The Washington Realtors trade association has endorsed Republican Rob McKenna for governor in 2012. The group made its announcement today after a 17-member association panel interviewed both McKenna and Jay Inslee, the leading Democratic candidate, in Olympia.
Realtors had endorsed McKenna for attorney general in 2004 and 2008, but it has been known to back Democrats – including an early endorsement of U.S. Sen. Patty Murray’s 2010 re-election bid, which was done before former realty salesman Dino Rossi entered that race.
Realtors put out this release explaining the decision: The endorsement decision followed candidate interviews held today at the organization’s office in Olympia with a 17-member panel that included state officers, Realtors selected by local associations and representing every region of the state and a representative from the Washington State Commercial Association of Realtors. The interview questions posed to both gubernatorial candidates—Attorney General McKenna and U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee—involved issues that impact the real estate industry, homeownership and our state’s economy.
“As the key advocates for the residential and commercial real estate markets that are critical to our economic recovery, this endorsement matters,” says Washington Realtor president Phil Harlan. “The real estate market recovery has faced huge headwinds. Our endorsement decision today is not based on partisan politics, but on who will best champion the issues that will encourage real estate—one of the state’s top economic engines—to regain strength and lead the recovery for the sake of our families, our citizens and Washington’s economy.”
The Realtors’ endorsement will include the financial support of the Realtor PAC, the state’s largest political action committee, with nearly 5,000 contributors. RPAC is bi-partisan and endorses Democrats and Republicans who share the organization’s concerns for the residential and commercial real estate industries, homebuyers and home and business owners in Washington. In 2008, Realtors invested more than $750,000 in support for candidates around the state; that year, 93 percent of Realtor-endorsed candidates from both parties were elected to office.
Realtors endorsed McKenna for state attorney general in both 2004 and 2008. Harlan says the decision to endorse him for governor resulted from the interview today as well as his long record of consistently protecting consumers, especially homeowners in distress. In addition, the endorsement is a nod to McKenna’s commitment to create jobs so often generated by entrepreneurs like Realtors as well as the small business owners that operate within the residential and commercial real estate industry. McKenna’s priority for improved and innovative education in Washington state was also a consideration by the panel. Good schools are a top priority for Realtors.
The Realtor PAC donated to Rossi’s campaign in 2008. A separate Realtors’ Quality of Life PAC also spent more than $480,000 in independent expenditures to aid Rossi’s effort that year, according to data kept by the state Public Disclosure Commission.
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