Conventional wisdom says that house Speaker Frank Chopp, 56 years
old and now in his eighth term in Olympia, is simply unbeatable. Over
the last decade, the guarded moderate from Seattle’s pot-loving,
tree-hugging, gay-snuggling 43rd District has never earned less than 84
percent of the vote in any of his reelection campaigns. He has the
loyalty of a number of liberal politicians who he helped put into
office after taking over as house Speaker in 1998 and engineering the
chamber’s current Democratic supermajority. And yet his biggest source
of power comes from a neat trick he’s managed to pull off: representing
a hard-left constituency that lives in Fremont, Wallingford, Capitol
Hill, Madison Park, and downtown Seattle, while still earning strong
support from conservative business interests such as Wal-Mart and the
Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW).
“Frank Chopp has zero vulnerability in the 43rd,” said Jamie
Pedersen, the district’s other, more recently elected Democratic house
member.
That’s the party line, anyway.
But not very far beneath this aura of invincibility lies a huge
amount of progressive discontent with Chopp’s leadership in Olympia,
and a feeling that he’s more focused on cautiously protecting his
supermajority than on putting that power to use in implementing a
progressive agenda. At a certain point, all that liberal
discontent—boiling over of late because of Chopp’s stagnation on
labor and social-justice issues—becomes a liability for a man who
hails from what is arguably the most progressive district in the
state.
And if the tough talk in certain lefty circles is any indication,
that point may now have arrived.
Some labor leaders are furious at Chopp for pushing through a budget
this year that was all cuts and no tax increases. Other labor leaders
are irate about his failure to back a worker privacy bill that would
have protected employees from being forced to attend anti-union
meetings. Feeling good because of its key role in beating back Tim
Eyman’s budget-freezing Initiative 1033 earlier this month, organized
labor is now gearing up to support challenges next election against
incumbent Democrats who don’t support its interests—incumbent
Democrats like Chopp.
Ben Lawver, political director for the Washington State Labor
Council, said there’s about $400,000 in labor’s new fund for picking
off problematic Democrats and that no one has been ruled out as a
target. “If there’s an incumbent Democrat who doesn’t support us, and
if there’s a viable challenge, then yeah, we’ll support it,” he said,
making clear that Chopp is included in that statement. “We’ll be
watching everybody closely.”
In addition, civil rights advocates—while pleased that Chopp
has backed expanding domestic-partnership rights for gays and
lesbians and supported restoring voting rights for felons who’ve served
their time—have been disappointed by Chopp on other matters. The
disappointments range from his failure to make progress on
three-strikes-you’re-out reform to his lack of support for
death-penalty abolition and marijuana decriminalization. “On
marijuana, I would think that his district, if any district, would be
very progressive,” said Shankar Narayan, legislative director for the
local chapter of the ACLU.
“I don’t think Frank’s popular in his own district,” said one
Democratic legislator, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “He
loves to send things to the ballot; his district doesn’t. He supported
[Eyman’s revenue-slashing] Initiative 695 on the house floor; his
district didn’t. His district was ground zero against the elevated
viaduct; he was for elevated. The largest employer in his district is
the University of Washington, but he’s anti–higher
education—the largest proposed cuts in the legislature this year
were his cuts to the state’s higher-education system, in part the
UW.”
Representative Brendan Williams, a Democrat from Olympia who has
long been an outspoken critic of Chopp, also suggested that the Speaker
has abandoned his constituents. “To what degree has he really defended
Seattle?” Williams asked.
He then answered his own question by noting that the bill putting
Seattle on the hook for any cost overruns from construction of the
tunnel under downtown, though introduced by a Democrat from Mercer
Island, “was actually Frank’s provision that he got her to introduce.”
And, Williams noted, when Chopp’s backers in the state builders’
association spent $160,000 in 2008 on billboards across the state
saying “Don’t Let Seattle Steal This Election”—an implicit call
for conservative voters to pick Republican Dino Rossi for governor over
Democrat Christine Gregoire—Chopp failed to join the Democratic
leadership in condemning the campaign.
“It would take someone extremely courageous to take Frank on,”
Williams admitted. “His campaign coffers would be filled by Wal-Mart,
BIAW, and other corporate entities.” But, he added: “I think the
disaffection of progressives has been clear.”
Chopp, in an e-mailed statement, said he was firmly in step with his
district, and he noted that the state labor council had given him a
100-percent score in four out of the last five years.
“I work hard every day to represent the values of the people of the
43rd District and earn their trust and support,” Chopp said. “Progress
on issues like providing all Washington children with health-care
coverage, protecting the poor and vulnerable, controlling predatory
lending, and expanding domestic partnerships are just a few of the
things that we have achieved with the support of my constituents. In
the time I’ve been Speaker, over $1 billion has been invested in the
Housing Trust Fund, which has included 60 low-income-housing
projects in our district alone.”
Progressives have tried to knock off a moderate-leaning incumbent
from Seattle before. In 2004, labor unions targeted pro-choice Democrat
Helen Sommers in the primary because she failed to halt corporate tax
breaks and opposed raising pay for home health-care workers. The
challenge fell short; Sommers was easily reelected.
But the new top-two primary system could change the game for Chopp
next year, the Democratic legislator who spoke on the condition of
anonymity said, because it would allow a Democrat (rather than a
Republican) to challenge Chopp in the general election. “It would take
a strong candidate who reflected the 43rd District’s environmental and
higher-education values,” the legislator said. But the candidate’s
message could be simply: “You gotta do something with those
majorities.”
Labor, for its part, sees the upcoming legislative session in
Olympia as an opportunity for Chopp to redeem himself—and also
inoculate himself against a potential challenge in 2010 from the
left.
“I imagine there will be bills where people can show their support
or lack of support for labor,” said Lawver, of the labor council.
And if Chopp doesn’t?
“For an incumbent who doesn’t support us, there will be multiple
possibilities,” Lawver said. 
#44
Remember – friends tell friends the truth.
Playing spoiler to spoil is a fools game.
Play on, but you have been warned.
Also – Chopp running the House will be a counter foil to soon to be Republican Gov. elect Rob Mc Kenna … think on that. He is running, and one powerful candidate … oh, mercy, mercy real world asshole politics.
Signed: Coffee Fag
Frank is powerful and has done many good things as a speaker. Yet he also shows his arrogance by advocating positions like an elevated viaduct on the waterfront that are clearly out of step with the 43rd.
He deserves a strong opponent to challenge him on values. Frank can still be speaker and also be more responsive to the district. He deserves a strong challenge after his votes on several key issues. No Seattle area legislator should feel safe. By and large they are a underwhelming and uncoordinated bunch with a few exceptions. They don’t even meet on a regular basis to discuss Seattle’s agenda like their counterparts in Tacoma, Spokane, and Clark County.
Why are people afraid of competitive races? Elected officials are better when they have a challenge.
Frank is Speaker of the House – the whole array of House Democrats .
However, some folks might think he is speaker of twenty square blocks on C. Hill.
This is funny.
Even “his district” includes down town. Duh.
Go fight the right wing, the real enemy of progress in this state and cityl
It seems to me we are extremely fortunate to have a champion for so many health and human service issues as Speaker of the House. I hate to think where we’d be without the leadership Frank Chopp has provided.
So based on these comments, Chopp has pushed for the highest minimum wage in the nation, the best children’s health care coverage in the nation, some of the best domestic partnership laws in the nation, one of the best affordable housing funding sources in the nation, one of the toughest toxics in toys laws in the nation, collective bargaining rights for just about everyone, saved GAU for the helpless when “progressives” in Olympia were going to axe it…and he’s a shill for conservatives?
Hey, Eli! Can’t wait for your next insightful piece: “Rob McKenna: Standing up for the liberal agenda.”
Hey! There’s a baby in that bathwater!
Rather an amazing commentary and series of comments. Left out of this discussion is the fact that there are 49 districts in the state and the role of the speaker is much greater than simply being a Rep from their district. Also missing is the fact we are in the world historical Great Bush recesssion. That does create some problems.
Look at the long litany of accomplishments under Frank Chopp that are very progressive successes, and try and imagine any other speaker coming close. None ever have. Anyone think of that? Included in addition to what I have read above, are great progress on environmental issues, amazing progress on Labor issues (more workers comp protections for injured workers than any legislative stretch in history, collective bargaining for state employees, expansion of organizing for child care workers, etc, etc.) many consumer protections ranging from the consumer protection act itself being historically expanded, measures on specific mortgage rescue protections, the best protections for insurance consumers in health care and auto and home in the country, etc,etc, etc. This list goes on and on.
To target Frank Chopp would be the most single idiotic waste of resources and money I have ever seen, in a year when Democrats and progressives need to stay focused and energized to protect what we have.
For those who made comments above who want to dump him, let me ask- who do you think would then win the Speaker’s position? Do you think it would be better than what we have? Put down the crack pipe and think about that for a moment.
We need to quit whining and get after the folks who are making great progress tearing down the progressive movement while we yell at each other.
Fucktards –
1. Frank does not ride a bike to work.
2. He drinks well booze.
3. His wife buys his underwear.
4. He is getting old and gray.
5. He has never been an officer in the Sierra Club.
6. He has friends who are hippies and socialists.
7. Jamie likes him.
8. He polled 85 per cent in his last election, such a marginal win. Unknown younger pretty male can do better.
9. Long list is just not enough, our dream list is longer.
10. WE said frank must go – here at god seat, progressive central.
@39 – um, a 2:1 loss for the Republic Party of No candidate for KC Exec does not equal “almost took control of King County”.
Maybe in the fantasy world of the Beltway, where 40 senators represent 10 percent of the US population and determine most of the policy.
But in the real world, the Speaker of the House is elected based on … population. There are way more Dems than there are America-hating Republics in this state.
The only time we lose control is when we don’t fight for our rights.
oh, and @53 – half of the voters in the 43rd wanted an elevated viaduct – the other half wanted the surface plus transit option – so, in a way, Frank is supporting the views of his district on that issue.
Personally, I think an elevated viaduct rebuild is better, but am willing to accept a surface plus transit option as well, so long as it isn’t a global warming increasing freight-reducing Billionaires Tunnel with no downtown exits that nobody other than the “elites” wants.
Speaker Chopp has been a tireless advocate for his community and District, for the State, and for the Democratic Party.
As has been stated previously, he presides over a House of Representatives from all over the state, many of whom he helped get elected. When he was elevated to co-Speaker, there was a 49-49 split in the State House. He turned that into a huge majority by working with local LD Parties and County Parties to find strong challengers to GOP incumbents.
All of the progressive accomplishments that have happened since the Democrats took over the State Legislature have happened because of Speaker Chopp.
Sure, he doesn’t always have the luxury of bringing up super lefty legislation, but of the 49 districts, only 6 are actually in Seattle. So that Domestic Partnership bill that we love so much – that’s because he has been able to provide political cover for Democrats in more conservative districts over the years.
The fact is that Frank Chopp is very smart politically, and any talk of unseating him is asinine at best. Taking out Chopp means that we get a speaker from a more conservative district, who’s not as good at recruiting and helping to elect strong Democrats around the State, and we start losing seats.
And end up back in the minority again.
Chopp is the only reason there are democrats in office in Olympia.
If not for Chopp, people would not have voted for Gregoire! And we’d be sending republicans to Olympia in our very own city of Seattle.
How dare you suggest we unseat him! He’s in this for life, because otherwise, we’d become another red state, handing the GOP crushing majorities.
Think about that one before you suggest we look at other candidates.
Besides, we’ll all get redistricted in 2012, when once again the 40 percent of the population in King and Snohomish will retake it’s rightful place of dominance …
Sometimes it seems like people think Chopp sits in Olympia as King and could do everything progressive all by himself if only he would. Chopp has succeeded in organizing progressive and moderate Dems like no previous Speaker ever could — organize them into winning elections and organize them into passing legislation — and as a result has accomplished more of the progressive agenda than any Dem ever has. He holds power in the legislature as long as the majority of Dems in the State House thinks he should have it, and most of their districts don’t look anything like the 43rd. If the hard left prefers ideological purity to forward movement on education, housing, affordable health care, and a bunch of other issues, it’s welcome to it. .I’ll give my 43rd district vote to Chopp everytime.
most of the public doesn’t pay attention to what actual happens or doesn’t happen in Olympia, but they do know that they’ve seen Frank’s name on the ballot forever, and that constitutes a huge advantage. Voters in the 43rd are probably also smart enough to understand that if they boot Frank for a shinier Democrat, the replacement will not automatically become the Speaker of the House. I heard that a lot of Rs were surprised that George Nethercutt didn’t become Speaker when he beat Tom Foley in ’94.
Dump Chopp, get Lynn Kessler. Now wouldn’t that be grand?
@66 – yeah, but George was (and is) as dumb as a rock.
Even if he is unbeatable, a little progressive pressure wouldn’t hurt.
#69 — To “Archie”
I don’t know you – but silly goat person – progressive pressure? Frank is more of a commie than you are, or ever will be/ever have been, whomever you are.
Some of these posters are so very non-political and full of know nothing shit.
58 and 65 hit it on the head.
As Speaker, Chopp can and does push legislation as progressive as he can get passed by the nervous semi-Dems from outside the Emerald City. He is not remotely perfect, [insert your personal list of legislation never to leave committee here] but he is a brilliant political strategist and gets done a lot in a state still full of right-wing mouthbreathers.
I would much rather vote for a Speaker who does get a lot done and is a populist/realist on spending (ie, this is what there is, here’s where we’ll spend it to do the most real people the most real good), than vote for the legislative equivalent of Dennis Kucinich (who, btw, I backed)–tons of ideals, little results. Chopp actually still has ideals, he still tries to bend the shrinking inflexible budget to help actual non-rich people–and he actually gets results.
Do I love him? No. [Again, insert grievance list here.] Do I appreciate how much he *has* done and can do? Yes.
#70 — To “Zyler”
I don’t know you – but silly lamb — non-political? Archie is more of a blog commenter than you are, or ever will be/ever have been, whomever you are.
Some of these Chopp defenders/BIAW staff are so very non-convincing and full of know nothing shit.
It’s touching that comment #14 defending Chopp is from the father of Chopp’s chief-of-staff, who makes $10,255 a month working for him while other state employees struggle to make ends meet.
Yes, Chopp has been a great champion of low-income housing and GAU, both priorities of his employer: Solid Ground. That makes Chopp a great employee, but not a great leader.
Otherwise, it is Chopp who reinstated Tim Eyman’s I-695, gutting public health & safety funding; who killed the bill requiring Wal-Mart to stop abusing state medical assistance for its workers; who killed legislation giving homebuyers consumer protection; who opposed gas tax increases, only to be overcome by his caucus; and who bent over to Boeing, and screwed labor, on unemployment insurance legislation this past session. Chopp himself has also opposed climate change legislation, and sought to even deny HEARINGS for gun show loophole, death penalty repeal, and marijuana decriminalization bills.
Sure, he’s supported gay rights legislation. So has every other Democrat. One would hope there is at least one 43rd District priority Chopp could support that Solid Ground isn’t paying him to achieve.
Meanwhile, he’s distracted himself with odd transportatation mega-project designs that no rational person supports. And he’s a misognistic pig in working with a woman governor whose re-election he worked to thwart.
As to children’s health, that’s a poll-driven smokescreen — since Chopp took away all kids’ vaccination funding (anyone heard of the swine flu?) and screwed over DD kids. And he put a HMO’s government affairs director in charge of the social safety net committee. That HMO, Regence, is working against health care reform — and actually announced in hiring the legislator that it had HIRED A LEGISLATOR.
The guy’s been speaker for 10% of Washington State history. Power corrupts.
@ 71 = Chopp’s position as kingmaker hamstrings the Seattle delegation.
He consistently bullies and undercuts progressives — he, more than any other individual, is probably the main reason we did not move forward with the more sensible, cheaper, and ecologicially-necessary surface-transit option to replace AWV. He led opposition to the West Seattle freeway back in 74-75– thus he obviously knew that his proposed Choppway viaduct replacement was farcically stupid, but he put it forward to protect certain important parties’ interests in spending a ton of money on the tunnel boondoggle.
Is he evil incarnate? Of course not — he does have some accomplishments or he wouldn’t be Speaker. That doesn’t change the fact that he deserves to be challenged for his very special interests-friendly version of “populism.” I’m sick of Boeing, BIAW, big ag etc etc running the show in Olympia — I reject the notion that this is the price to pay to have a supermajority of Dems in WA act like Dems — Chopp needs to be more responsive to actual 43rd district voters and progressive values shared by voters across the state.
Eli, how about pointing out Chopp’s failures on nuts-and-bolts, bread-and-butter issues instead of your pets? Forget weed and people who shouldn’t have broken the law in the first place. How about $0 in stimulus cash for transportation in Seattle? I realize you’ve discovered that it’s easy to move the needle on ACLU issues in Seattle, but they don’t pay the bills. Dig deeper, both in your reporting and your activism.
Is Chopps that bad? I don’t think so, even movers in Washington can attest to that.
#74
Well, corporate agnst should soon pay off for you, as Boeing leaves and takes tens of thousands of jobs with it.
So your “progessive values” should just flourish in a chronic depression.
And Chopp did something wrong in 1074 – pardon 1974 … well, well. Arn’t we smarmy.
This piece of sham jornalism just engenderd a ton of support for Frank. And a real fear of people like you.
Hands Off Frank, but, I agree, Val Stevens is game, and a higher rank, Senator Val…. go get the right wing. Fair game.
@ 77 — how many jobs is Boeing going to support in SC at their brand new factory? Is “Frank” taking the credit for that too? I’m sure it’s all the unions’ fault, right. I’m also sure you realize a week before Boeing’s announcement there was negative press about the 787 falling apart at the seams and how those problems were sending share prices down. I’m sure the decision to go to SC had NOTHING to do with all that “corporate angst.”
God forbid Washington have a viable middle class. Our lovely Dem governor made sure to say she was “angry” but will continue to “work hard” to get future Boeing projects.
At least Weyerhauser still loves us, huh? Or at least what’s left of our natural resources.
Otherwise, Clyde, your schtick is mildly humorous.
Chopp has been a major obstacle fixing the worker’s comp loophole that funds far right activities in this state. The BIAW skims off of refunds from a mandatory insurance program and then has dumped millions of dollars into right wing judges, the almost endless Rossi whining, etc. To make matters worse, small businesses that don’t belong to organizations like the BIAW end up actually subsidizing their refunds, and thus their political activities. The fix should be straightforward, but Chopp won’t take them on as long as they don’t touch his caucus. This makes all kinds of policy and electoral battles in this state more expensive, more subject to big moneyed influences which corrupt the whole process.
Without the BIAW’s multimillion dollar slush fund, no one would have to bend over to Walmart, and without Frank’s protection of McCabe and the BIAW that slush would go back to the small businesses it came from.
Dunno if Wal-Mart will contribute, but Anheuser-Busch, Weyerhaeuser, and an insurance company already have – check out the PDC. This is MY representative?
This reminds me of when the Seattle P.I. broke the story that Dixy Lee Ray said the press can go to hell. It wasn’t too long afterwards that John Spellman was singing “My Wild Irish Rose” in the State Capitol, and Scoop Jackson died when the KAL 007 was shot down. Newspapers make a difference.
The 43rd District needs to watch out, because when the wolf’s got the sheep’s clothing on, that’s when the Trojans keep slipping off the horse. The Emperor’s new clothes ain’t what she used to be. The Stranger, NORAID, and the SIFF are forming an Iron Triangle of the far-left. We could end up like Portland. But there’s more than one way to ride a bicycle. . .
“We’ve got a pretty good thing going here. It would not be smart to fuck it up”
show me the loony lefty who will fuck up Chopp and I’ll send $$ today.
There are some interesting and conflicting points evoked in this thoughtful article.
What is the real value of a House Speaker from the 43rd when he won’t even fiercely oppose Dino Rossi and the BIAW?
Those calls for tax increases championed by some “progressives” are VERY unpopular to people barely making it, and could realistically put the Republicans in the majority in the next state election. Perhaps it was wise counsel to oppose them.
Speaking of progressives and tax policy: If regressive tax increases on the poor and working classes are considered by progressives to be immoral, why then do they jump on every tax increase on liquor and tobacco that comes along?
The Governor and the legislature were completely outplayed by Boeing negotiators (again!), making the state look like a chump. Where was the brilliance that was needed to avoid taxpayers getting snookered?
If Frank has his reasons for these and other apparent lapses in leadership, he’s doing an awful job of communicating it to the 43rd in particular, and the state in general. It seems a few strategy meetings are in order.
And Labor should tread lightly on Chopp. If the Dems lose statewide because of ill-place loud mouthing from Labor, you’ll have staunchly anti-Labor Republicans running Oly.
If that happens, it will be observed in a Texas saying:
“You done pissed in your own chili.”
Yawn! People have as much chance of knocking off Frank Chopp as they do of flapping their arms and flying to the moon.
Thanks for this article Eli! The comments generated by your ill-informed hatchet-piece were well-written and informative. I learned a lot about Frank Chopp that I never knew and have gained a new appreciation for him. Maybe the Stranger should hire some of these writers; it might be relevant and worth reading again!