Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.

Rob McKenna (Washington)

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Rob McKenna
Image of Rob McKenna

Republican Party

Prior offices
King County Council
Attorney General of Washington

Education

High school

Sammamish High School

Bachelor's

University of Washington

Law

University of Chicago Law School, 1988

Personal
Profession
Attorney
Contact

Personal Twitter

Robert "Rob" McKenna (born October 1, 1962, in Fort Sam Houston, Texas) is a former Republican attorney general of Washington. He was first elected in 2004, and won re-election in 2008. He ran for governor of Washington in 2012, and was defeated by former U.S. Congressman Jay Inslee (D) in the general election on November 6, 2012.[1][2]

Though attorneys general in Washington are not term-limited, McKenna opted not to seek re-election in 2012. He was succeeded by Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, who won election on November 6, 2012.

Biography

McKenna began his career with the Bellevue office of Perkins Cole, where he practiced business and regulatory law from 1988 to 1996. He was elected to the Metropolitan King County Council in 1995, and was re-elected twice without opposition.

Education

  • Sammamish High School
  • B.A., Economics and international studies, University of Washington
  • J.D., University of Chicago Law School (1988)

Political career

Attorney General (2005-2013)

McKenna served as Washington attorney general from 2005 to 2013. He was first elected to the position in 2004. He won re-election in 2008. Click here for more information on McKenna's election participation and results.

King County Council 1995-2004

In November 1995, McKenna was elected as one of the 13 members of the Metropolitan King County Council, representing the cities of Bellevue, Mercer Island, Kirkland, Newcastle, and Renton. Within this role, he wrote laws specializing in budget, land use, and transportation. He was re-elected without opposition to the position in 1999 and 2003.[1]

Issues

2012 Polls

Jay Inslee v. Rob McKenna
Poll Jay Inslee (D) Rob McKenna (R)UndecidedMargin of errorSample size
Rasmussen Reports Poll
(September 26, 2012)
 46%45%6%+/-4.5600
Elway Poll
September 12
 44%41%15%+/-5.0405
SurveyUSA/KING 5 News
August 3
 48%45%7%+/-4.4524
SurveyUSA/KING 5 News
July 2012
 41%42%16%+/-4.0630
Public Policy Polling
June 14-17, 2012
 40%43%17%+/-3.01,073
Elway Research
June 13-16, 2012
 40%42%18%+/-5408
Survey USA
May 8-9, 2012
 38%40%22%+/-4.2557
Public Policy Polling
February 16-19, 2012
 42%42%16%+/-2.761,264
AVERAGES 42.38% 42.5% 14.63% +/-4.11 682.63
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

2012 Endorsements

[40]

Money in the race

2012

See also: Washington gubernatorial election, 2012-Campaign Finance

McKenna's leading financial support in the 2012 governor race comes from the Republican Governor's Association. The organization contributed $11.38 million to the effort to defeat McKenna's Democratic opponent Jay Inslee, mostly in independent expenditures to fund an advertising campaign against Inslee. Countering the RGA's influence in the race, Our Washington, which is made up of the Democratic Governor's Association and several labor groups, gave $7.9 million to help defeat McKenna.[41]

On October 17th, The Seattle Times published an internally produced full page advertisement in support of McKenna. According to the Times' vice president of public affairs, the ad was the beginning of an experimental independent expenditure campaign aimed at raising revenues and awareness about the influence of political advertising. Although the Times already endorsed McKenna, the VP asked readers to give them "the benefit of the doubt" that the news department was not involved in the campaign (which will cost the paper over $75,000 in McKenna ads) and that it would not compromise the quality the publication's election-news coverage.[42]

Rob McKenna Campaign Finance Reports
ReportDate FiledBeginning BalanceTotal Contributions
for Reporting Period		ExpendituresCash on Hand
First Report[43]July 17, 2012$0.00$1,061,520.87$(558,282.67)$3,716,967.81
Pre-Primary ReportJuly 31, 2012$3,716,967.81$489,789.98$(8,803,432.35)$3,326,414.64
Post-Primary Report[44]September 10, 2012$3,326,414.64$1,061,459.45$(727,547.18)$3,661,988.34
First GeneralOctober 16, 2012$3,661,988.34$3,575,626.50$(5,046,105.62)$2,191,682.82
Running totals
$6,188,396.8$(15,135,367.82)

Elections

2012

See also: Washington gubernatorial election, 2012 and Washington state executive official elections, 2012

McKenna was a Republican candidate for Governor of Washington. The incumbent, Chris Gregoire (D), announced in mid-2011 she would not seek another term in office. In the August 7th blanket primary, McKenna finished second - enough to earn him a place on the general election ballot in November along with former Congressman Jay Inslee (D).[45] McKenna conceded the hotly contested race to Inslee three days after voting ended, on the evening of November 9, 2012. Though the vote count was not yet complete at the time of his concession, Inslee's expanding lead was sufficient to erase any hope of a turnaround victory for McKenna.[2]

Due to the governor's race, McKenna did not seek a third term as attorney general in 2012. King County Councilman Bob Ferguson (D) won the attorney general election on November 6, 2012.

Governor of Washington General Election, 2012
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngJay Inslee 51.4% 1,582,802
     Republican Rob McKenna 48.3% 1,488,245
     Other Write-in votes 0.3% 8,592
Total Votes 3,079,639
Election results via Washington Secretary of State
Primary
Governor of Washington, Primary, 2012
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngJay Inslee 47.1% 664,534
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngRob McKenna 42.9% 604,872
     Republican Shahram Hadian 3.3% 46,169
     Democratic Rob Hill 3.2% 45,453
     Independent James White 1% 13,764
     No Party Preference Christian Joubert 0.7% 10,457
     Independent L. Dale Sorgen 0.7% 9,734
     Republican Max Sampson 0.6% 8,753
     Republican Javier O. Lopez 0.4% 6,131
Total Votes 1,409,867
Election results via Washington Secretary of State


2008

  • 2008 Race for Attorney General - Republican Primary
  • Rob McKenna ran unopposed in this contest

On November 4, 2008, Rob McKenna won re-election to the office of Washington Attorney General. He defeated John Ladenburg in the general election.

Washington Attorney General, 2008
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngRob McKenna Incumbent 59.5% 1,689,764
     Democratic John Ladenburg 40.5% 1,152,174
Total Votes 2,841,938
Election results via Washington Secretary of State.


2004

2004 Race for Attorney General - Republican Primary[46]
Party Candidate Vote Percentage
     Republican Party Approveda Rob McKenna 77.6%
     Republican Party Mike Vaska 22.4%
Total Votes 472,764

On November 2, 2004, Rob McKenna won election to the office of Washington Attorney General. He defeated Deborah Senn (D), J. Bradley Gibson (L) and Paul Richmond (G) in the general election.

Washington Attorney General, 2004
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngRob McKenna 53% 1,425,368
     Democratic Deborah Senn 43.3% 1,163,964
     Libertarian J. Bradley Gibson 2.1% 56,792
     Green Paul Richmond 1.6% 44,020
Total Votes 2,690,144
Election results via Washington Secretary of State.


McKenna based his 2004 campaign for the office of Attorney General around three areas of protection he promised to bring to Washingtonians: protection of the safety of families, by fighting crimes such as identity theft, internet fraud, and child pornography, and supporting local police, sheriffs, and prosecutors; protection of rights, by controlling regulation and supporting the public's right to know what the government is doing; and protection of pocketbooks, by counseling state agencies to avoid costly trial and litigation, bringing reform in the matter of reducing what some see as unfair burdens placed on doctors, hospitals, and other professionals.

Campaign themes

2012

McKenna outlined his priorities and plans for the governorship on his official campaign website. Key issues included, but were not limited to:

  • Creating jobs

McKenna's plan for creating jobs involves tax reform and simplification, regulatory reform, and "developing the skills and education workers need to land well-paying positions."[47]

  • Improving education

Excerpt: " Real improvement will require a bold vision, including innovative teaching practices, incentives, and flexibility that promote quality, and a variety of school models to meet differing student needs and society’s needs."[48]

  • Government reform"

McKenna wants to reform Washington's government by "promoting performance and utilizing competitive processes," through performance audits, required performance contracts, budgeting long-term, and reducing the size and cost of state general government.[49]

  • Agriculture

Excerpt: "We need to make sure that our goods can be delivered efficiently, economically, and in a timely manner throughout the entire year."[50]

Campaign contributions

2012

McKenna lost the election to the position of Governor of Washington in 2012. During that election cycle, McKenna raised a total of $13,804,449.

2004-2008

Ballotpedia collects information on campaign donors for each year in which a candidate or incumbent is running for election. See the table below for more information about the campaign donors who supported Rob McKenna.[51] Click [show] for more information.


Noteworthy events

Affordable Care Act lawsuit (2010)

See also: State Attorneys General Against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010

McKenna was one of 13 state attorneys general who initiated a 2010 lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The suit argued that the individual mandate fell outside of the federal government’s authority and that the requirement for state Medicaid expansion of coverage violated state sovereignty. The case was ultimately heard before the Supreme Court, which ruled to uphold the individual mandate as falling within Congress’ authority to levy taxes and struck down the Medicaid expansion as being unduly coercive in light of the withholding of funding that would result from noncompliance.[52]

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
As of 2011, McKenna resided in Bellevue, Washington. He had four children.[53] As of 2019, McKenna was divorced.[54]

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for "Rob + McKenna + Governor + Washington"

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

Rob McKenna News Feed

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Washington State Office of the Attorney General, "About Rob McKenna," accessed October 5, 2012
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Spokesman Review, "Democrat Inslee will be Washington governor," November 9, 2012
  3. ↑ The Seattle Times, "The Times recommends Rob McKenna for governor," October 6, 2012
  4. ↑ The News Tribune, "Washington will fare best with McKenna as governor" October 13, 2012
  5. ↑ The Spokesman-Review, "Editorial: McKenna will bring pragmatism to top office," October 14, 2012
  6. ↑ HeraldNet, "McKenna for Governor," September 30, 2012
  7. ↑ The Columbian, "Washington governor: McKenna," October 9, 2012
  8. ↑ Tri-City Herald, "Tough times for governor make McKenna best choice," October 7, 2012
  9. ↑ Yakima Herald, "McKenna a Better Choice for Governor," October 14, 2012
  10. ↑ The Wenatchee World, "For governor: Rob McKenna," May 30, 2013
  11. ↑ Union-Bulletin, "Rob McKenna is best choice for governor," October 21, 2012
  12. ↑ Facebook, "Brian Sonntag Endorses Rob McKenna," October 31, 2012
  13. ↑ Stand for Children, "Rob McKenna for Governor," accessed December 26, 2015
  14. ↑ Crosscut, "McKenna tries to draw some sharp differences on education," August 28, 2012
  15. ↑ Seattle Pi, "WA REALTORS Endorse Rob McKenna For Governor, 100+ Others in Non-Partisan Panel Interviews," October 8, 2012
  16. ↑ The Seattle Times, "School employee union endorses McKenna," June 11, 2012
  17. ↑ July 26, 2012
  18. ↑ The Spokesman-Review, "Post debate: AWB endorses McKenna, Dunn," June 13, 2012
  19. ↑ October 2, 2012
  20. ↑ September, 2011
  21. ↑ June 20, 2012
  22. ↑ Building Industry Association of Washington, "2012 General Election Voter's Guide," archived November 13, 2012
  23. ↑ February 2, 2012
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 Rob McKenna Official Campaign Website, "Agriculture Leaders Choose McKenna," archived June 29, 2012
  25. ↑ Washington State Farm Bureau, "WSFB PAC Announces 2012 General Election Endorsements," October 3, 2012
  26. ↑ April 17, 2012
  27. ↑ September 29, 2012
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 Rob McKenna Official Campaign Website, "Endorsements keep rolling in for McKenna," June, 2012
  29. ↑ The News Tribune, "New endorsements for McKenna, Inslee, Drew, Sanders, et al," June 22, 2012
  30. ↑ Seattle Pi, "Police lobby will support McKenna," March 19, 2012
  31. ↑ The Seattle Times, "McKenna releases list of Democratic endorsements," June 11, 2012
  32. ↑ The Seattle Times, "Op-ed: Stop preying on women’s fears in governor’s race between Rob McKenna, Jay Inslee," October 14, 2012
  33. ↑ The Daily Caller, "In the other Washington, a rising GOP star," July 30, 2012
  34. ↑ Examiner.com, "LA governor Bobby Jindal endorses Rob McKenne," July 11, 2012
  35. ↑ Tri-City Herald, "New Jersey governor visits kennewick," October 5, 2012
  36. ↑ YouTube, "Governor Susana Martinez Endorses Rob McKenna," October 5, 2012
  37. ↑ The Daily Caller, "In the other Washington, a rising GOP star," July 30, 2012
  38. ↑ The Daily Caller, "In the other Washington, a rising GOP star," July 30, 2012
  39. ↑ Pinterest, "Mayors for McKenna," accessed December 26, 2015
  40. ↑ Rob McKenna Official Campaign Website, "Mayoral Coalition Endorses McKenna," August 21, 2012
  41. ↑ The Seattle Times, "Republican Governor's Association now in for $11.3 million for Rob McKenna, October 16, 2012
  42. ↑ SeattlePI.com, "Seattle times to advertise for McKenna on its own dime," October 17, 2012
  43. ↑ Washington Public Disclosure Commission, "Rob McKenna," accessed July 19, 2012
  44. ↑ Washington Public Disclosure Commission, "Rob McKenna reports," accessed September 11, 2012
  45. ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "August 7, 2012 Primary Results: State executives," accessed August 8, 2012
  46. ↑ Washington Secretary of State - 2004 Republican Primary Results
  47. ↑ Rob McKenna Official Campaign Website, "Job Creation," archived May 15, 2012
  48. ↑ Rob McKenna Official Campaign Website, "Education," archived May 15, 2012
  49. ↑ Rob McKenna Official Campaign Website, "Government Reform," archived May 15, 2012
  50. ↑ Rob McKenna Official Campaign Website, "Agriculture," archived May 15, 2012
  51. ↑ Follow the Money.org, "Home," accessed May 7, 2021
  52. ↑ SCOTUSblog, "Florida v. Department of Health and Human Services," accessed August 11, 2020
  53. ↑ ATG.Wa.gov, "Washington state attorney general Rob McKenna," accessed September 5, 2011
  54. ↑ Ballotpedia staff, "Email communication with Anne Figge," October 21, 2019
Political offices
Preceded by
Christine Gregoire 		Washington Attorney General
2005–2013 		Succeeded by
Bob Ferguson (D)
v • e
Attorneys General
Elected (by voters)AttyGenLogo.jpg
Appointed (by gov.)
Appointed (by courts)
Elected (state leg.)
Elections
2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010
Other
Flag of Washington
v • e
State of Washington
Olympia (capital)
Elections

What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures

Government

Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy


Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Rob_McKenna_(Washington)&oldid=9829112"