Brad Owen

Brad Owen
Lieutenant Governor of Washington
Incumbent
In office
January 15, 1997 - Present
Term ends
2017
Years in position	16
Party	Democratic
Predecessor	Joel Pritchard (R)
Compensation
Base salary	$91,129
Elections and appointments
Last election	November 6, 2012
First elected	November 5, 1996
Next election	November 8, 2016
Campaign $	$1,374,429
Term limits	N/A
Prior offices
Washington State Senate
January 10, 1983 – January 15, 1997
Education
High school	Frankfurt American High School (1968)
Other	Walla Walla College Honorary Doctorate
Personal
Birthday	May 23, 1950
Websites
Office website
Campaign website

Brad Owen (born May 23, 1950 in Tacoma, Washington) is the 15th and current Lieutenant Governor of Washington. A Democrat, he was first elected in 1996 and has subsequently been re-elected in 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012. As lieutenant governor, Owen serves as President of the Washington State Senate.

Owen was most recently re-elected in the 2012 general election. The night after the polls closed, on November 7, 2012, Owen's challenger Bill Finkbeiner (R) conceded the race.

Owen entered politics at the age of 25 when he was elected to the Shelton City Finance Commission. Soon after, in 1976, he was elected to the state House. He served in that body until his election to the state Senate in 1983.

Owen has focused on public health and safety issues, especially substance abuse and prevention. Known as an independent thinker, Owen has said, "I’ve tried to be the most bipartisan Lieutenant Governor in the history of our state."

Biography

Owen was a small business owner before entering politics. In 1989, he formed a non-profit organization called Strategies for Youth to fight substance abuse among Washington's young people. His entrance into politics came when he was elected as Shelton City Finance Commissioner.

Owen and his wife, Linda, live in Shelton. They have six children and 17 grandchildren.

Education

• Frankfurt American High School, 1968
• Honorary Doctorate of Letters (Humanities), Walla Walla College

Political career

Lieutenant Governor of Washington (1996-present)

Owen was first elected lieutenant governor in 1996 and has subsequently been re-elected in 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012. His current term expires in 2017. As lieutenant governor, Owen serves as President of the Washington State Senate.

State Legislature (1976-1996)

Owen was elected to the Washington House of Representatives in 1976. In 1983, he was elected to the Washington State Senate, where he served until his election at lieutenant governor.

Elections

2012

See also: Washington lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2012

Owen won re-election in 2012. He finished first among five candidates in the August 7th blanket primary and defeated Bill Finkbeiner in the general election.

Lieutenant Governor of Washington General Election, 2012
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Brad Owen Incumbent	53.7%	1,575,133
	Republican	Bill Finkbeiner	46.3%	1,359,212
Total Votes				2,934,345
Election Results via Washington Secretary of State.

Primary

Lt. Governor of Washington, Primary election, 2012
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Brad Owen	48.5%	648,110
	Republican	Bill Finkbeinder	26.4%	352,195
	Republican	Glenn Anderson	17.2%	229,318
	No Party Preference	James Robert Deal	4%	53,694
	Democracy Independent	Mark Greene	3.5%	46,534
	Neopopulist	Dave T. Sumner IV	0.5%	6,057
Total Votes				1,335,908
Election Results Via: Washington Secretary of State

Issues

On his 2012 campaign website, Owen outlined the following priorities:

• Economic development: At a time of high unemployment, Owen’s highest priority is to use the Lt. Governor’s office as a vehicle to bring jobs and economic development to our state. He will continue to work with constituents and businesses throughout our state to promote Washington state products and services.

Brad will continue his work as a Goodwill Ambassador for our state, developing and maintaining strong relationships with other states and countries. When asked, he will take trade missions to countries throughout the world promoting Washington State products and workers. Throughout his service as Lt. Governor, Brad has been able to make these trade missions to promote Washington state products at very little and in most cases no expense to the taxpayer.

• Independence: Owen has always been an independent voice for all voters of the state of Washington. He has a long history of working with labor and business to bring jobs and other opportunities into Washington state and to do his very best to lower taxes whenever possible.
• Honesty and integrity:

Owen believes that the voters of Washington state deserve a campaign based upon the facts and each of the candidates true positions on the issues. He pledges to run a clean and honest campaign. Brad promises to take positions on issues that benefit our state and run a positive issue oriented campaign. Brad promises to tell you exactly how much money he has raised, where the money is coming from and not to make false claims.

• Modernizing government: Brad Owen will continue to have an “open door” policy in his office for anyone in need of help. He will also continue his focus to make Washington State the most efficient government in the country.

Campaign donors

Comprehensive donor information for Owen is available dating back to 1990. Based on available campaign finance records, Owen raised a total of $1,374,429 during that time period. This information was last updated on May 3, 2013.

Brad Owen's Campaign Contribution History
Year	Office	Result	Contributions
2012	WA Lieutenant Governor		$318,567
2010	WA Lieutenant Governor		$5,100
2008	WA Lieutenant Governor		$196,033
2006	WA Lieutenant Governor		$9,200
2004	WA Lieutenant Governor		$139,181
2000	WA Lieutenant Governor		$131,525
1996	WA Lieutenant Governor		$351,541
1994	WA State Senate		$72,800
1990	WA State Senate		$150,482
Grand Total Raised			$1,374,429

2012

Owen won re-election to the position of Lieutenant Governor of Washington in 2012. During that election cycle, Owen raised a total of $318,567.

Lieutenant Governor of Washington 2012 election - Campaign Contributions
Top contributors to Brad Owen's campaign in 2012
Brad Owen	$15,000
Washington Restaurant Association	$3,600
Washington State Medical Association	$3,600
Washington Health Care Association	$3,600
Washington State Auto Dealers Association	$3,600
Total Raised in 2012	$318,567
Source:Follow the Money

2008

Ballotpedia collects information on campaign donors for each year in which a candidate or incumbent is running for election. The following table offers a breakdown of Brad Owen's donors each year. Click [show] for more information.

Brad Owen's Campaign Contributions
	2008 Lieutenant Governor of Washington
Total Raised	$196,033
Total Raised by General Election Opponent	$30,735
Top 5 contributors	Washington State Dental Association	$3,200
	Physicians Insurance	$3,200
	Washington State Auto Dealers Association	$3,200
	Washington Bankers Association	$3,200
	Washington Federation of State Employees and Washington State Patrol Troopers Association	$3,200 each
Individuals	$56,269
Institutions	$137,279
In-state donations	$176,883
Out-of-state donations	$18,650

Recent news

This section displays the most recent stories in a Google news search for the term "Brad + Owen + Washington + Lieutenant + Governor"

All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.

Brad Owen News Feed

• Lt. Gov. believes Dems should stop voting by proxy for ailing GOP senator - SanJuanIslander.com
• License Plates To Benefit Charities - Mason County Daily News - KMAS
• Seahawks and Sounders FC license plates to benefit non-profit groups - Seahawks.com
• Washington lawmakers return to Capitol for special session - OregonLive.com
• Issaquah High Student Wins Comcast Scholarship - Patch.com
• Governor's speech on the Aerospace Industry Strategy - South Everett Beacon
• Inslee narrows top priorities for special session - The Wenatchee World Online
• Columbia River Crossing could collapse in Olympia - OregonLive.com
• Washington Legislature Adjourns, But Not For Long - OPB News
• Vaisakhi Day celebrates culture, unites community - Kent Reporter

See also

• Lieutenant Governor
• Lieutenant Governor of Washington

External links

Suggest a link

• Office of the Washington Lieutenant Governor
• Owen's biography
• Owen's official campaign website
• Campaign contributions: 2012, 2010, 2008, 2006, 2004, 2000, 1996, 1994, 1990

References

Political offices
Preceded by Joel Pritchard (R)	Lieutenant Governor of Washington 1997 - present	Succeeded by NA