Dino Rossi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dino Rossi
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Rossi in 2024
|
|
| Member of the Washington State Senate | |
| In office December 5, 2016 – November 29, 2017 |
|
| Preceded by | Andy Hill |
| Succeeded by | Manka Dhingra |
| Constituency | 45th district |
| In office July 10, 2012 – November 30, 2012 |
|
| Preceded by | Cheryl Pflug |
| Succeeded by | Mark Mullet |
| Constituency | 5th district |
| In office January 13, 1997 – December 4, 2003 |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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 state senator in Washington three times. His terms were from 1997 to 2003, in 2012, and again from 2016 to 2017. Rossi is a member of the Republican Party. He also used to be the leader of the Washington State Special Olympics.
Rossi grew up in Seattle and went to Seattle University. After college, he worked in 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.
He ran for governor again in 2008 but lost to Gregoire. In 2010, he ran for the United States Senate but lost to Patty Murray. Rossi returned to the Washington State Senate for short periods in 2012 and from 2016 to 2017. In 2018, he ran for the United States House of Representatives but lost to Kim Schrier.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Dino Rossi was the youngest of seven children. His mother, Eve, was a beautician with Irish and Tlingit heritage. His father, John Rossi, was an Italian-American teacher in Seattle.
Rossi grew up in Mountlake Terrace. He graduated from Woodway High School in Edmonds. In 1982, he earned a bachelor's degree in business management from Seattle University.
After college, Rossi started working in commercial real estate. This involves buying, selling, and managing properties used for businesses. He later became an owner of the Everett Aquasox minor league baseball team. He also helped start Eastside Commercial Bank in Bellevue, Washington.
Political Career
Serving in the State Senate
In 1992, Rossi first ran for a seat in the Washington State Senate. This district covered areas east of Seattle. He won the Republican primary election but lost the main election.
In 1996, Rossi ran for the state senate again and was elected. He served as a state senator from 1997 until December 2003. He left his position to focus on his campaign for governor. During his time in the Senate, he was known for helping different political groups work together.
When Republicans gained control of the Senate in 2002, Rossi became the head of the Senate Ways and Means Committee. This committee is in charge of creating the state's two-year budget. Rossi worked with Democratic governor Gary Locke to fix a large budget problem.
He helped make changes to the budget plan. These changes included reducing the number of children who could get Medicaid. They also cut prenatal care for some immigrants and stopped raises for state employees. College tuition also increased.
In 1998, Rossi helped create the Mary Johnsen Act. ..... He also supported the Dane Rempfer bill. This bill increased punishments for people who leave the scene of a fatal accident.
Running for Governor in 2004
Rossi decided to run for governor in November 2003. He faced challenges like not having much money for his campaign. Also, many voters did not know who he was. His opponent, Democrat Christine Gregoire, had already raised a lot of money.
In the election on November 2, over 2.8 million votes were cast. After the first count, Rossi was ahead of Gregoire by 261 votes. Because the difference was so small, Washington state law required a recount.
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 after a court decision.
The election was very close. It is known as the closest governor's race in United States history.
After the 2004 Election
After the close election, Rossi went back to working in real estate. He also wrote a book. He bought a small share in the Everett Aquasox baseball team. Rossi also started the Forward Washington Foundation. This group works to improve the business environment in Washington.
Running for Governor in 2008
On October 25, 2007, Dino Rossi announced he would run for Governor of Washington again in 2008. His campaign focused on similar ideas as in 2004. He wanted to control state spending, cut taxes, and improve business in the state.
However, Dino Rossi was defeated by Governor Christine Gregoire in the 2008 election. Gregoire won with 53% of the votes, while Rossi received 47%.
2010 U.S. Senate Campaign
.jpg)
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 United States Senate.
In the primary election, Rossi won against other Republican candidates. However, he lost the general election to Senator Murray on November 4. Murray received about 52.4% of the votes, and Rossi received about 47.6%.
Returning to the State Senate
On July 10, 2012, Rossi was appointed to fill a vacant seat in the State Senate. He served until November 2012.
Later, in 2016, after State Senator Andy Hill passed away, Dino Rossi was appointed to the 45th District State Senate seat. He served until November 2017.
2018 U.S. House Campaign
On September 19, 2017, Rossi announced he would run for the United States House of Representatives. This was for the 8th Congressional District seat. The current representative, Dave Reichert, decided not to run again.
Rossi advanced from the primary election to face Democrat Kim Schrier in the main election. He lost this election, getting 47.6% of the votes.
Personal Life
Dino Rossi is married and has four children. He lives in Sammamish, Washington. He is a Catholic.
