Due to ongoing social distancing requirements due to the coronavirus pandemic, the April 7 monthly dinner meeting has been CANCELLED. The Board is working on the possibility of rescheduling the candidate forum at a future date once large gatherings are again permitted. The Treasurer will be in touch with those of you who already registered and prepaid for the April meeting to determine if you would like a refund or to carry your prepayment over to the next dinner meeting. Everyone stay safe and healthy!
Month: March 2020
April 7, 2020 Meeting — Governor Candidate Forum — CANCELLED
Due to ongoing social distancing requirements due to the coronavirus pandemic, the April 7 monthly dinner meeting has been CANCELLED. The Board is working on the possibility of rescheduling the candidate forum at a future date once large gatherings are again permitted. The Treasurer will be in touch with those of you who already registered and prepaid for the April meeting to determine if you would like a refund or to carry your prepayment over to the next dinner meeting. Everyone stay safe and healthy!
Don’t miss Eastside Republican Club on April 7! We’re hosting a Candidate Forum for the top five Republican candidates for Governor of Washington! Our own Marty McClendon will moderate. This will be one of our biggest events of the year and we’re expecting a sellout crowd! RSVP today! Pre-pay to save $2 and reserve your spot. As always, we will have a great dinner and plenty of time to hang out with new and old Republican friends! Dinner starts at 6PM and the program begins no later than 6:30. Let’s turn Washington red! See you on April 7, 6PM at the Sheraton Hotel in Bellevue.
About the Candidates (in alphabetical order)
Loren Culp is Police Chief in Republic, Washington. As a U.S. Army Soldier, Loren honed his leadership skills in the Drill Sergeant School which he then used to help turn civilians into soldiers. He was the Honor Graduate for his class of Combat Engineers and an Honor Graduate of the Non Commissioned Officers Academy for Leadership. He was a Sergeant in the world famous 101st Airborne Division and the 2nd Infantry Division serving under President Ronald Reagan. After his military service, he was a small business owner for more than 20 years. In November of 2018, Loren was the first Police Executive to take a stand against the gun restriction initiative I-1639 which he believes is unconstitutional.
Tim Eyman is best known for sponsoring many conservative ballot initiatives in Washington, including I-695 (“$30 Car Tabs”), I-747 (1% limit on property tax levy increases), I-18 (reducing the King County Council from 13 members to 9), I-900 (government performance audits), I-960 (2/3rd legislative vote to raise taxes), and many others. In 2019, his initiative 976 to restore $30 car tabs and repeal the onerous Sound Transit tax was approved with 53% of the vote statewide, but is being challenged in court by Democrat politicians who resist the will of the people. He has stood strong in the face of legal persecution by the Washington State Attorney General, who is demanding he be permanently banned from political activity in Washington. He’s a frequent speaker at ERC, most recently on the topic of “Fearless Activism”.
Phil Fortunato is State Senator for the 31st Legislative District, and serves on the Senate Transportation Committee, Housing Committee, and Environmental Committee. He previously served as State Representative in the 31st and 47th Districts. Starting with a lawn-cutting business at age 18, Phil built a successful commercial landscaping and hydroseeding business. He currently owns and operates Eco-3, an erosion and stormwater management company. With over 30 years of experience, Phil provides environmental training and helps builders navigate environmental regulation. He was president and founding director of the Pacific Northwest chapter of the International Erosion Control Association. He and his wife Suzanne had been married 42 years, and have five children and four grandchildren.
Joshua Freed, a lifelong Washingtonian, was elected to the Bothell City Council in 2005 and later served as mayor. He oversaw revitalization of downtown, protected open space, and cleaned up long-ignored environmental issues, while giving tax relief to those who needed it. When King County announced plans to further imperil those with drug addiction by building heroin injection sites, Joshua persuaded local officials in nearly 20 cities and counties to ban injection sites in their communities and focus public resources on helping people break the cycle of addiction. He founded his real estate company with the vision of developing strong communities for families, and grew the business during the Great Recession into one of the premier locally-owned homebuilders in the Puget Sound region.
Anton Sakharov is a community activist and businessman who knows what it’s like to live under anti-capitalist regimes, something he fears could happen in this country and in the state as we tilt closer and closer towards socialism. He’s an immigrant who has lived through Soviet socialism and witnessed religious oppression and antisemitism; he knows from personal experience that our current path is a dangerous one. He pledges to use his more than 13 years experience in high-tech and in-depth management experience, to turn Washington away from its current socialist direction.
Eastside Republican Club’s monthly meetings are held at Sheraton Bellevue Hotel; click here for location information and directions. Monthly meetings cost $25 per person [$23 per person if paid in advance, online]. Please RSVP online at https://www.eastsiderepublicanclub.org/rsvp/ so we have an accurate count for dinner.