Dino Rossi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dino Rossi
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Rossi in 2008
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| Member of the Washington State Senate | |
| In office December 5, 2016 – November 29, 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Andy Hill |
| Succeeded by | Manka Dhingra |
| Constituency | 45th district |
| In office July 10, 2012 – November 30, 2012 |
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| Preceded by | Cheryl Pflug |
| Succeeded by | Mark Mullet |
| Constituency | 5th district |
| In office January 13, 1997 – December 4, 2003 |
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| Preceded by | Kathleen Drew |
| Succeeded by | Cheryl Pflug |
| Constituency | 5th district |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Dino John Rossi
October 15, 1959 Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Nationality |
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| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Terry Rossi |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Seattle University (BA) |
Dino John Rossi (born October 15, 1959) is an American businessman and politician. He served as a Washington State senator three times. These terms were from 1997 to 2003, in 2012, and again from 2016 to 2017. He is a member of the Republican Party. Rossi also used to be the head of the Washington State Special Olympics.
Dino Rossi grew up in Seattle. He earned his degree from Seattle University. After college, he worked in commercial real estate. He ran for Governor of Washington in 2004. He lost to Democrat Christine Gregoire by only 129 votes. This was the closest governor's election in Washington state history.
Four years later, in 2008, he ran for governor again. He lost to Gregoire a second time. In 2010, he was the Republican candidate for the United States Senate. He lost to the current Democrat senator, Patty Murray. Rossi returned to the Washington State Senate in 2012 and again from 2016 to 2017. In 2018, he ran for the United States House of Representatives. He lost to Democrat Kim Schrier.
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Dino Rossi's Early Life and Education
Dino Rossi was the youngest of seven children. His mother, Eve, was a beautician. She had Irish and Tlingit heritage. His father, John Rossi, was an Italian-American teacher. He taught at Viewlands Elementary in North Seattle.
Rossi grew up in Mountlake Terrace. He went to Woodway High School in Edmonds. In 1982, he earned a bachelor's degree in business management. He got this degree from Seattle University.
After college, Rossi started working in commercial real estate. He managed and owned real estate properties. He also used to be a part-owner of the Everett Aquasox. This is a minor league baseball team. He also helped start Eastside Commercial Bank in Bellevue, Washington.
What Was Dino Rossi's Political Career Like?
Serving in the Washington State Senate
In 1992, Rossi first ran for a seat in the Washington State Senate. This district covered suburbs east of Seattle. After winning a tough primary election, he lost the main election. In 1996, Rossi ran for the state senate again and was elected.
Rossi served as a Washington State Senator from 1997 to 2003. He left his position in December 2003. He did this to focus on his campaign for governor. During his time as a senator, he was known for bringing people together. He was good at finding common ground.
In 2002, the Senate Republicans became the majority party. Rossi then became the head of the Senate Ways and Means Committee. This committee creates the state's two-year budget. As chairman, Rossi helped Governor Gary Locke manage a large budget problem. He worked to balance the budget.
Rossi also supported the Dane Rempfer bill. This bill increased punishments for drivers who leave the scene of a fatal accident. The bill was named after a 15-year-old boy from his district who was killed.
Running for Governor in 2004
In November 2003, Rossi decided to run for Governor of Washington. He faced a difficult challenge. His opponent, Democrat Christine Gregoire, had already raised a lot of money. Also, past Republican candidates for governor had lost by large amounts.
On November 2, 2004, over 2.8 million votes were cast for governor. After the first count, Rossi was ahead of Gregoire by 261 votes. Washington State law requires a recount for such a close election. After the second count, Rossi was still ahead, but by only 42 votes.
A third count was done by hand. After this, Gregoire took the lead by 129 votes. This was later changed to 133 votes. The election was very close and caused a lot of discussion. It is known as the closest governor's race in U.S. history. A book called An Election for the Ages was even written about it.
What Did Rossi Do Between Elections?
After the 2004 election and the legal challenges, Rossi went back to working in real estate. He also wrote a book. It was called Dino Rossi: Lessons in Leadership, Business, Politics and Life.
He also bought a small part of the Everett Aquasox baseball team. He did this with former Seattle Mariners star Jay Buhner. Rossi also started the Forward Washington Foundation. This group works to improve the business environment in Washington.
Running for Governor Again in 2008
On October 25, 2007, Dino Rossi announced he would run for Governor again in 2008. His campaign focused on similar ideas as in 2004. He wanted to control state spending and cut taxes. He also aimed to make the state better for businesses.
Rossi was supported by The Seattle Times newspaper. However, he was defeated by Governor Christine Gregoire in the 2008 election. He officially accepted his loss on November 5, 2008. Gregoire won with 53.2% of the votes, while Rossi received 46.8%.
What Did Rossi Do After 2008?
After his loss in the 2008 governor's election, Rossi stepped away from politics for a while. He became a leader at Coast Equity Partners. This is a company that deals with commercial real estate. His job was to find investors for properties in Washington and other Western U.S. states.
Running for U.S. Senate in 2010
In early 2010, many Republicans in Washington wanted someone to challenge Senator Patty Murray. On May 26, 2010, Dino Rossi announced he would run for the U.S. Senate.
In the primary election, Rossi won. However, he lost the general election to Senator Murray on November 4. In the final count, Senator Murray received 52.1% of the votes. Rossi received 47.4%.
Returning to the State Senate in 2012 and 2016
On July 10, 2012, Rossi was chosen to fill the rest of Senator Cheryl Pflug's term. He left office in November 2012.
Later, in 2016, State Senator Andy Hill passed away. Dino Rossi was then appointed to fill the 45th District State Senate Seat. However, Democrat Manka Dhingra won the special election for that seat in November 2017.
Running for U.S. House in 2018
On September 19, 2017, Rossi announced he would run for the U.S. House of Representatives. He ran in the 8th Congressional District. The current representative, Dave Reichert, decided not to run again.
Rossi moved past the primary election to face Democrat Kim Schrier in the main election. He lost this election, getting 48% of the votes.
Dino Rossi's Personal Life
Dino Rossi is married and has four children. He lives in Sammamish, Washington. He is a faithful Catholic.
Images for kids
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A campaign sign for Dino Rossi.
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