Pam Roach understands she isn’t the most congenial Senator in Olympia, but the contentious, controversial legislator certainly knows how to win a fight.
A reelection fight, that is.
In a nasty battle between Republicans, Roach on Nov. 4 survived her latest challenger, two-term state Rep. Cathy Dahlquist of Enumclaw, to keep her District 31 Legislative seat. The district covers rural King and Pierce counties.
It will be the Auburn senator’s seventh term in office. She has won more Senate races than any woman in state history.
Roach received 53.37 percent of the vote (17,818 votes) to Dahlquist’s 46.63 (15,567), according to the tallies released by the Secretary of State office Friday afternoon.
“I campaigned on effectiveness, and to be effective you have to work well with the other party,” Roach said. “Democrats control the House, Democrats control the executive mansion, yet I am the most effective legislator above all Democrats and Republicans.”
In June, the nonpartisan Sunlight Foundation rated Roach the most effective state senator in the state based on the number of bills passed and the bipartisan sponsorship of those bills under her watch.
Dahlquist reportedly called to concede the race. The Auburn Reporter could not reach her for comment Friday.
This race was anything but cordial. Each side attacked the other, questioning campaign financing. Both sides filed at least seven ethics complaints against each other — with the Washington Legislative Ethics Board dismissing all of them.
“It looked simple to the people looking at (the race), but it wasn’t,” Roach said. “It was a serious two-on-one.”
Roach’s allusion was to State Rep. Chris Hurst, a conservative Democrat from Enumclaw, who worked with Dahlquist on her campaign. Roach questioned Dahlquist’s conservative ways with her ties to Hurst.
Dahlquist questioned Roach’s abrasive personality, which she claimed had damaged her working relationships in the Legislature. Dahlquist offered change and a smoother working environment with Democrats.
In the end, Roach said, she prevailed on the strength of her record and the support of several groups, notably unions and business leaders.
She said she intends to get right back to work and address state budgetary matters, especially their potential affect on education.
