Campaign Updates!

September 2010 - The News Tribune Again Endorses Hurst for General Election!

Another great endorsement from the TNT.  Here it is: 

"In the Position 2 race, incumbent Rep. Chris Hurst of Enumclaw deserves re-election to the House, where he serves as chairman of the Public Safety Committee. His background as a detective gives him invaluable insight into crafting legislation that affects law enforcement, and he was instrumental in the ballot measure before voters that would give judges more latitude in denying bail to suspects determined to be dangerous.

Hurst, a member of the so-called “Roadkill Caucus” of moderate-to-conservative Democrats, is running as an “Independent Democrat” to reflect his differences with party leadership. That’s put him on the outs with some of Democrats’ traditional allies, including organized labor. But his kind of independent attitude will be needed in the Legislature as it deals with a budget deficit of $4 billion – and possibly more. "



Read more: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/09/30/1362402/hurst-bunney-and-yes-roach-in.html#ixzz11AvjviUP

August 17th 2010 Primary election Results - A Significant Win! 

Christopher Hurst beats his opponent by over 7,000 votes and gets his highest numbers ever in a primary!  Thanks to all of our suporters and campaign volunteers who helped us get to this point.  Even though his opponent got only 31% of the vote, the race is a long way from over and our efforts are just beginning.  We have a comprehensive campaign plan to get our messge out to the voters in the 31st District.  Chris and his helpers hope to see you during this campaign season!  Or, feel free to give us a call at 360-663-2608.   

August 2010 - Seattle Times and The Tacoma News Tribune Both Endorse Christopher Hurst!  

The Times and TNT both endorse Hurst over his opponents.  They also point out that one of his opponents, Patrick Reed, a mid-level state government bureacurat, seldom even bothers to vote in elections, a serious slap in the face to voters and our military men and women in uniform fighting for this right with their lives.  The press says that he should take his responsibilities, and voting, more seriously.  We are sure that our slodiers feel the same way too.

The Times recommends the re-election of Rep. Christopher Hurst in the 31st District

The Seattle Times editorial board endorses Rep. Christopher Hurst in Position 2, 31st Legislative District of King and Pierce counties. He is a sensible moderate who understands some of the organic changes that must be made in the state budget.

STATE Rep. Christopher Hurst understands there are many different flavors of Democrats, going so far as to list himself as an Independent Democrat on the ballot. A gimmick? Perhaps. But he did so to express dissatisfaction with über liberals who drafted an unsustainable state budget.

Hurst, a former cop in and out of office in the 31st Legislative District that includes parts of Pierce and King counties, is endorsed for another term primarily because he showed guts by urging big spenders in his party to cool it.

Hurst is a member of "Roadkill" Democrats, a loose affiliation of moderate, pro-business pols who support policies that would ultimately be run over by liberal majorities. He is a centrist who understands state employees have to live some years without cost-of-living increases and have to pay higher premiums for health care, increasing from the current 12 percent to 20 percent. If employees do not bend a little, the state cannot afford many important programs.

It will take exactly this kind of thinking to help the state dig out of another multibillion-dollar-budget hole next biennium.

Hurst favored contracting out state liquor stores that are losing money or shutting them down. In either case, such action would save money and the improvement would have originated in the Legislature. Now voters face two conflicting citizen initiatives that privatize liquor sales in different ways.

Hurst's Republican opponent, Patrick Reed, works in the corporations division of the Secretary of State's Office, where he is well liked and known as an earnest, hard worker.

He did not show up for an editorial board interview and has a terribly spotty voting record, having missed most primaries in the past decade.

Reed, of Sumner, should come back another time and make his campaign — and voting — a priority.

This year, Hurst's experience and clear-eyed sense of what ails Democrats make him the best choice."

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorials/2012536244_edit05leg31.html

July 1020 - Andy Returns to Afghanistan For His Fourth Tour of Duty   

Unfortunately, Chris and Aprils son, Andrew Hurst, has had to return to Afghanistan for his fourth tour of duty in the Middle East.  We all hope it will be as short as possible and safe.  We honor all of our soldiers in uniform and their sacrafices for our freedom.  We need to all show how much we care by execising our freedom to vote in this, and every election! 



Chris Officially Files for Office  June 8th, 2010

Chris officially filed for office on June 8th and the filing period closed on June 11th.  Chris now has two opponents who have filed against him as Republicans and the campaign is fully underway.  There are many intersting races in the 31st Legislative District this year and turnout should be good.  There will also be many ballot measures for voters to decide on this November as well - possibly more than any past year.  Chris is a co-chair of the Rememberlakewood.com group supporting HJR 4220, a ballot measure that you will get to vote on that will allow judges to deny bail to dangerous criminals who are awaiting trial, while protecting the rights of accused criminals who should be afforded the right to bail.  You can find out more at www.rememberlakewood.com.  Chris also co-wrote the statement in the official voters guide in support of the measure, so you will can get more information there as well when it is published by the State of Washington. 

Remember to stay in touch and contact Chris at anytime you have questions or want to help the campaign!



2010 CAMPAIGN UNDERWAY!  April 30, 2010

The Legislative Session is over and Chris has filed to run in the 2010 election cycle as an Independent Democrat.  Chris opposed repealing I-960 and voted against raising taxes.  Support from citizens has been overwelming just after the filing of paperwork and news stories came out on April 14th.  In the last two weeks things are off to a great start with many endorsements coming in already and the campaign has now raised in excess of $41,000, not to mention the many people who have offered to help on the campaign.  We now have a new feature on the website where folks can donate money online.  Be sure to check out the endorsements page to see how we are doing already!  You may see Chris out in your area going door to door talking with people, or feel free to call him at home at 360-663-2608 with your questions or ideas.  We will have more updates soon! 



Hurst Defeats Hanek by 9,599 votes! (11/4/08)

 

Chris won his fourth election to the Washington State House of Representatives after defeating Sharon Hanek by an overwhelming margin, 58.69% to 41.31%.  The vote totals were 32,405 for Hurst to 22,806 for Hanek.

 

Chris and his family thank everyone who helped make this victory possible and to the voters for their confidence and support!   



A Primary Victory (8/19/08)

With nearly 25,000 votes cast in the 31st District, Chris's campaign came away with a huge Primary night victory, bringing in 57 percent of the vote. His two opponents had less than 22 percent of the vote each.

Over the course of the night, many races in the state were closer than expected, making the margin of the win significantly important.

The victory gave a tremendous boost to the campaign in preparation for the November 4th General election. Chris and his family are grateful and thank the constituents of the 31st District for the tremendous show of support for his candidacy.

Hurst Endorsed by the Tacoma News Tribune (8/5/08)

Today, the Tacoma News Tribune endorsed Christopher Hurst in his re-election bid in the 31st Legislative District.  Here is what they had to say about Chris:

“Two Republicans hope to thwart House Position 2 incumbent Democratic Rep. Christopher Hurst in his bid for a fourth term.

Hurst, a retired police commander from Enumclaw, has been an effective legislator who works well across party lines.  He was co-chairman of the work group that led to passage this session of legislation giving law enforcement more tools in gang prevention and intervention.  He’d like to expand on that bill if re-elected.”

Absentee Ballots Sent out to Voters in King and Pierce Counties (8/1/08)

King and Pierce Counties sent out absentee ballots to voters for the Primary on August 19th.  It is very important that these ballots be marked and mailed no later than August 19th so citizen’s votes can be counted in this very important Primary election.  Only the top two candidates in each race will move forward to the general election, and many races, including Chris’s, have three or more candidates running.  Your voice and your vote only count if you send your ballot in on time!

Hurst Campaign Fundraising Going Well (7/29/08)

In reports filed with the Public Disclosure Commission, the Hurst campaign organization, Citizens for Christopher Hurst, reported that they have raised in excess of $100,000 for the 2008 campaign.  The campaign is deeply gratified by the amazing show of support from individuals and organizations endorsing and financially supporting the Hurst candidacy.  The Hurst campaign has been raising campaign funds at ten times the rate of Chris’s competitors.

31st District Fundraiser a Success, and the Best Possible News from Italy (7/21/08)

At 7:05 in the morning, Chris got an email from Andy’s wife that Andy had just returned from his combat tour of duty in Afghanistan, and that he was somewhere in Italy.  She said that she expected him back home sometime that day. 

By noon, Chris had received a call from Andy saying that he was back home safe, and although he was somewhat weary, it was the best news Chris and April had received in quite a while.  Unfortunately, the homecoming in Italy for the 173rd Airborne was bittersweet, as 10 soldiers in their unit had been killed in the previous six days in combat operations. 

Although already a hectic day, Chris was a featured speaker at a fundraising dinner attended by 320 people at the Eagles Club in Buckley, where over $7,000 was raised and donated to a disabled veterans charity.  A long and tiring, but happy and successful day.

Municipal League Rating (7/17/08)

Great news for the Hurst Campaign, as the non-partisan Municipal League gave Chris a rating of “Very Good,” the highest of any candidate in his race.  The Municipal League rates candidates based upon knowledge, effectiveness, and civic accomplishments.  Chris was very honored to have earned such a high rating.

Very Sad News from Afghanistan (7/15/08)

Some of the worst news for Andy’s unit was that 9 soldiers were killed on July 13th, 2008.  This brings the number of soldiers killed in action in Andy’s unit to 43 just during this current deployment, and a total of 69 soldiers killed from the 173rd Airborne in the last 3 deployments.  Below is the Department of Defense notification:

The Department of Defense announced today the death of nine soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.  They died of wounds suffered when their outpost was attacked by small arms fire and rocket propelled grenades from enemy forces in Wanat, Afghanistan, on July 13.  They were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503d Infantry Regiment (Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Vicenza, Italy.            

Killed were:            
1st Lt. Jonathan P. Brostrom, 24, of Hawaii.            
Sgt. Israel Garcia, 24, of Long Beach, Calif.            
Cpl. Jonathan R. Ayers, 24, of Snellville, Ga.            
Cpl. Jason M. Bogar, 25, of Seattle, Wash.            
Cpl. Jason D. Hovater, 24, of Clinton, Tenn.            
Cpl. Matthew B. Phillips, 27, of Jasper, Ga.            
Cpl. Pruitt A. Rainey, 22, of Haw River, N.C.            
Cpl. Gunnar W. Zwilling, 20, of Florissant, Mo.            
Spc. Sergio S. Abad, 21, of Morganfield, Ky. 



July 4th Activities (7/4/08)  Chris started the morning by giving a speech at the Veteran’s Memorial Park in Enumclaw, honoring the three soldiers that were killed in a helicopter crash on Mt. Peak in December 2006.  There was a great turnout of folks from the community, and the morning started out grey and overcast, which somehow seemed fitting for this dedication.

Throughout the rest of the day, Chris and April tried to make it to as many other events in the 31st District as they could.  Their evening ended at Fort Lewis as guests of the commanding general of I-Corps viewing a 4th of July program honoring our troops.  As a side note, Chris and April were seated with Bruce Crandal, who is a Congressional Medal of Honor winner, and the helicopter pilot in Mel Gibson’s movie, “We Were Soldiers.” 

Buckley Loggers Rodeo (6/28/08)  Although Chris and April have been spending their summer out campaigning and meeting as many voters as possible, they took the day off from knocking on doors to meet with folks and check out the Buckley Loggers Rodeo.  There are many events throughout the 31st District during the summer but, this has always been one of the best.  During the 2006 campaign, Chris and April knocked over 15,000 doors, and would very much like to get to a lot of folks they didn’t see during that campaign.

More Sad News from Afghanistan (6/26/08)

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.  Sgt. Ryan J. Connolly, 24, of Vacaville, Calif., died June 24 in Khogyani, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his vehicle struck a suspected landmine.  He was a member of Andrew's unit, assigned to the 173rd Special Troops Battalion, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Bamberg, Germany.  Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.
 
06/24/2008  Connolly, Ryan J.     SGT24HHC, STB, 173rd ABCT     California

Logging Legacy Memorial Dedication (6/7/08)

On Saturday, June 7, Chris spoke to a gathering of more than 300 people at the Logging Legacy Memorial Dediacation in Enumclaw.  To celebrate the occasion, Chris came in the "rigging" (logging) clothes he used to wear as a logger when he was younger.  "They didn't fit as well as they did when I was 25 years old," he said.  The event was covered by the Enumclaw Courier-Herald and a photograph of Chris speaking made the front page.  Posted here is a picture of Chris with the designer of the memorial.

Sad News from Afghanistan (6/5/08)

We received tragic news that two more soldiers were killed in action from Andrew’s unit on May 31 in Afghanistan.  They were killed by an improvised explosive device attack.  One of the soldiers was from Washington State.  Like Andy, they are members of the 173rd Airborne Infantry, US Army.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to their friends and families.   

05/31/2008  Finley, James M.       SPC 21  HHC, STB, 173rd ABCT     Missouri
05/31/2008  Shields, Andrew J.     PFC 19  HHC, STB, 173rd ABCT     Washington

Chris Files for Candidacy (6/3/08)

On Tuesday, June 3, Chris filed for candidacy for the State House of Representatives with the office of the Washington Secretary of State.  He is facing two challengers this year.  Chris is running for his fourth term to represent the people of Washington State's 31st Legislative District.  He is ready for the challenge of a tough campaign season in an extremely important election year.

November 2006 – Chris defeats Jan Shabro and re-takes his old seat in the Washington State House of Representatives.  Jan had taken his seat when he left for four years.  This is the second time voters replaced an incumbent with Chris.



January 2003 – Chris announces his temporary retirement from elective office for the next four years while his daughter is in high school.



November 2000 – Chris is re-elected to the Washington State House of Representatives over challenger Steve Hammond by a wide margin.



November 1998 – Chris defeats incumbent Les Thomas and is elected to the Washington State House of Representatives for the first time. 



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