Darcy Burner
U.S. House, WA
Click here to view Burner's photo gallery.
Terrific takeover opportunity. After an ever-so-narrow loss in 2006, former Microsoft manager Darcy Burner is back to challenge GOP Rep. Dave Reichert for Washington state’s eighth district seat. This suburban Seattle district has been in GOP hands since 1982, but it’s been steadily trending blue and voted for Democrats in the past two presidential elections. A charismatic young leader, Burner nearly unseated Reichert in 2006; she will run even stronger with a presidential campaign on the ballot.
A right-wing Bush loyalist. Reichert has provided crucial support for the Bush agenda in Congress. He opposed giving the federal government authority to negotiate lower drug prices and has voted repeatedly to restrict reproductive freedom. And Reichert has provided unwavering support for the president’s Iraq war policy, including voting for Bush’s surge and against a Democratic proposal to redeploy troops according to a specific timeline.
A grassroots superstar. A darling of liberal bloggers, Burner has deftly used her high-tech savvy to organize and raise money. Her determined opposition to the war in Iraq has attracted a huge grassroots following and a cadre of committed volunteers. But Republicans know Reichert’s in trouble and are mobilizing to defend him. They’ve already sent President Bush into the district for a Reichert fundraiser as well as First Lady Laura Bush and they’ve put Reichert’s name on their list of high-priority incumbents to protect. They will spend millions attacking Burner in an effort to hold this seat. She must raise at least $3 million to turn Reichert out of Congress and take this seat over for Democrats in 2008.
More About Darcy Burner
Democrat Darcy Burner, who came within 7,400 votes of defeating Republican Rep. Dave Reichert in 2006, is poised to turn Washington’s eighth congressional district from red to blue in November. Political experts agree that this is one of the most competitive races of 2008. Burner gained invaluable experience in 2006 and has kept Reichert on the defense throughout this campaign. She outraised Reichert in the last quarter, ending the filing period with slightly more cash-on-hand than the incumbent. Burner will benefit from having Barack Obama, who is very strong in Washington, at the top of the ticket--and from the massive increase in voter registration due to the presidential election, particularly among Democrats and voters under 40.
Burner grew up in a military family and lived in rural towns all over America to accommodate her father’s Air Force career. Once he retired, the family managed on his pay as a substitute teacher, but was overwhelmed by medical expenses when Burner’s younger sister became ill. The family’s struggles greatly influenced her commitment to health care reform and progressive economic policy. Burner put herself through Harvard, majoring in computer science and economics. She left her post as a manager at Microsoft in 2004 and ran for Congress in 2006, emphasizing her own moderate views and hitting the incumbent hard on his support for the Bush agenda.
Burner endured a major personal tragedy in early July when an early morning fire destroyed her family’s home. (Her five-year old son, Henry, alerted his parents to the fire and saved the family.) Burner’s campaign has continued uninterrupted, and progressive bloggers, some of Burner’s most loyal supporters, quickly mobilized to help her raise money during this difficult period. Burner says the catastrophe has only steeled her will to win, for her son Henry and other families. “I’ve now seen on a personal level how a family can lose everything in an instant.We have a responsibility to take care of those whose lives have been devastated -- be that by accident, natural disaster, illness, or the financial tolls of this struggling economy.”
The Political Situation
The eighth district in suburban Seattle is the most affluent in Washington, largely because it is the linchpin of the state’s high-tech industry. While the seat has been in GOP hands since it was created after the 1980 census, population growth and the high-tech boom have changed the composition of the electorate, and it has been steadily trending Democratic. Voters here chose Democrats in the last two presidential elections, and the Democratic performance (the percentage of general election voters who have historically voted Democratic) is 51.5 percent. Democrats have made tremendous gains at the state level: in 2000, 20 of the 30 state legislators whose districts overlap with this seat were Republicans.Today, 21 of the 30 are Democrats.
Reichert, a right-wing congressman, has been a loyal Bush follower in the House.He opposed a bipartisan measure to allow the federal government to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies to lower drug prices for seniors and voted against expanding children’s health insurance coverage.He has provided unwavering support for the president’s Iraq war policy and supported numerous measures to restrict women’s reproductive rights, even opposing a bill to exempt contraceptives from the “global gag rule” that prohibits U.S. funding for international family planning organizations that mention abortion as an option for women.His one break with Bush is hardly a positive for Washington families: Reichert recently voted against providing mortgage relief for Americans hit hard by the housing slump. Reichert’s character can be summed up by a tasteless joke he told at the state’s Republican convention whose punch line involved Sen.Hillary Clinton dying in a plane crash.
In endorsing Burner in 2006, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer wrote, “Burner…is as informed in her views as she is forceful in delivering them…it was difficult to tell who was the incumbent because her answers carried weight.”Her political skills have only improved in this campaign--she’s racked up more than 50 endorsements from elected officials, unions, and progressive organizations, and commands a huge volunteer corps. In June, the Cook Political Report, noting Burner’s strong fundraising and “focused campaign,”moved the race from the “Lean Republican” to “Toss-Up” column, calling Reichert the “underdog.” Still, Cook cautioned, the race “appears headed to another photo finish.”
An increasingly worried National Republican Congressional Committee has put Reichert on its “Regaining Our Majority Program” list of endangered incumbents who will receive priority fundraising assistance. Reichert has also benefited from fundraising visits by President Bush,House Minority Leader John Boehner, First Lady Laura Bush, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Burner must raise $4 million to defeat Reichert and win this seat for Democrats.
The Issues
Burner’s priorities in Congress will be ending the war in Iraq; protecting the environment and working towards energy independence; expanding access to quality health care; strengthening public schools; and defending reproductive freedom.
Giving local educators more control is central to Burner’s education agenda. “As the daughter of a public school teacher and a product of a public education, I have immense respect for the work of teachers and school employees,” she says. Burner believes that the No Child Left Behind Act must be reworked to give local schools more control and funding to carry out its mandates. She favors increasing teacher salaries and offering scholarships to students majoring in education. She also supports expanding vocational education and apprenticeships for students who do not plan to attend college.
“I grew up in a blue-collar family and am a working mother myself,” Burner says, so she understands the need for options like telecommuting and flex-time to help Americans balance work and family. In addition to the Family and Medical Leave Act, Burner supports Social Security reform to address the retirement inequities women face when they take time away from work to raise their children.
Trade is a necessary part of the global economy, and Washington in particular relies on open markets. “Ensuring that we have fair agreements is necessary for the people of the eighth district,” Burner says. “The U.S.must use its market power to raise the bar on labor, environmental, and intellectual property standards worldwide, rather than accept the lowest common denominator in trade agreements.”
Addressing the deficit is one of her top fiscal priorities. “As a mother and a businesswoman, I manage my household and business finances,” she says. “Balanced budgets are critical to financial health, and we need to bring that principle back to the federal government.”
Noting that the U.S. is spending $12 billion a month on the war in Iraq, Burner says, “The war is busting our budget, breaking our military, and burning our bridges around the world. It is time to end it.” She led a team of policy experts and congressional candidates in drafting “A Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq,” released in March 2008. “My work on this plan shows that I’m capable of doing exactly what people expect members of Congress to do: showing leadership, drafting policy, and building coalitions,” Burner says.As the daughter, wife, and sister of veterans, Burner says, “I will never stop fighting to make sure we keep our promises to our nation’s veterans.”
Burner supports federal laws to ensure fair treatment without regard to race, gender, religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. “Congress should pass legislation to protect civil rights in housing, health care, and the workplace,” Burner says.
“I support expanding programs that help local police take a hard line against crime,” Burner says, noting local law enforcement’s role in defending against terrorism. Burner supports special efforts to deal with methamphetamine addiction and favors investing in early childhood education programs like Head Start. “Studies show that kids who receive early education are more likely to avoid trouble with the law, earn higher grades, graduate from high school, and earn higher salaries,” she says.
Burner views the health care crisis as a moral and economic issue. “Americans’ access to quality health care is a reflection of our nation’s values and priorities,” she says. Emphasizing preventive and routine care is smart business because it reduces the need for more costly catastrophic care.While working towards providing comprehensive coverage for all Americans, Burner favors stop-gap measures to cover the youngest and oldest Americans. This includes allowing people age 55–65 to buy into Medicare and reauthorizing SCHIP to cover more children.
“I am proud that the Democratic Congress passed the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007,” Burner says, “and that Washington state has led the nation in giving workers a fair wage.”More can be done for low-income Americans by reducing the Earned Income Tax Credit marriage penalty and making it easier for families to buy a first home,meet the cost of raising children, pay for college, and care for aging parents, Burner believes.
Burner was endorsed this past Earth Day by Earth Day founder Dennis Hayes.Her environmental priorities are reducing dependence on fossil fuels; investing in alternative energy technology; and protecting public lands and waterways, including the Puget Sound. “National parks in Washington state attract millions of dollars from tourism and recreation into our economy,” Burner says. “These revenues are jeopardized if our parks are not protected.”
Burner is deeply committed to reproductive freedom. “The voters in Washington’s eighth congressional district overwhelmingly support a woman’s right to choose, and they deserve a representative who will fight for their beliefs,” she says. “I support full access for all women to family planning services.”
September 2008