Terri Cooper
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Terri Cooper (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Washington's 5th Congressional District. She did not appear on the ballot for the primary on August 6, 2024.
Cooper completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Terri Cooper was born in Everett, Washington. Cooper's career experience includes working as an administrator. She earned an associate degree from Edmonds Community College in 2007, a bachelor's degree from Eastern Washington University in 2009, and a degree from Western Governors University in 2018. Her career experience includes working as an administrator.[1]
Cooper has been affiliated with the following organizations:[1]
- City of Medical Lake
- Spokane Region Long Term Recovery Group
- Re-Imagine Medical Lake, Co-Founder
- Washington State Association of Youth Courts, Co-Founder
- Eastern Washington Court Managers Group, Founder
Elections
2024
See also: Washington's 5th Congressional District election, 2024
Washington's 5th Congressional District election, 2024 (August 6 top-two primary)
General election
Nonpartisan primary election
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Cooper in this election.
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Terri Cooper completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Cooper's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Terri Cooper is running for Eastern Washington's 5th Congressional District. She has lived in Eastern Washington most of her life and comes from a military family. Her father was a Vietnam Veteran serving two tours. She married Ken, also from a military family, and together they have three children and eleven grandchildren. She has a love and passion for people, is a true public servant, and has proven to be the voice of the people.
Cooper earned a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary/public administration from Eastern Washington University and later a Mater In Business Administration from WGU Washington.
Cooper has 28 years of government leadership experience serving 25 years in the judicial branch, appointed court administrator in 1998. Later she passed the Washington State Non-Attorney Judicial Officer Exam and was an appointed court commissioner by Presiding Judge Gregory Tripp, serving 17 years as both commissioner and administrator in the municpal court. Serving in the judiciary she learned to appreciate the importance of separate and equal branches of government. Cooper understands government administration and the need for oversight. She believes in law and order and is opposed to law by administrative rule.
In her pursuit for public, community and social improvements, Cooper founded three nonprofits, all thriving today. In addition she has initiated many groups and efforts for the betterment of her community and improved governmental deliverables. - Restoring common sense and conservative values to protect faith, family, and freedom, which are under attack, and be the voice of the honorable and hard-working people of Eastern Washington. We the people have lost control of the Administrative State. I understand government, the separation of powers, and why they are important. The American people are angry, afraid, and feel disenfranchised from their government. I want to be the voice of Eastern Washington's 5th District in the US House of Representatives to protect farms, families, and the small businesses of Eastern Washington.
- Cooper loves justice, truth, and the rule of law. She believes a strong society is built on the freedoms offered in the US Constitution which include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. There is no other constitution like it in the history of the world and we must contend to keep it with its promised prosperities and blessings. This can only be achieved by a moral society, following a rule of law that aligns with natural law, and protects individual freedoms. Cooper's first objective is to protect and uphold the Constitution of the United States of America. Cooper stands behind the Bill of Rights, constitutional amendments. and will defend individual rights that protect your faith, family, and freedom.
- Protecting faith, family, and freedom from threats foreign and domestic. Cooper's passion is to use a common sense approach and be the voice for the hard working Americans that feel they have lost their voice.
Borders. The invasion at our borders must stop. Cooper's solution is to close the borders, find and expel illegal immigrants, and expedite legal immigration applications that have languished for years.
Dams. Dams must be preserved to protect electrical capacity, ensure flood control and provide irrigation for farmers. Solution is to work in harmony with tribes to reconicle differences and preserve the good for all people. Extreme approaches can be irreversible.
Inflation. Overspending causes inflation. Solution is to stop budget amendments and reign in spending with a balanced budget.
Farms, Cattle, Logging. Work to reign in big Ag and overregualtions that cripple small farms and ag operations. Stop wind/solar from using prime ag land. Cooper would like to follow the patriotism and work ethic of her father. She describes him as a decorated war hero who served two tours in Vietnam. His love for the United States of American and the United States Air Force were palpable. His patriotic loyalty was inspirational. He had an incredible work ethic, demanding excellence of himself and others. She believes he was the hardest working man she's ever known. He was curious and studious and always ready for the next adventure. These are the qualities she admired in her father and she follows in his example.
Cooper's favorite books are biographies of historical great leaders. Her most recent books include biographies of George Washington, Frederick Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, John Adams, Clara Barton, Winston Churchill, and Ronald Regan to name a few.
Justice, truth, honesty, transparency, and accountability are the most important character qualities of an elected official and their government. A good society is a principled society based on agreed moral values, protection of individual rights, and a fair justice system that treats all people the same without exception. An elected offical is one who listens and works to understand the concerns of their constiutents. After understanding an elected offical must do research and discover the source of the problem, the truth, and find solutions that are both practical and attainable. Once discovered, the elected offical must rally others around the problem and solution in order to pass laws or find other remedies with a collective voice. A good elected official does not give up easily and will be an advocate for the people.
Terri Cooper is a natural leader. When the Gray Rd fire raged through her town she ran to the battle and stayed on the front lines consulting wtih fire and police to assist with logistics of evacuation, resettling, and restoration of her community. She was commended by multiple fire and DNR leaders for her leadership. Terri is a change agent. When she preceives a serious problem she Immerses herself in it and finds lasting solutions and is a gifted collaborator and is able to rally others to the cause.
The core responsiblties start with understanding and being responsible for the concerns and needs of the people within the elected officials jurisdiction. All other responsibilites follow this core duty. The House is one of two chambers and part of the legislative branch with 435 members. A member of the congressional house of representatives has several exclusive powers and responsiblity to exert those powers. The US Constitution gives Congress the power and duty to spend, collect revenue, and borrow.; the power of the purse. The House of Representatives has the responsiblity to establish rules and procedures related to the budget. The Budget Act of 1974 provides for the annual adoption of a concurrent resolution on the budget which sets forth levels of spending, revenue, the surplus or deficit, and public debt. The budget, power of the purse, is just one of the core responsibilities of every member of Congress. Other core responsibilities of the House of Representatives include the duty when necessary to make and pass federal law through bills and resolutions, impeach federal officials, elect the President in case of an Electoral College tie, and authorizes House committees and subcommittees to issue subpoenas for the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents. Most of this work is done through committees, so being an active member and participant in assigned committees is the first level of duty.
Terri Cooper desires to leave a legacy that she was an others focused contender for faith, family, and freedom. She believes legacy is not so much about what one does but what they have inspired others to do. She hopes her life will inspire others to dare to dream big and risk what seems impossible for the good of others.
Cooper recalls her first historical event to be the Apollo 11 landing the first man on the moon on July 1969, she was seven years old.
Cooper's first job was working at the Longhorn BBQ Restaurant in Airway Heights bussing tables when she was a sophmore in high school; she worked there about a year.
The House of Representatives has exclusive power to initiate revenue and other bills, impeach federal officals, and elect the President in the case of an Electoral College tie. Representatives serve on committees as part of the legislative process.
Terri believes it is important for representatives to have previous governmental experience or be able to demonstrate through their career, life, and/or work experience their involvement in and understanding of the democractic republic form of government.
The greatest challenges to the United Sates over the next ten years will be inflation, border security, national defense, the need for educational system reforms, energy and climate change agendas, protection of the constitution and its inalienable rights.
The U.S. House of Representatives has a two year term. Terri would suppport a four-year term if such an amendment could happen to allow more time for representing the people and to spend less time campaigning.
The constitution does not provide for term limits. The House of Representatives by design was intended for short tenures by local representatives but has changed over time. I would like to see a rule, pledge, or law that would limit terms to no more than four (eight years). Senate has a six year term, so a two-term limit would be 12 years. I support term limit efforts.
There have been many past and present public servants Cooper admires including George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Clara Barton, and Ronald Regan. She admires in all these their commitment to represent and serve the people and best interests of a moral and just society including values of truth, transparency, and justice.
Eastern Washington has unique needs and challenges. The most recent Gray Road and Oregon Road Fires in Spokane County had the highest loss of primary residences in state history. Terri Cooper has a personal story as the Mayor of Medical Lake, Washington. The August 18, 2023 wildfire happened on a day that was exceptionally hot, dry, and windy; a perfect storm. Her city and the surrounding unincorporated area lost 240 homes as total losses. The Oregon Rd fire in Elk that broke out the same day lost 123 homes. Coooper led the recovery work in Spokane County helping people evacuate, return, and rebuild their lives. Duirng that process she discovered there are no immediate public state or federal funding for post wildfire disaster toxic debris cleanup. Washington State has a wildfire season as other areas of the United States have tornado, hurricane, and flood seasons which initiates immediate cleanup of toxic debris at public expense of the entire disaster area; not so for wildfire disasters; individuals are told to call their insurance company. The cost of asbestos testing and cleanup can be as high as $60k to $80k if positive and $25K average. Most policies cover about $12k for cleanup, reducing dollars needed for rebuilding. Because property owners, land owners, farmers, ranchers, small businesses, and local government agencies must rely on insurance policies for debris testing and removal, insurance companies are declining to renew policies or leaving states all together. Wildfires must be recognized as natural disasters in the same way other natural disasters are categorized and managed to ensure affordable post-fire insurance policies are available. Insurance companies might be more likely to stay and insure with reasonable rates if this burden could be lifted. Individuals would have more money to rebuild if they did not have to pay excess amouts of money for clean-up which Cooper perceives as a public health and safety issue and governmental responsibility.
Terri believes in the art of negotiation and collaboration in policymaking. There are principles and core values important to the American people that should not be compromised. Compromise should be limited to scope and funding of proposals. Policymaking should be done with transparency and accountability to improve public trust and confidence.
Cooper is committed to working closely with all committee members and chairs to educate herself on current efforts and recent failed efforts. Her priority would be to listen, learn, and lend her judicial and executive governmental experience to collaborate for funding aimed at best outcomes in an effort to protect and improve the values and quality of life important to the communities of Eastern Washington. Cooper is determined to use her power to influence and inititate funding priorities that reduce the national debt, reign in spending, shrink the size of government to reduce overly burdensome regulations in all departments that are negatively impacting families and crippling farming, ranching, and small businesses in Eastern Washington. Cooper believes the best way to increase revenues is to reduce spending.
The U.S. House of representatives should use investigative powers to subpoena complaint driven suspected bad actors to inquire and review their conduct, purpose, business, papers and documents in a thorough and responsible way to expose corruption, illegal activity, and actions which compromise the safety, security, and freedom of the nation. The U.S. House has a duty to inquire and protect the American people, their children, their businesses, their constituional freedoms, from and all threats, both foreign and domestic.
Terri is interested in serving on the following committees because they are of utmost importance to Eastern Washington: Agriculture, Education, Veteran Administration, and Military. I would like to serve on the Energy and Commerce committee when eligible; freshmen are barred from serving on the Energy and Commerce committee.
Cooper believes all financial transactions and contracts should be open documents available to the public. During times of war and for the sake of national security there should be some few exceptions with the approval of the majority of congress. Cooper believes that speding is out of control becuase the administrative offices have been given a great deal of authority to makes rules with the power of law that spend excessive amounts of money on unreported expenditures.
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Campaign finance summary
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See also
External links
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on April 17, 2024
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