Rob McKenna
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| Rob McKenna | |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 12, 2005 |
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| Preceded by | Christine Gregoire |
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| Born | October 1, 1962 Fort Sam Houston |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Marilyn McKenna |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
- This article is about the Attorney-General for Washington state. For the character from the series Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, see Minor characters from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Robert ("Rob") McKenna, a Republican from Bellevue, Washington, is the Washington State Attorney General, having served since November 2004.
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[edit] Personal
The son of an Army officer[1], McKenna was born October 1, 1962 in Ft. Sam Houston, Texas. [2][3] He grew up at posts in Germany, Bangkok, San Francisco and Kansas before his family settled in Bellevue when he was 14. [1][4]
He is married to Marilyn McKenna, with whom he has four children named Madeleine, Katie, Robert and Connor. He attends St. Louise Catholic Parish, and is an Eagle Scout. He lives in Bellevue, Washington. [2][3]
[edit] Education
McKenna received his J.D. from University of Chicago Law School in 1988, where he served on law review and specialized in the confluence of economics and the law. [4]
Prior to that, he earned two bachelor's degrees in Economics and International Studies from the University of Washington and a Phi Beta Kappa key. McKenna was student body president in 1984-85. [4]
He graduated from Sammamish High School in Bellevue in 1980. [1]
[edit] Career
After graduation, McKenna worked as an attorney at the law firm of Perkins Coie, where he practiced mainly business and regulatory law. [1]
He was elected to the Metropolitan King County Council in 1996 and he served for three terms. [3] As councilman, he represented Bellevue, Mercer Island, Kirkland, Newcastle, and much of Renton. As one of 13 King County council members, he wrote laws for one of the country's largest counties, specializing in budget, land use and transportation. [4] His re-elections were without opposition and he was twice rated "Outstanding" by the Municipal League.
[edit] Campaign
McKenna based his 2004 campaign for the office of Attorney General around three areas of protection he promised to bring to Washingtonians: protection of the safety of families, by fighting crimes such as identity theft, internet fraud, and child pornography, and supporting local police, sheriffs, and prosecutors; protection of rights, by controlling regulation and supporting the public's right to know what the government is doing; and protection of pocketbooks, by counseling state agencies to avoid costly trial and litigation, bringing reform in the matter of reducing what some see as unfair burdens placed on doctors, hospitals, and other professionals. [1]
McKenna developed broad-based alliances to win election, attracting the support of prosecutors, police chiefs and sheriffs, along with farm and business leaders one at a time then leveraging those endorsements into broader support. He also built nontraditional alliances with tribal leaders, public safety unions, firefighters and other moderates in both parties. [4]
He defeated political novice Mike Vaska, a private attorney from Issaquah, in the Republican primary for state Attorney General, with approximately 70 percent of the vote. He then defeated former Insurance Commissioner and Democratic Senate candidate Deborah Senn in the November General election. He was one of just a few Republicans to win statewide office in 2004, garnering more than 1.4 million votes. [4]
McKenna kicked off his 2008 campaign on Nov. 14, 2007, before roughly 1,600 supporters gathered for a breakfast at Meydenbauer Center. McKenna's ticket-splitting appeal has been enhanced already with the announced support of State Auditor Brian Sonntag and Snohomish County Prosecuting Attorney Janice Ellis, both Democrats. Ellis spoke on behalf of McKenna during the kickoff, as did Seattle Seahawk Mack Strong, Dino Rossi and Luke Esser. [5]
[edit] Attorney General
As Washington's 17th Attorney General, McKenna manages the largest public law office in the state with more than 1,200 employees and offices in 12 cities around the state: Bellingham, Port Angeles, Everett, Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Wenatchee, Spokane, Yakima, Kennewick, Vancouver and Pullman. The Washington State Attorney General's Office serves more than 230 state agencies, boards, commissions, colleges, and universities, as well as the Governor and Legislature. [6]
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c d e Election 2004 voters guide. Retrieved on 2008-01-20.
- ^ a b About Rob McKenna. Retrieved on 2007-07-29.
- ^ a b c Biography of Attorney General Rob McKenna. Retrieved on 2007-07-29.
- ^ a b c d e f "McKenna takes on role of 'general' with gusto"- Associated Press. Retrieved on 2008-01-20.
- ^ "McKenna Announces Re-Election Bid"-Soundpolitics.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-14.
- ^ About the Washington State Attorney General's Office. Retrieved on 2008-01-20.
| Preceded by Christine Gregoire (D) |
Washington State Attorney General 2005–present |
Incumbent |
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