By Aron Goetzl
Congressional Quarterly

Electoral votes: 11

Delegates: 94

Chairman: Paul Berendt

Hotel: Courtyard by Marriott (Marina Del Rey) (310) 822-8555

1996 Election:
Clinton – 50%
Dole – 37%
Perot – 9%

Washington is a key battleground state for Democrats this year. A strong performance there would provide a big boost to the hopes of the party's presumptive presidential nominee, Vice President Al Gore, and to national Democratic strategists, who see important congressional pick-up opportunities in the state.

Working in the Democrats' favor is the state's recent Democratic tilt in presidential elections. President Clinton, with Gore as his running mate, carried the state's 11 electoral votes twice by double-digit margins: by 43 percent to 32 percent over Republican incumbent George Bush in 1992 (with independent Ross Perot taking 24 percent) and by 50 percent to 37 percent over 1996 GOP challenger Bob Dole.

In addition, Washington was one of 10 states that supported the Democratic nominee, Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis, over the elder Bush in the 1988 presidential race.

But a recent poll gave the Republican presidential nominee, Texas Gov. George W. Bush, a slight lead over Gore in Washington. A failure by Gore to emerge as a solid favorite in the Evergreen State would be a bad omen for the Democratic standard bearer.

Despite the Democrats' presidential winning streak, Washington is a quintessential partisan "swing" state, with large elements of both liberal and conservative activists and a moderate majority that gives the state its centrist reputation.

During the 1990s, Washington swung like a pendulum. Buoyed by Clinton's presidential victory, Washington Democrats in 1992 claimed eight of the state's nine U.S. House seats. Two years later, as Republicans surged nationally, there was a backlash in Washington state with the GOP claiming seven of the seats.

The Democrats since have regrouped and now hold five of the nine seats. This year, they are aiming for more. They are targeting the seat left open by retiring three-term 2nd District Republican Rep. Jack Metcalf and challenging three-term 5th District Rep. George Nethercutt, who this year is reneging on a term-limit pledge he made during his historic 1994 upset of then-House Speaker Thomas S. Foley.

At the same time, though, the Democrats have to play defense against Republican challenges to three of their incumbents: Jay Inslee in the 1st District, Brian Baird in the 3rd and Adam Smith in the 9th.

The rule of thumb seems to be that Democrats in Washington have trouble with Republicans who strike a moderate tone and prevail over those closely identified with social conservative activists.

Democratic Gov. Gary Locke, who is seeking re-election this year, won his office by 58 percent to 42 percent in 1996 over Republican Ellen Craswell, who had close ties to religious conservatives. In 1998, Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, once seen as vulnerable, cruised by the same vote over Republican Rep. Linda Smith, a social conservative.

These victories send the 94-member Washington delegation south to Los Angeles on a high note. Washington's Democratic caucuses contributed to Gore's March 7 multi-state sweep that enabled him to essentially clinch the nomination, and its delegation - led by state Democratic Party Chairman Paul Berendt - reflects that.

"Al Gore is a huge fan of Washington, and Washington is a huge fan of Al Gore," said state Democratic Party Executive Director Jim Kainber. "He climbed Mt. Rainier [during a vacation trip last summer]. That is a very big symbol in our state."

The delegation includes a number of private citizens and party activists who are decidedly more liberal than the public officials in the group. At their state party convention in June, rank-and-file party members adopted a platform that calls for mandatory gun registration and licensing, the abolition of the death penalty and the decriminalization of marijuana.

"I'd say it's a liberal group, depending on what issues you are talking about," said Ken Pelo, a 68-year-old first-time delegate who is the chairman of the Spokane County Democratic Party. But, contended Pelo, that fact does not diminish the contingent's enthusiasm for Gore. "There are a lot of environmentalists out here," he said. "We think Al Gore will be the best president for the environment we have ever had."

While the delegation is replete with current officeholders - including Locke and all of the state's congressional Democrats - the most famous name on the state's roster is that of Foley, who now is U.S. ambassador to Japan. It was unclear as of late July, though, whether Foley would attend the convention.

WASHINGTON NOTABLES: Gov. Gary Locke; state Democratic Party Chairman Paul Berendt, the delegation chairman; former House Speaker Thomas S. Foley, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, who may not attend the convention; Sen. Patty Murray; Reps. Brian Baird, Norm Dicks, Jay Inslee, Jim McDermott and Adam Smith; King County Executive Ron Sims, the Democrats' 1994 nominee for Senate; Grethe Cammermeyer, an Army veteran and lesbian rights activist who was the 1998 nominee in the 2nd Congressional District.