Darcy Burner
Encyclopedia
Darcy Gibbons Burner is a Democrat from Carnation, Washington
. She was a candidate for in 2006 and 2008, but lost to incumbent
Dave Reichert
in both elections. She worked for twelve years in high technology including five years at Microsoft
as a Marketing Manager, working on .NET
. Burner left Microsoft to attend law school at the University of Washington
in 2004. She left her law studies in 2005 to enter her first political race against Reichert. She has announced plans to run for Congress again in 2012 in Washington's 1st Congressional District, which is being vacated by Jay Inslee
who is running for Governor.
She has served as the president of ProgressiveCongress.org and the Progressive Congress Action Fund, 501(c) organizations founded by leaders from the Congressional Progressive Caucus
and the progressive community.
and grew up in a Republican
household in Nebraska farm country. Her father, Ralph Gibbons, spent 20 years in the Air Force, settling after his military retirement with his wife and five kids in Fremont, Nebraska
. Burner was the Civil Air Patrol
National Cadet of the Year in 1989.
In high school, Burner was a National Merit Scholar. She worked multiple jobs, both part time and full time, to earn her way through Harvard, graduating in 1996 with a B.A. in computer science with a special field of economics. She also briefly attended law school at the University of Washington in 2004. Her jobs included working for Lotus Development, Asymetrix
, and, starting in 2000, as a lead product manager for Microsoft .NET.
Burner married in 1993. She and her husband Michael have a son, Henry, born in 2003.
On July 1, 2008, Burner's home on Ames Lake
, near Carnation, Washington
, was completely destroyed by a fire that investigators believe was caused by a faulty lamp in her son's bedroom.
The Seattle PI reported that in June 2011, Burner finished rebuilding her house.
Darcy Burner had been a volunteer in the unsuccessful 2004 campaign of Dave Ross
for , an open seat, and was a local Democratic activist. In 2006 she became a first-time candidate running for the same seat against freshman Republican U.S. Representative Dave Reichert
.
The 8th Congressional, which was created in 1993, had never been won by a Democratic candidate. In 2004, however, Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry
won the district with 51% of the vote. She was a top-tier candidate of the Democratic online fundraising
website ActBlue
, and both national parties spent heavily on the race.
In August 2006, CQPolitics wrote: "though Reichert appears to maintain at least a slight edge in the fall contest, CQPolitics.com has changed its rating on the race to its more competitive Leans Republican category from Republican Favored." On October 11, they changed their rating to "No Clear Favorite" Multiple polls showed Burner in a virtual tie with Reichert with just weeks left before the election, and in late October the two major Seattle newspapers split in their endorsements: The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
endorsed Burner while the Seattle Times, which had endorsed Democrat Dave Ross in 2004, endorsed Reichert.
It took a week before enough votes had been counted to make the result clear, partly due to the flooding on Election Day that had isolated several communities in the district, and the uneven demographics of the district. Burner conceded at a press conference on November 14, 2006. Dave Reichert's final margin of victory was 7,341, just over 2.9% of the votes.
Burner outraised Dave Reichert
in her campaign. She raised $3.2 million through the third quarter of 2008 and had $770,988 cash on hand at the end of September. At the same point, Reichert had raised $2.3 million and had $1.2 million cash on hand. Burners top campaign contributor was a Democratic PAC, ActBlue, which invested over $186,000 in her campaign. Other large contributors were Emily's List ($75,200), JStreetPac ($46,350), Planned Parenthood ($13,800), and MoveOn.org ($11,250). According to OpenSecrets.org, Darcy invested $1,623 of her own money in the campaign.
During the election cycle she responded to criticisms from the 2006 election that she offered "a muddled message without offering a real solution". Burner said she wanted to focus on getting the U.S. out of Iraq, and made the "Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq
" the cornerstone of her campaign. (Burner had ties to the military. Both her father and brother were veterans, and her husband was a "cold war interrogator.") Another primary focus was making health care more affordable.
Though EMILY's List
endorsed Burner's campaign in November, 2007, she was briefly challenged in the 2008 Democratic primary by State Senator Rodney Tom
. On the morning of September 5, 2007, Tom stepped out of the race, citing Burner's effective mobilization of the 'netroots' to raise money. Tom immediately endorsed Burner, and encouraged his donors to do the same.
She conceded November 7, 2008 after The Associated Press determined that Reichert's lead for the 8th District seat was insurmountable. When all the ballots were tallied, Reichert had won with 53% of the vote compared to Burner's 47%.
Carnation, Washington
Carnation is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,786 at the 2010 census.-History:Settled in 1865, Carnation was officially incorporated on December 30, 1912, as Tolt. The name was changed to Carnation in 1917, back to Tolt on May 3, 1928, and finally back to...
. She was a candidate for in 2006 and 2008, but lost to incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
Dave Reichert
Dave Reichert
David George Reichert is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party. He previously served as Sheriff of King County, Washington.-Early life, education and career:...
in both elections. She worked for twelve years in high technology including five years at Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
as a Marketing Manager, working on .NET
.NET Framework
The .NET Framework is a software framework that runs primarily on Microsoft Windows. It includes a large library and supports several programming languages which allows language interoperability...
. Burner left Microsoft to attend law school at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
in 2004. She left her law studies in 2005 to enter her first political race against Reichert. She has announced plans to run for Congress again in 2012 in Washington's 1st Congressional District, which is being vacated by Jay Inslee
Jay Inslee
Jay Robert Inslee is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1999. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes many of Seattle's northern suburbs in King, Snohomish, and Kitsap counties...
who is running for Governor.
She has served as the president of ProgressiveCongress.org and the Progressive Congress Action Fund, 501(c) organizations founded by leaders from the Congressional Progressive Caucus
Congressional Progressive Caucus
The Congressional Progressive Caucus is the largest caucus within the Democratic caucus in the United States Congress with 83 declared members, and works to advance progressive issues and positions....
and the progressive community.
Early life, education, and family
Burner was adopted at birth in AlaskaAlaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
and grew up in a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
household in Nebraska farm country. Her father, Ralph Gibbons, spent 20 years in the Air Force, settling after his military retirement with his wife and five kids in Fremont, Nebraska
Fremont, Nebraska
Fremont is a city in and the county seat of Dodge County, Nebraska, United States, near Omaha in the eastern part of the state. The population was 26,397 at the 2010 census....
. Burner was the Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol is a Congressionally chartered, federally supported, non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force . CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded membership that includes people from all backgrounds, lifestyles, and...
National Cadet of the Year in 1989.
In high school, Burner was a National Merit Scholar. She worked multiple jobs, both part time and full time, to earn her way through Harvard, graduating in 1996 with a B.A. in computer science with a special field of economics. She also briefly attended law school at the University of Washington in 2004. Her jobs included working for Lotus Development, Asymetrix
Asymetrix
Asymetrix was a US computer software company. The company was founded by Microsoft founder Paul Allen in 1984, and produced a number of software products covering web, presentation, and e-learning markets. In 2004 it became part of SumTotal Systems.Asymetrix headquarters were in Bellevue,...
, and, starting in 2000, as a lead product manager for Microsoft .NET.
Burner married in 1993. She and her husband Michael have a son, Henry, born in 2003.
On July 1, 2008, Burner's home on Ames Lake
Ames Lake, Washington
Ames Lake is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,486 at the 2010 census.Based on per capita income, one of the more reliable measures of affluence, Ames Lake ranks 10th of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked.-Geography:Ames Lake...
, near Carnation, Washington
Carnation, Washington
Carnation is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,786 at the 2010 census.-History:Settled in 1865, Carnation was officially incorporated on December 30, 1912, as Tolt. The name was changed to Carnation in 1917, back to Tolt on May 3, 1928, and finally back to...
, was completely destroyed by a fire that investigators believe was caused by a faulty lamp in her son's bedroom.
The Seattle PI reported that in June 2011, Burner finished rebuilding her house.
2006 Congressional election
Dave Ross
Dave Ross is a talk show host on Seattle's KIRO-FM radio station, with whom he had been a news anchor from 1978 until his talk show started nine years later in 1987. He has sometimes broadcast his show while on assignment in other locations, including overseas, such as Baghdad, Iraq in April...
for , an open seat, and was a local Democratic activist. In 2006 she became a first-time candidate running for the same seat against freshman Republican U.S. Representative Dave Reichert
Dave Reichert
David George Reichert is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party. He previously served as Sheriff of King County, Washington.-Early life, education and career:...
.
The 8th Congressional, which was created in 1993, had never been won by a Democratic candidate. In 2004, however, Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
won the district with 51% of the vote. She was a top-tier candidate of the Democratic online fundraising
Fundraising
Fundraising or fund raising is the process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions as money or other resources, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies...
website ActBlue
ActBlue
ActBlue is a United States political committee established in June 2004 that enables anyone to fundraise on the Internet for the Democratic Party candidates of their choice....
, and both national parties spent heavily on the race.
In August 2006, CQPolitics wrote: "though Reichert appears to maintain at least a slight edge in the fall contest, CQPolitics.com has changed its rating on the race to its more competitive Leans Republican category from Republican Favored." On October 11, they changed their rating to "No Clear Favorite" Multiple polls showed Burner in a virtual tie with Reichert with just weeks left before the election, and in late October the two major Seattle newspapers split in their endorsements: The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is an online newspaper and former print newspaper covering Seattle, Washington, United States, and the surrounding metropolitan area...
endorsed Burner while the Seattle Times, which had endorsed Democrat Dave Ross in 2004, endorsed Reichert.
It took a week before enough votes had been counted to make the result clear, partly due to the flooding on Election Day that had isolated several communities in the district, and the uneven demographics of the district. Burner conceded at a press conference on November 14, 2006. Dave Reichert's final margin of victory was 7,341, just over 2.9% of the votes.
2008 election
Darcy Burner ran for the 8th district seat again in the 2008 election.Burner outraised Dave Reichert
Dave Reichert
David George Reichert is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party. He previously served as Sheriff of King County, Washington.-Early life, education and career:...
in her campaign. She raised $3.2 million through the third quarter of 2008 and had $770,988 cash on hand at the end of September. At the same point, Reichert had raised $2.3 million and had $1.2 million cash on hand. Burners top campaign contributor was a Democratic PAC, ActBlue, which invested over $186,000 in her campaign. Other large contributors were Emily's List ($75,200), JStreetPac ($46,350), Planned Parenthood ($13,800), and MoveOn.org ($11,250). According to OpenSecrets.org, Darcy invested $1,623 of her own money in the campaign.
During the election cycle she responded to criticisms from the 2006 election that she offered "a muddled message without offering a real solution". Burner said she wanted to focus on getting the U.S. out of Iraq, and made the "Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq
A Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq
A Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq is a 36-page plan created by a group of United States Democratic congressional candidates, retired military officers and national security professionals that outlines policy measures that the candidates pledged to support in the 2008 elections.The plan's...
" the cornerstone of her campaign. (Burner had ties to the military. Both her father and brother were veterans, and her husband was a "cold war interrogator.") Another primary focus was making health care more affordable.
Though EMILY's List
EMILY's List
EMILY's List is a political action committee in the United States that aims to help elect female candidates to office. It was founded by Ellen Malcolm in 1984....
endorsed Burner's campaign in November, 2007, she was briefly challenged in the 2008 Democratic primary by State Senator Rodney Tom
Rodney Tom
Rodney Tom is an American politician, currently representing Washington's 48th Legislative District in the state Senate and a member of the Democratic Party.- Personal life :...
. On the morning of September 5, 2007, Tom stepped out of the race, citing Burner's effective mobilization of the 'netroots' to raise money. Tom immediately endorsed Burner, and encouraged his donors to do the same.
She conceded November 7, 2008 after The Associated Press determined that Reichert's lead for the 8th District seat was insurmountable. When all the ballots were tallied, Reichert had won with 53% of the vote compared to Burner's 47%.
Views
Burner describes herself as a "practical progressive". Her positions on various issues include:- Taxes: Believes there should be no cap on social security tax (currently the tax is only collected on the first $106,000 of income); believes all investment income, including long-term capital gains, should be taxed at regular income rates.
- Abortion: Pro-choice, increased access to family planning services. She's a former board member of NARAL Pro-Choice America.
- Gay marriage: supports complete repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act.
- Immigration: Supports comprehensive immigration reform.
- Israel: Supports a two-state solution.
- Education: Supports Federal funding of education, "I’ll fight for full federal funding of all federal educational mandates," Darcy writes.
- Energy and Environment: "We need to free the United States from its reliance on the dirty fuels of the nineteenth century and achieve American energy independence by investing in the clean energy technologies of the twenty-first century," Darcy writes.
- Foreign policy: She has been a member of the board of Council for a Livable World’s PeacePAC, opposed to further overextending the U.S. military. Supports the goals of peace, prosperity, stability, and security in the Middle East, including Israel and Palestine. "Supports United Nations efforts to provide essential family planning and healthcare services to poor nations."
- Iraq: On March 17, 2008, Burner unveiled "A Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq". It was endorsed by nine other Democratic challengers for Congress, as well as Major General Paul EatonPaul EatonMajor General Paul D. Eaton is a retired United States Army General most known for his command of operations to train Iraqi troops in George W. Bush's invasion of that country...
, former Security Transition Commanding General in Iraq; Dr. Lawrence KorbLawrence KorbLawrence J. Korb , is a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress and a Senior Adviser to the Center for Defense Information...
, former Assistant Secretary of Defense in the Reagan Administration; Capt. Larry SeaquistLarry SeaquistLarry Seaquist is the current Democratic member of the Washington House of Representatives, which is the lower house of the Washington State Legislature, for the 26th District....
, former commander of the U.S.S. Iowa and former Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Policy Planning; and Brigadier General John Johns, specialist in counterinsurgency and nation-building. Within a week, the plan received the endorsement of an additional 24 Democratic challengers. As of May 2008 it has over 50 endorsements and been cited on the House floor. - Health care: Supports stem cell research.
- Military benefits: Supports extending military health coverage to families of Reservists and National Guardsmen.
- Labor: Supports a strong labor movement that can counter-balance corporate power.
- Ethics: Says she supports ethics reform to stop the revolving door between lobbyists and Congress.
External links
- Darcy Burner for Congress
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.orgCenter for Responsive PoliticsThe Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
- Profile from SourcewatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...
- Progressive Congress Action Fund official site