Carol Gregory Explained

Carol Gregory
State House:Washington
District:30th
Term Start:January 8, 2015
Term End:November 25, 2015
Predecessor:Roger Freeman
Successor:Teri Hickel
Birth Name:Carol Jean Landerholm
Birth Date:10 November 1943
Birth Place:Vancouver, Washington, U.S.
Party:Democratic
Residence:Federal Way, Washington, U.S.
Alma Mater:University of Washington (BA)

Carol Jean Gregory (née Landerholm; born November 10, 1943) is an American educator and politician of the Democratic Party. Gregory was appointed to the Washington House of Representatives by Governor Jay Inslee on January 8, 2015 to the vacant state representative seat in the 30th Legislative District left after the death of Representative Roger Freeman on October 29, 2014.[1] She was appointed on January 8, 2015 and sworn in on January 12, 2015.[2]

Early life and education

Gregory was born in Vancouver, Washington. She earned an Associate degree from Clark College and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Washington.[3]

Career

Prior to her political career, Gregory was the director of BuRSST for Prosperity, a nonprofit association which works to elevate people out of poverty. She served as president of the Washington Education Association teachers' union from 1975–1981, and president of the Washington chapter of women's rights group NARAL.[4] [5]

Washington House

After two unsuccessful campaigns to represent the 30th District in the Legislature in 2008 and 2010, Gregory was invited to run in 2013 for School Board against parochial school principal Medgar Wells,[6] which was successful. A month after the election, she was selected by the Board as School Board President,[7] but stepped down in 2015 after being nominated to replace Rep. Roger Freeman, who died days before winning re-election. She retains her position on the Federal Way School Board, while the role of board president moved to Geoffery McAnalloy.[8]

State law in Washington allows the political party that officially nominated a legislator of a legislative district to nominate three replacements for a vacancy in that legislator's position. Freeman's death near the end of the 2014 election cycle was the first such instance since the state's "top-two" primary system, which replaced the traditional party primary system. On December 1, 2014, the Washington State Democrats held a nominating convention of 30th District party members in Federal Way, which selected, in order of descending priority: Gregory, local party official Richard Champion, and unsuccessful 2014 State Senate candidate Shari Song as nominees.[9] Under the law, the municipal County Councils of the county or counties in which the legislative district lies shall vote on which the three nominees shall fill the vacancy. The King County Council voted on December 8, 2014 to select Carol Gregory.[10] However, the Pierce County Council objected to the King County vote, to which it was not party, arguing that the vote must be done by both County Councils at a combined assembly, while King County disagreed. Pierce County refused to hold their own vote, demanding that King County arrange a combined meeting.[11] The impasse was resolved on January 8, 2015, when the responsibility then passed to Governor Jay Inslee, who selected Gregory.[12]

In the case of vacancies filled before the middle of an electoral term, the appointment must be confirmed via an off-year mid-term election. In early 2015, Federal Way City Council member and political consultant Martin Moore, who had served as legislative aide to Freeman and previously a Democrat, announced his intention to run for the position as a Republican.[13] Moore withdrew from the race after local Chamber of Commerce official Teri Hickel announced her candidacy, also as a Republican.[14] Due to state laws preventing state legislators from campaigning while the legislature is in session, Gregory was left at a disadvantage after the State Legislature went into two special sessions over state budget battles, particularly in light of McCleary v Washington[15] regarding state education funding, during which time Gregory's campaign was unable to raise or spend money outside of a few days between sessions.[16] Hickel beat Gregory in the 2015 August top-two primary by 2.5 percentage points in an election.

Notes and References

  1. News: Carol Gregory will replace deceased state Rep. Roger Freeman of Federal Way . https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20150719140045/http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/politics-government/article25914496.html . dead . July 19, 2015 . thenewstribune.com . January 8, 2015 . February 12, 2015 .
  2. News: Rep. Carol Gregory sworn in as newest Washington lawmaker . housedemocrats.wa.gov . January 12, 2015 . February 12, 2015.
  3. Web site: Carol Gregory. Ballotpedia. en. 2020-05-19.
  4. News: July 14, 2010. The Times recommends voters elect District 30 Republican Katrina Asay to the state House of Representatives. Seattle Times. September 3, 2015.
  5. Web site: The Road To Olympia: Carol Gregory. August 31, 2010. Winpower Strategies. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150906235922/http://www.winpowerstrategies.com/2010/08/31/the-road-to-olympia-carol-gregory/. September 6, 2015. September 3, 2015.
  6. Web site: Medgar Wells. Ballotpedia. September 3, 2015.
  7. News: Federal Way school board president steps down, leadership reshuffled again. Federal Way Mirror. February 12, 2014. September 3, 2015.
  8. News: Federal Way school board appoints new president, vice president. Federal Way Mirror. December 10, 2014. September 3, 2015.
  9. Web site: WA 30th LD Democrats Nominate 3 Candidates to Replace Rep. Roger Freeman. Majority Rules. December 2, 2014. September 3, 2015.
  10. Web site: Council approves appointment of Carol Gregory to fill vacancy in the State Legislature. King County. December 8, 2014. September 3, 2015.
  11. News: Pierce County officials mad at King County's solo vote to replace deceased state lawmaker. The Olympian. December 8, 2014. August 21, 2021.
  12. Web site: Inslee appoints Carol Gregory to serve as State Representative in the 30th Legislative District. Access Washington. January 8, 2015. September 3, 2015.
  13. News: Former Democrat Martin Moore to run as Republican for state House. The Olympian. January 20, 2015. August 21, 2021.
  14. News: Federal Way Councilman Moore drops out of 30th District race, endorses Hickel. Federal Way Mirror. March 31, 2015. September 3, 2015.
  15. Web site: McCleary v Washington Opinion. Washington Supreme Court. January 5, 2012. September 3, 2015.
  16. News: 4-day break between legislative sessions means fundraising time in state House race. The Olympian. April 27, 2015. August 21, 2021.