Dino Rossi May Run For Congress

Speculations seem to indicate that GOP Washington State Senator Dino Rossi may be gearing up for a run for congress.   Rossi would run in Washington's 8th district, the only Congressional District in the state that has been in Republican hands since it's inception. If elected, he would succeed retiring 5th district congressman Dave Reichert.
  Rossi is a veteran politician who served 2 terms in Washington's 5th legislative district until his nearly successful race for governor.  In 2004, Rossi was defeated by Attorney General Christine Gregoire in the closest Governor's race in US history.  Rossi would later make another unsuccessful attempt for governor against Gregoire.
Rossi would later run for US Senate against incumbent Patty Murray. 
Rossi was appointed to return to the state senate, succeeding Cheryl Pflug who resigned to take an appointment from Christine Gregoire.  Rossi left the position after Democrat Mark Mullet was elected to the Senate.
After the death of Senator Andy Hill in the 45th district, Rossi was appointed to again serve in the state senate on an interim basis.  Rossi is in Real Estate and has had other business interests in the Seattle area.

Mark Mullet For State Senate

Mark Mullet is the right choice for State Senator from Washington's 5th Legislative District.  Mark is a small business owner and an Issaquah City Councilman who bill himself as a fiscal Conservative and a social Liberal, those qualities define the make up of the 5th District.  Mark has an across the board apeal that can potentially bring together all sides.  Mark's opponent Brad Toft comes across as an ideologue with no experience of bringing sides together.  He was flung into the process when incumbent Cheryl Pflug left the Senate after taking a job with the State Growth Management Board,  anger by district Republicans at Pflug's sudden departure from the race hardly cannot be seen as confidence in Toft's ability to serve in that position.

Cheryl Pflug Leaving Senate

 Republican Senator Cheryl Pflug from Maple Valley, who has represented the 5th district in the state legislature for almost as long as I have resided here, is moth-balling her campaign signs and leaving her position to take a job on the State Growth Management Board.  Pflug began her legislative career in 1998, when she replaced Phil Dyer in the Washington House Of Representatives.  She may have lost support amongst many in her own party when she became one of only 4 Republican senators to support marriage equality.
Pflug was appointed to her new position by Democratic Governor Cristine Gregoire.  It could open up an opportunity for the 5th to get it's first Democratic Representative since  Senator Kathleen Drew was defeated in 1996.  Issaquah City Council Mark Mullet has launched a strong campaign in what was to be an attempt to defeat incumbent Pflug.  Snoqualmie businessman Brad Toft is the lone Republican running for the Senate in the 5th.

Mullet Will Challenge Pflug For Senate Seat

In 2009, Mark Mullet was elected to the Issaquah City Council without opposition, now Mullet would like to represent the new drawn 5th Legislative District in the State Senate and will have to face a twice elected incumbant.
The Issaquah Press reports that Mullet, a Democrat, has announced that he will challenge two term Senator Cheryl Pflug.   Pflug is a Republican in what is widely considered a conservative leaning rural district.  It will not be the first time that Pflug a Maple Valley resident and an RN, has faced an elected official.  In 2004, Pflug defeated Sammamish Mayor Kathy Huckabay.  Sammamish will no longer be part of the 5th if the state's new redistricting plan is implemented. 
Mullet is the owner of a Zeek's Pizza Franchise in the Issaquah Highlands, he also owns a Ben And Jerry's. He is  a former manging director for the Bank Of America.  His Father, Steve, was formerly the mayor of Tukwila.