partisan or nonpartisan? Partisan Nonpartisan
CAMPAIGN CONTACTS
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Campaign Name: |
Citizens to Re-Elect Bob Ferguson (D) |
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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.
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 was elected to a 4 year term in 2003 on the slogan, "time for a change." I am running for re-election to continue the work for change that I've begun. In my 2003 Municipal League questionnaire, I highlighted the four areas listed below for improvement within King County Government. In my first 18 months, I've made improvements in each area and am running for re-election to continue working in these critical areas. BUDGET CRISIS: I supported the Council reduction from 13 to 9 members to save taxpayer dollars and prevent cuts to human services. I proposed using the Council reduction savings to support transitional housing for the homeless. I worked hard to be appointed to the budget committee as a freshman member of the Council so I could work on budget issues on a daily basis. As a member of the Budget Committee, I have advocated no further cuts to human services and have worked to find innovative ways to fund human services in our County. As Chair of the Regional Policy Committee, I have focused on human services funding. I am advocating for a levy to support veterans and their families to be placed before the voters this fall. Funding would provide needed support to homeless veterans and their families. ELECTIONS: Along with Councilmember Julia Patterson, I have led the Council on election reform. My proposal for an independent management audit of our elections department passed unanimously. The results will be available after the September primary and will provide a blueprint for real change in our elections department. I look forward to a full term on the Council to ensure that each recommendation is implemented to redeem the integrity of each ballot in King County. CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT: I ran for office in part because I believed my District needed a representative more engaged with the residents. In just 18 months, I hosted 7 town meetings, held over 200 one-on-one constituent coffees, attended numerous community council meetings and events, distributed 7 print newsletters, 14 electronic newsletters, and visited over 5,000 homes as part of my “County Council to Your Doorstep” program. I have a policy that any constituent can meet me one-on-one for a 30 minute coffee to talk about any issue. My town meetings attract between 50 and 200 citizens. In addition, my staff and I volunteer each month at a non-profit organization in my district, reaching out to the most vulnerable. I plan to offer this same level of representation to the residents of the new District 1. TRANSPORTATION: As I mentioned in my 2003 questionnaire, our region faces severe challenges on transportation. This was a priority issue for me in 2003 and I worked hard to secure appointments to all key transportation committees – Regional Transit, Transportation, and the SR 520 Executive Committee. I opposed the Metro fare increase on seniors and students because the most important thing the County can do to ease congestion is to get people out of their cars and onto the bus. I am the only Councilmember who does not have a parking spot downtown and commutes by bus. In just 18 months, I've worked hard on the important issues I ran on in 2003, but there is still more to do. |
2. Describe your most important personal characteristics or traits as they relate to the office you seek.
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1. Bipartisanship. I learned as a litigator to weigh both sides of an issue. I am proud of my unique record of bipartisan work. Together with Republican Councilmember Kathy Lambert, I sponsored legislation for the Council to hire an outside organization to conduct an independent audit of the King County Elections Department.
While my current district is largely urban, I did not ignore the voices of rural residents when they spoke up about a County government they felt was distant and unresponsive to their needs. I partnered with Republican Councilmember Reagan Dunn to propose creating the position of Rural Ombudsman.
I co-sponsored legislation with Republican Councilmember Steve Hammond to improve a proposed charge for sewer services.
2. Perseverance. When I set goals, I accomplish them. As an example, at age nine, I watched the Washington State Chess Championship. The competition featured the state's top eight chess players. I enjoyed watching the competition so much and imagining the sense of accomplishment the winner must feel that I set a goal to one day win the tournament. Each year, I took steps toward that goal. Nine years later, I became Washington State Chess Champion at age 18, competing against seven other adult master and expert level players.
As an attorney at Seattle's Preston Gates and Ellis, I was working hundreds of hours on behalf of local governments fighting Tim Eyman initiatives. As I looked closely at the way King County officials responded to the ongoing budget crisis, I decided that Eyman's appeal was symptomatic of a leadership vacuum in local government.
While I knew I didn't have all the answers, I believed that I had the energy and the ability to stand up and fight for the quality of government we deserve. I decided to run for County Council against a 20-year incumbent in a race political "experts" said was impossible. I set a goal of doorbelling every precinct in the district so I could personally discuss County issues with the voters and try and understand why King County government had lost touch with the citizens. By September, I doorbelled every precinct, and visited many a second time before the election -- 22,000 homes in all. I won that election.
This year, I am out there again talking to the voters. I am on my way to knocking on 15,000 doors by the Primary Election. If re-elected, I will keep working to be King County's most accessible elected official.
3. Energy. The Seattle Times once wrote, "Bob Ferguson seems to fit 36 hours in a 24 hour day." I'm committed to meeting citizens for coffee, attending community meetings, volunteering in the community, and literally walking our neighborhoods after a day downtown at the Courthouse. I think my energetic personality allows me to be accessible 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.
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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In 2003, I knocked on 20,000 doors to speak directly with the voters about making King County government accessible to all citizens. After defeating an entrenched twenty-year incumbent, I have not forgotten my commitment to being King County's most accessible official.
I have hosted seven town meetings on local issues which impact my constituents in the eighteen months I have served on the Council (2004-5).
I send out monthly e-newsletters to over 2,000 constituents.
Also, I have a unique standing offer with the residents of my district. If anyone wants to discuss a specific issue with me, I will meet them for a one-on-one conversation for half an hour at a coffeeshop near their home. No staff. No trip to the Courthouse required. Just an informal face-to-face meeting between citizen and representative. Over 200 constituents have already taken me up on this unique offer.
Once a month my staff and I do a volunteer project as part of our service to the community. My staff and I also maintain active relationships with the Community Councils throughout the District, and frequently attend local arts festivals and farmers markets.
Before winning election to the Council, I worked as an attorney at Preston, Gates & Ellis in Seattle (1997-2002). At Preston, I represented several local governments in King County on a wide range of issues including the proposed Brightwater sewage treatment plant, the Third Runway, and content regulation of the voters pamphlets. I also represented local governments in their successful constitutional challenges to Tim Eyman's initiatives. I was part of the legal team that successfully represented the Public Facilities District when the Seattle Mariners sought $100 million in Safeco Field cost overruns from the taxpayers.
I also engaged in an extensive pro bono practice while working at Preston. My pro bono work included providing representation for groups working to preserve open space in King County (Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Foundation and the Friends of Seward Park).
As Executive Director of the King County Democrats (1990-1992), I handled all facets of the King County Democrats office, including fundraising, budgeting, events, voter contact, and informing the public about the organization.
As a law student and as an attorney, I have served as a law clerk (staff attorney) for a federal trial court judge and a federal court of appeals judge (1995-1997). I received a public interest law grant to represent death row inmates in Arizona and members of the Yaqui Indian Tribe (1993) and volunteered as Legal Advisor to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
Between college and law school, I ran the St. Andrew Emergency Services Office (1989-90) and tutored children in an inner-city environment.
While attending the University of Washington, I served as Student Body President (1988-89). In this role, I lobbied the State Legislature on behalf of the University students. My successful efforts to get students involved in this process with large rallies eventually led to being named "Newsmaker of the Week" by the Tacoma News Tribune. I also initiated a voter registration effort that registered thousands of new voters. As an executive, I was responsible for a large budget and numerous programs.
In college, I also served as an ex-officio member of the University of Washington Board of Regents (1988-89). I represented the student population on the Board of Regents and worked closely with the Regents on a wide range of University-related issues.
In my spare time, I coach the Lakeside High School Chess Team. The team has won the State Championship all three years I have served as coach and recently set a State record for most points scored in a State Championship.
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The duty of a King County Councilmember is to represent the entire County to improve the quality of life for our residents. In the new 1st King County Council district, the primary duties of the County are transportation (Metro Transit), the court system, elections, parks, human services and sewers. Regionally, the County also plays an important role in health as part of the Seattle-King County Board of Health and transportation as part of the Regional Transportation Improvement District. In the unincorporated portions of the County, the County is also responsible for providing basic services such as police and zoning.
The single most important responsibility of any elected official is to be accessible to his or her constituents, listen to them, and provide opportunities for the residents of King County to participate in the decision-making process. I believe in this principle so strongly that I am walking every block in every neighborhood to speak with the voters about the issues important to them, just as I did in my 2003 campaign against an entrenched incumbent, and just as I have done through my "King County Council To Your Door" neighborhood walks program while in office.
The response from the voters is encouraging. They hunger for personal representation from their elected officials and really appreciate when a candidate/elected official takes the time to come to their door.
People live busy lives. They have families and jobs. They do not always have time to get personally involved in the political process, but are so appreciative when government comes to their door.
I believe it is the responsibility of the County Council to provide adequate services for the disadvantaged in our community. This is something I care about deeply. I have worked to streamline the County budget in order to protect funding for human services. |
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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B.A., Political Science, University of Washington; J.D., New York University School of Law. |
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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King County Councilmember, District 2.
Attorney, Preston Gates & Ellis. Represented local governments, including successful challenges to Tim Eyman initiatives. Pro bono service for groups working to preserve open space.
Law clerk for a federal trial court judge and federal court of appeals judge.
Legal advisor, NAACP Legal Defense Fund and Yaqui Indian Tribe.
Executive Director, King County Democrats.
Director, St. Andrew Emergency Services Office.
Student Body President, University of Washington. |
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