Chris Vance (politician)
| Chris Vance | |
|---|---|
| Born |
May 1, 1962 Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Alma mater |
Western Washington University (BA) |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Political party | Republican |
Chris Vance is an American politician, a two-term member of the King County Council and a former member of the Washington State Legislature. Vance is also a former chair of the Washington State Republican Party. He and his wife Ann raised their son and daughter in Auburn, Washington. Vance lost his Senate bid to Patty Murray in 2016.
Early life
Vance was born in Seattle in 1962, and lived in Bellevue until the eighth grade, when his family moved to east Pierce County. In 1980, Vance graduated from Sumner High School and attended Western Washington University where he earned a bachelor's degree in Political Science.
Political career
After college Vance went to work for former Congressman Rod Chandler, then served as a research analyst with the Washington State Senate.
From 1991 to 1993 Vance served in the Washington House of Representatives for the 31st Legislative District. He was the second ranking Republican on the House Education Committee, and was elected by his colleagues to the position of Assistant Floor Leader. From 1994 to 2001 he represented the 13th district of the King County Council, acting as a leader in the areas of budget, transportation and land-use.
In 2001, Vance was elected Chairman of the Washington State Republican Party. He worked to get Republican officials elected, including Rob McKenna, the first Republican State Attorney General in 13 years.
2004 Washington gubernatorial election
Vance also played a role in Dino Rossi's failed bid to become the Governor of Washington. After winning the first two statewide ballot counts, Secretary of State Sam Reed certified Rossi as the winner; however, a statewide hand recount resulted in the election of Democratic Party candidate Christine Gregoire.
The Rossi campaign and the Washington State Republican Party filed an election contest in Chelan County Superior Court. The controversy over the election lasted over six months, with Vance often serving as a spokesman for the party and Rossi's campaign.
Recent
On January 9, 2006, Vance announced he would resign his position and pursue opportunities in the private sector.[1] He currently works as a public affairs consultant, a senior advisor to State Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn as well as being an instructor at the University of Washington's Evans School of Public Affairs, and is a frequent media commentator on Washington State politics. Since April 2007, Vance has been a contributing writer with the online newsmagazine, Crosscut.com.,[2] and is a regular guest columnist on the website SmarterGovernmentWA.org
On September 8, 2015, Vance announced that he was running for the US Senate against Democratic Party candidate Patty Murray.
References
- ↑ State Republican Party Chairman Steps Down Archived August 31, 2006, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "Chris Vance (bio)". Crosscut. Retrieved August 20, 2011..
External links
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Dino Rossi |
Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from Washington (Class 3) 2016 |
Most recent |