When Sen. Patty Murray took to a Seattle stage with President Obama on Thursday, she told the crowd, “Our first priority is to put Washington back to work.”
But polls in the Evergreen State indicate that the one Washington resident who may not get to go back to work is Murray.
The three-term Democratic senator and former PTA president is in the political fight of her life. Just months ago, Murray’s seat appeared safe, but she is now in a virtual dead heat with Republican real estate developer Dino Rossi, who has been gaining support among voters who once favored the tennis-shoed Murray but are now turning against incumbent Democrats because of their concerns over the economy.
“People are responding to this economic crisis different than they have in the past,” state Republican Party Chairman Luke Esser said. “The political environment for Democrats is difficult. They control the government, so as much as they want to blame the GOP for everything, they are in charge and they have to take the blame for the terrible economy.”
Washington is one of four states President Obama is visiting on a western swing aimed at rallying an unenthusiastic Democratic base in the final days before the Nov. 2 election. In the coming days, Obama will be campaigning with Sen. Barbara Boxer of California and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, both of whom are in neck-and-neck re-election contests.
The president’s rally in Seattle attracted about 10,000 people, and Obama implored all of them to vote.
“We need you fired up, Seattle, because in just a few days, your decision in this election is going to set the direction of this state and of this country for years to come,” Obama said.
Murray is considered to have one of the most liberal voting records in the Senate and is a member of the Democratic leadership, two factors that could work against her in a year when voters are angry at Congress and the White House and expressing displeasure with a left-of-center agenda.
In the Seattle suburb of Bothell, real estate broker Gerry Eagle mulled her choices in the Senate race, one of whom she knows personally (Murray) and the other she hopes to learn more about (Rossi). Eagle voted for Murray before; this time she’s having doubts.
“I have just been thinking there needs to be a change,” Eagle said. “She’s had 18 years. That’s a long time.”
Yet, Eagle isn’t completely sold on the idea of supporting Rossi.
“That is my dilemma at the moment,” she said. “If Patty can come up with things she would do to change, that would be great. But I think she is constrained by party politics.”
Murray has managed to cling to a small but durable lead in most polls, and some political analysts say that could be enough to give her an advantage on Election Day given that Democratic voters outnumber Republicans by 7 percentage points.
“I think Washington state is going to be one of the few places that, on Election Day, will be a bright spot for Democrats,” said University of Washington political science professor Matt Barreto, director of the nonpartisan Washington Poll. “Washington is a Democratic-leaning state. There are no two ways about it.”
