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Kevin Ranker
Kevin Ranker is a former Democratic member of the Washington State Senate, representing District 40 from 2009 to 2019. Ranker resigned on January 11, 2019, following allegations of sexual misconduct.[1]
Ranker served as assistant majority floor leader from 2013 to 2015 and as assistant majority whip from 2011 to 2012.
In December 2018, The Associated Press reported that the Washington State Senate had opened an investigation into Ranker regarding sexual harassment allegations. Click here for more information.
Biography
Ranker earned his B.S. in coastal ecology and community development from The Evergreen State College.[2] Ranker's political experience began with his service as chair of the Board of County Commissioners in 2004. He was a council member for San Juan County from 2004 to 2008.[3]
Committee assignments
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| Washington committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Energy, Environment & Telecommunications |
| • Ways & Means |
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Ranker served on the following committees:
| Washington committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Energy, Environment & Telecommunications |
| • Ways & Means, Capital Budget Chair |
2013-2014
In the 2013-2014 legislative session, Ranker served on the following committees:
| Washington committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Energy, Environment & Telecommunications |
| • Ways & Means |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Ranker served on the following committees:
| Washington committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Environment, Water & Energy |
| • Natural Resources & Marine Waters, Chair |
| • Transportation |
Campaign themes
2012
Ranker's website highlighted the following campaign themes:[4]
- Environment
- Excerpt: "During the last four years as your senator, I have championed key environmental legislation. We now have one of the strongest oils spills protection program in the country and are significantly reducing the amount of deadly toxins in our Puget Sound and ocean due to a ban on the use of toxic copper in bottom paint and brake pads. I played a key role in securing legislation eliminating toxics in baby bottles and toys."
- Economy
- Excerpt: "Like all other areas of the economy, public employees have shared in the cut-backs in an effort to balance our budget. However, public sector jobs represent thousands of family wage jobs for our friends, neighbors and families in our communities and, as such, are part of the solution to our long-term economic recovery. I have worked tirelessly to protect these jobs to the greatest extent possible and ensure that the important services they provide to the citizens of Washington are maintained."
- Transportation
- Excerpt: "The state must view our ferry system with the same degree of attention and commitment that it views every other part of our public transportation system. Not only are ferries critical to the everyday lives of residents of San Juan and Skagit Counties, but they are also a significant economic driver for our $11 billion state tourism economy as they are consistently recognized as a major draw for visitors. Ferries should be acknowledged as a benefit to our state economy in addition to being an expenditure within our transportation budget."
- Healthcare
- Excerpt: "In this economic climate, major cuts to every program in our budget was an unfortunate reality. As your Senator, I heard your calls to protect and prioritize health care for the neediest in our communities. I have been a vocal and consistent supporter for protecting and minimizing cuts to Apple Health for Kids, Basic Health and programs providing services to our disabled and seniors."
- Education
- Excerpt: "Education is sometimes talked about as an economic burden. I cannot disagree more. Every dollar we invest in education pays enormous dividends down the road. ...Our K-12 Education systems have taken the brunt of the hits over the last several years. Having made these cuts, now we need to decide what caliber of education we want in this state and how we are going to fund it. ...We need to close tax loopholes, raise new taxes, while also fixing existing ones such as B&O. I believe that we want an exceptional educational system and therefore we must be bold in reforming our tax system to prioritize education. ...My father, mother and grandmother all taught at the University level, so education was always a priority in my home. As your State Senator it has also been a priority for me in Olympia."
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2016
- See also: Washington State Senate elections, 2016
Elections for the Washington State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election was held on August 2, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was May 20, 2016.
Incumbent Kevin Ranker defeated Daniel Miller in the Washington State Senate District 40 general election.[5]
| Washington State Senate, District 40 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Kevin Ranker Incumbent |
67.12% | 47,108 | |
| Republican | Daniel Miller | 32.88% | 23,081 | |
| Total Votes | 70,189 | |||
| Source: Washington Secretary of State | ||||
Incumbent Kevin Ranker and Daniel Miller were unopposed in the Washington State Senate District 40 top two primary.[6][7]
| Washington State Senate, District 40 Top Two Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Kevin Ranker Incumbent | |
| Republican | Daniel Miller | |
| Source: Washington Secretary of State | ||
2012
- See also: Washington State Senate elections, 2012
Ranker won re-election in the 2012 election for Washington State Senate District 40. Ranker advanced past the blanket primary on August 7, 2012, and defeated John Swapp (R) in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.[8][9]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Kevin Ranker Incumbent |
62.9% | 40,677 | |
| Republican | John Swapp | 37.1% | 23,959 | |
| Total Votes | 64,636 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |
Kevin Ranker Incumbent |
59.6% | 18,684 | |
| Republican | John Swapp |
34.4% | 10,791 | |
| Independent | Jim Cozad | 5.9% | 1,864 | |
| Total Votes | 31,339 | |||
2008
On November 4, 2008, Ranker was elected for the 40th District of the Washington State Senate receiving 38,200 votes.
Ranker raised $197,000 for his campaign.[10]
| Washington State Senate, District 40 (2008) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Kevin Ranker (D)
|
38,200 | |||
| Steve Van Luven (R) | 27,028 | |||
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Washington scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2018
In 2018, the Washington State Legislature, second session, was in session from January 8 through March 8.
- Legislators are scored based on their votes on legislation supported by the organization.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the state’s business community.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to home building industry issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
- Legislators are scored on how they voted on firearm policies.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues.
- Legislators are scored on whether they voted for or against WSLC's position.
2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2017, the Washington State Legislature, first session, was in session from January 9 through April 23. There were also special sessions. The first special session was April 24 through May 23. The second special session was May 23 through June 21. The third special session was June 21 through July 20.
|
2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2016, the 64th Washington State Legislature, second session, was in session from January 11 through March 10. The legislature held a special session from March 11 to March 29 to pass a supplemental budget.
|
2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2015, the 64th Washington State Legislature, first session, was in session from January 12 through April 24. The legislature was in special session from April 29 to May 28, May 29 to June 27 and June 28 to July 10.[11]
|
2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2014, the 63rd Washington State Legislature, second session, was in session from January 13 to March 14.[12]
|
2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
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In 2013, the 63rd Washington State Legislature, first session, was in session from January 14 to April 29.
|
2012
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2012, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2012, the 62nd Washington State Legislature, second session, was in session from January 9 to March 8.[13]
|
2011
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2011, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2011, the 62nd Washington State Legislature, first session, was in session from January 10 through April 24.
|
Missed Votes Report
- See also: Washington House of Representatives and Washington State Senate
In March 2014, Washington Votes, a legislative information website, released its annual Missed Votes Report, which provides detailed missed roll call votes on bills for every state legislator during the 2014 legislative session.[14] The 2014 regular session included a total of 515 votes in the State House and 396 in the State Senate, as well as 1,372 bills introduced total in the legislature and 237 bills passed. Out of all roll call votes, 90 individual legislators did not miss any votes. Three individual legislators missed more than 50 votes.[14] Ranker missed 41 votes in a total of 1017 roll calls.
Freedom Foundation
The Freedom Foundation releases its Big Spender List annually. The Institute ranks all Washington legislators based on their total proposed tax and fee increases. To find each legislator’s total, the Institute adds up the 10-year tax increases or decreases, as estimated by Washington’s Office of Financial Management, of all bills sponsored or co-sponsored by that legislator.[15]
2012
Ranker proposed a 10-year decrease in state taxes and fees of $7.45 billion, the 45th highest amount of proposed new net taxes and fees of the 46 Washington state senators on the Freedom Foundation’s 2012 Big Spender List.
- See also: Washington Freedom Foundation Legislative Scorecard (2012)
The Freedom Foundation also issued its 2012 Informed Voter Guide for Washington State voters, including a legislative score card documenting how Washington State legislators voted upon bills the Foundation deemed important legislation. The legislation analyzed covered budget, taxation, and pension issues.[16] A 
sign indicates a bill more in line with the Foundation's stated goals, and a 
sign indicates a bill out of step with the Foundation's values. Here's how Ranker voted on the specific pieces of legislation:
| 2012 Senate Scorecard - Kevin Ranger | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill #6636 (Balanced budget requirement)
|
Bill #5967 (Senate Republicans budget)
|
Bill #6582 (Local transportation tax increases)
|
Bill #6378 (Pension reforms)
| ||||||||
| N | N | Y | N | ||||||||
Noteworthy events
Resignation following sexual harassment allegations (2019)
On January 11, 2019, Ranker resigned from office following an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment against him.[1] Ann Larson, a former legislative assistant for Ranker, accused him of sexually harassing her in 2010. Larson said she left her job after Ranker became increasingly hostile to her. Larson decided to come forward with the allegations in 2018. She notified the governor's office and the Senate, which began an investigation. In an email to constituents, Ranker wrote, "I am deeply sorry for any stress I caused [Larson] and I sincerely apologize. I wish her peace."
In December 2018, The Associated Press obtained a contract between the Washington State Senate and Tara Parker, an investigator from Ogden Murphy Wallace, a Seattle-based law firm, related to allegations of sexual harassment against Ranker. The Senate hired Parker in October 2018.
Ranker said he would cooperate with the investigation. He told The Associated Press, "I believed an investigation was absolutely critical to ensure fairness for all involved." He also said he believed he would be exonerated.[17]
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
When he served in the state Senate, Ranker and his wife had two children.[2]
Recent news
This section displays the most recent stories in a Google News search for the term "Kevin + Ranker + Washington + Senate"
- All stories may not be relevant to this legislator due to the nature of the search engine.
External links
- Profile from Open States
- Legislative profile of Ranker on Project Vote Smart
- Biographical profile of Ranker on Project Vote Smart
- Campaign Contributions: 2012, 2010, 2008
- Campaign website
- Ranker on Facebook
- Washington Votes profile of Ranker
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The News Tribune, "Senator under misconduct probe resigns, majority leader says," January 12, 2019
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Project Vote Smart, "Kevin Ranker," accessed August 2, 2012
- ↑ Washington State Legislature, "Legislative District Map," accessed April 10, 2014
- ↑ Kevin Ranker 2012, "Issues (tab)," accessed August 2, 2012
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "General Election Results 2016," accessed December 2, 2016
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "2016 Candidates Who Have Filed," accessed May 23, 2016
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "August 2, 2016 Primary Results," accessed August 25, 2016
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "2012 Primary Candidates," accessed July 16, 2012
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "August 07, 2012 Primary Results - Legislative - All Results," accessed August 15, 2012
- ↑ Follow the Money, "2008 campaign contributions," accessed April 10, 2014
- ↑ Multi State, "2015 State Legislative Session Dates," accessed July 13, 2015
- ↑ StateScape, "Session schedules," accessed July 23, 2014
- ↑ StateScape, "Session schedules," accessed July 23, 2014
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Washington Policy Center, "2014 Missed Votes Report for Legislators Released," March 18, 2014
- ↑ Freedom Foundation, "2012 Big Spender List," accessed April 10, 2014
- ↑ My Freedom Foundation, "Home," accessed June 18, 2014
- ↑ The Wichita Eagle, "Senate investigating allegations against Sen. Kevin Ranker," December 17, 2018
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by ' |
Washington State Senate District 40 2009-2019 |
Succeeded by Liz Lovelett (D) |
