Dave Reichert | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2007 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromWashington's8th district | |
| In office January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Jennifer Dunn |
| Succeeded by | Kim Schrier |
| 30thSheriff of King County | |
| In office March 5, 1997 – January 3, 2005 | |
| Preceded by | James Montgomery |
| Succeeded by | Sue Rahr |
| Personal details | |
| Born | David George Reichert (1950-08-29)August 29, 1950 (age 75) Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Julie Reichert |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Concordia University, Oregon (AA) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1971–1976 |
| Unit | U.S. Air Force Reserve |
David George Reichert (/ˈraɪkərt/RY-kərt; born August 29, 1950) is an American retired police officer and politician who served as theU.S. representative forWashington's 8th congressional district from 2005 to 2019. Amoderate member of theRepublican Party, he served as thesheriff ofKing County, Washington from 1997 to 2005.
In September 2017, Reichert announced he would retire from Congress after his seventh term.[1]
Reichert unsuccessfully ran for governor in2024, losing toDemocratBob Ferguson.[2][3][4][5]
Reichert was born inDetroit Lakes, Minnesota, the son of Marlys Ann (née Troeger) and George F. Reichert.[6] He is the eldest of seven children and a grandson of the townmarshal.[7] His family moved to Washington in 1951, living first inRenton, then later moving toKent, where he attendedKent Meridian High School. In 1968, he graduated and went toConcordia Lutheran College inPortland,Oregon on a partialfootball scholarship. He earned anAssociate of Arts degree insocial work in 1970.[8]
In 1971 he joined theAir Force Reserves'939th Military Airlift Group. He sawactive duty for six months and served until 1976.[9]
Reichert began serving with the King County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) in 1972.[10] He was a member of the Green RiverTask Force, formed to track down the "Green River killer". In 1984, he and fellow King County homicide detectiveRobert Keppel met with incarcerated serial killerTed Bundy to form apsychological profile of the Green River killer.[11] In 2001,DNA evidence identifiedGary Leon Ridgway as the Green River killer.[10] In 2004, Reichert published thememoirChasing the Devil: My Twenty-Year Quest to Capture the Green River Killer.[12]
In 1971, during his second year in law enforcement, Reichert responded to adomestic violence call in which a knife-wielding man was attempting to kill his wife. The man attacked Reichert and slit his throat, which required stitches and surgery.[13] In an interview, Reichert said of the incident, "I was able to save [the wife], and we got into a scuffle and fell over a coffee table in the living room, and he slit my throat with a butcher knife, ending up with forty-five stitches in my neck."[14] He was awarded with one of his two Medals of Valor for his bravery.
In 1997, he was appointed sheriff ofKing County, Washington, by King County ExecutiveRon Sims.[10] In 2001, he ran unopposed for a second four-year term.[15]
Reichert served as president of the Washington State Sheriffs Association.[7] He was an executive board member of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.[7]
In 2004 Reichert won the 2004National Sheriffs' Association's Sheriff of the Year award, two valor awards, and the Washington State attorney general's award for courageous action.[7]
In 2004, Reichert ran for Congress. He bowed out of the Republicanprimary debate, however, because two other candidates had run ads critical of him.[16][17]
He defeated his Democratic opponent,KIROtalk show hostDave Ross, in the2004 election, 52% to 47%. He succeeded retiring Republican CongresswomanJennifer Dunn.
At the same time, theDemocratic presidential nominee, SenatorJohn Kerry won, 51% to 48%, against PresidentGeorge W. Bush in the8th district. That made Reichert one of just 17 House Republicans[citation needed] elected in a district that also voted for theDemocratic candidate for the presidency.[18]
ARMPAC, apolitical action committee of formerHouse Majority LeaderTom DeLay, donated $20,000 to his election campaign.[19][20]
He faced Democratic candidateDarcy Burner in November 2006; he was re-elected with 51% of the vote.[21]
In a repeat of the 2006 election matchup, he faced Democratic candidateDarcy Burner. He won thegeneral election with 53% of the vote to Burner's 47%.[22]
He was challenged by Democratic candidateSuzan DelBene.[23]
He was challenged by Democratic candidate Karen Porterfield, and won with almost 60% of the vote.[24]
He was challenged by Democratic candidate Jason Ritchie, and won with 63% of the vote.[25]
He was challenged by Democratic candidate Tony Ventrella, and won with 60% of the vote.[26]
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Reichert was a member of theRepublican Main Street Partnership.[34] He was ranked as the 21st most bipartisan member of the U.S. House of Representatives during the114th congress byThe Lugar Center and theMcCourt School of Public Policy.[35]
Reichert has opposed abortion during his congressional career.[36] He voted repeatedly for bills to restrict abortions after 20 weeks.[37] During the 2024 gubernatorial campaign, Reichert has attempted to soften his prior views on abortion and has said he will uphold current abortion laws if elected.[36][38]
Reichert was not present for the vote on then-House Budget Committee ChairPaul Ryan's 2012 budget, which Ryan dubbed "The Path to Prosperity";[39] Reichert had intended to vote in favor of it, but was called away to Washington state following the death of his mother.[40] However, he did vote for theCut, Cap, and Balance Act[41] and theBudget Control Act of 2011.[42] Both acts required Congress to pass abalanced budget amendment prior to raising theUnited States debt ceiling. This was supported primarily by Republicans and opposed by Democrats.[43] In the final vote to lift thedebt ceiling, until 2013, he voted with the Republican majority in favor.[44]
Reichert was one of 15 Republican House members to vote in favor of repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", the ban onopenly gaymilitary service personnel.[45][46]
In 2017, Reichert declared his support forExecutive Order 13769, which imposed a temporary ban on citizens of sevenMuslim-majority countries entering the U.S. He stated that "My first and most important job is protecting families in our region and the American people ... We must be absolutely certain we have systems in place capable of thoroughly vetting anyone applying for refugee status on American soil."[47]
Reichert supported reauthorization of theViolence Against Women Act.[48]
He was the main sponsor of thePreventing Sex Trafficking and Improving Opportunities for Youth in Foster Care Act, a bill which would require states to take action to address the problem ofsex trafficking of children in the foster care system.[49][50]
On March 4, 2014, Reichert introduced thePreserving Welfare for Needs Not Weed Act (H.R. 4137; 113th Congress), a bill that would prevent the use ofelectronic benefit transfer cards in businesses that sellmarijuana.[51]
Reichert favored repealing theAffordable Care Act (Obamacare).[52][53]Reichert was one of only 20 Republicans to vote against theAmerican Health Care Act of 2017 (also known as Trumpcare).[54]
Reichert has voiced personal opposition tosame-sex marriage, saying in 2024 that "marriage is between a man and a woman".[55][56] He stated that he doesn't intend to restrict same-sex marriage if elected governor during the 2024 gubernatorial election.[56]
He has also made critical remarks towardstransgender people, once responding to a question that asked what defines "a woman" saying that "There’s only man and woman. I was raised with that as a Christian. And marriage is between a man and a woman."[55] Reichert has also said that "I don’t believe that transgender men should be competing against girls and women in sports."[55]
In February 2017, while serving on the Ways and Means Committee, he voted against a measure that would have led to a request of the Treasury Department for PresidentDonald Trump's tax returns.[57]
Reichert had signed theTaxpayer Protection Pledge by theAmericans for Tax Reform, a group run byGrover Norquist.[58] The pledge commits the signer to oppose any legislation thatraises taxes or eliminates tax deductions.
On April 10, 2014, Reichert introduced thePermanent S Corporation Built-in Gains Recognition Period Act of 2014 (H.R. 4453; 113th Congress), a bill that would amend theInternal Revenue Code of 1986 to reduce from 10 to 5 years the period during which the built-in gains of anS corporation are subject to tax and to make such reduction permanent.[59][60]
He is married to Julie, whom he met in college. They live inKent and have three grown children: Angela, Tabitha, and Daniel, and six grandchildren.[61] He is a member of theLutheran Church–Missouri Synod.[62] He is ofGerman descent.
In 2010, following an injury he sustained from being hit in the head by a tree branch while chopping firewood in his backyard, he developed asubdural hematoma requiring emergency surgery.[63]
| Date | Position | Status | Opponent | Result | Vote share | Top-opponent vote share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | County sheriff | Appointed[10] | ||||
| 2001 | County sheriff | Incumbent | Ran unopposed | Elected | 100%[64] | N/A |
| 2004 | U.S. Representative | Open-seat primary | Diane Tebelius (R),Luke Esser (R),Conrad Lee (R) | Nominated | 45%[65] | 22% (Tebelius) |
| 2004 | U.S. Representative | Open-seat | Dave Ross (D) | Elected | 52%[66] | 47% |
| 2006 | U.S. Representative | Incumbent | Darcy Burner (D) | Re-elected | 51%[67] | 49% |
| 2008 | U.S. Representative | Incumbent | Darcy Burner (D) | Re-elected | 53%[68] | 47% |
| 2010 | U.S. Representative | Incumbent | Suzan DelBene (D) | Re-elected | 52%[69] | 48% |
| 2012 | U.S. Representative | Incumbent | Karen Porterfield (D) | Re-elected | 60%[70] | 40% |
| 2014 | U.S. Representative | Incumbent | Jason Ritchie (D) | Re-elected | 63%[25] | 37% |
| 2016 | U.S. Representative | Incumbent | Tony Ventrella (D) | Re-elected | 60%[71] | 40% |
| 2024 | Governor of Washington | Open-seattop-two primary | Bob Ferguson (D), Semi Bird (R),Mark Mullet (D)[a] | Advanced to the general election | 27.48%[72] | 44.88% (Ferguson) |
| 2024 | Governor of Washington | Open-seat | Bob Ferguson (D) | Lost | 44.3%[73] | 55.5% |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromWashington's 8th congressional district 2005–2019 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Loren Culp | Republican nominee forGovernor of Washington 2024 | Most recent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former U.S. Representative | Order of precedence of the United States as Former U.S. Representative | Succeeded byas Former U.S. Representative |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
