Дэвид Райхерт: От шерифа до кандидата в губернаторы Вашингтона

American politician (born 1950)

David George Reichert ('/r//aɪ//k//ər//t/ RYkərt; born August 29, 1950) is an American politician, former law enforcement officer, and former member of the Air Force Reserve who served as the U. S. representative for Washington's 8th congressional district from 2005 to 2019. He is a Republican and a former elected Sheriff of King County, Washington. In September 2017, Reichert announced that he would retire from Congress after his seventh term. In June 2023, Reichert filed paperwork to run for Washington governor in 2024.

Reichert was born in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, the son of Marlys Ann (née Troeger) and George F. Reichert. He is the eldest of seven children and a grandson of the town marshal. His family moved to Washington in 1951, living first in Renton, then later moving to Kent, where he attended Kent Meridian High School. In 1968, he graduated and went to Concordia Lutheran College in Portland, Oregon on a partial football scholarship. He earned an Associate of Arts degree in social work in 1970. In 1971 he joined the Air Force Reserves' 939th Military Airlift Group. He saw active duty for six months and served until 1976.

Reichert began serving with the King County sheriff's office in 1972. He was a member of the Green River Task Force, formed to track down the "Green River killer". In 1984, he and fellow King County homicide detective Robert Keppel met with incarcerated serial killer Ted Bundy to form a psychological profile of the Green River killer. In 2001, DNA evidence identified Gary Leon Ridgway as the Green River killer. Although Reichert has used Ridgway's arrest as a central part of his political campaigns, former supervisor Frank Atchley claimed that Reichert was "more of an impediment to the investigation." According to Seattle University journalism and criminal justice professor Tomás Guillén, Reichart was convinced that a cab driver named Melvyn Foster was the killer, allegedly "taint[ing] Reichert's judgment" to the point a task force allegedly excluded other suspects. In 1971, during his second year in law enforcement, Reichert responded to a domestic 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. He was awarded with one of his two Medals of Valor for his bravery. In 1997, he was appointed sheriff of King County, Washington, by King County Executive Ron Sims. Reichert served as president of the Washington State Sheriffs Association. He defeated his Democratic opponent, KIRO talk show host Dave Ross, in the 2004 election, 52% to 47%. He replaced retiring Republican Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn. At the same time, the Democratic presidential nominee, Senator John Kerry won, 51% to 48%, against President George W. Bush in the That made Reichert one of just 17 House Republicans elected in a district that also voted for the Democratic candidate for the presidency. ARMPAC, a political action committee of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, donated $20,000 to his election campaign.

He faced Democratic candidate Darcy Burner in November 2006; he was re elected with 51% of the vote.

In a repeat of the 2006 election matchup, he faced Democratic candidate Darcy Burner. He won the general election with 53% of the vote to Darcy Burner's 47%.

He was challenged by Democratic candidate Suzan DelBene. He won re election with 52% of the vote.

He was challenged by Democratic candidate Karen Porterfield, and won with almost 60% of the vote.

He was challenged by Democratic candidate Jason Ritchie, and won with 63% of the vote.

He was challenged by Democratic candidate Tony Ventrella, and won with 60% of the vote.

Reichert was a member of the Republican Main Street Partnership. Reichert was ranked as the 21st most bipartisan member of the U. S. House of Representatives (out of 435) during the 114th United States Congress (and the most bipartisan member of the U. S. House of Representatives from Washington) in the Bipartisan Index created by The Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy that ranks members of the United States Congress by their degree of bipartisanship (by measuring the frequency each member's bills attract co sponsors from the opposite party and each member's co sponsorship of bills by members of the opposite party).

Reichert was not present for the vote on then Speaker of the House Paul Ryan's 2012 budget, which Ryan dubbed "The Path to Prosperity"; Reichert had intended to vote in favor of it, but was called away to Washington state following the death of his mother. However, he did vote for the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act and the Budget Control Act of 2011. Both acts required Congress to pass a balanced budget amendment prior to raising the United States debt ceiling. This was supported primarily by Republicans and opposed by Democrats. In the final vote to lift the debt ceiling, until 2013, he voted with the Republican majority in favor.

Reichert was one of 15 Republican House members to vote in favor of repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", the ban on openly gay military service personnel. In 2017, Reichert declared his support for Executive Order 13769, which imposed a temporary ban on citizens of seven Muslim 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."

Reichert supported reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. He was the main sponsor of the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Improving Opportunities for Youth in Foster Care Act, a bill which would require states to take action to address the problem of sex trafficking of children in the foster care system.

On March 4, 2014, Reichert introduced the Preserving Welfare for Needs Not Weed Act (H. R. 4137; 113th Congress), a bill that would prevent the use of electronic benefit transfer cards in businesses that sell marijuana.

Reichert favored repealing the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). Reichert was one of only 20 Republicans to vote against the American Health Care Act of 2017 (also known as Trumpcare).

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 President Donald Trump's tax returns.

Reichert had signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge by the Americans for Tax Reform, a group run by Grover Norquist. The pledge commits the signer to oppose any legislation that raises taxes or eliminates tax deductions. On August 1, 2012, he also voted to extend the Bush tax cuts. On April 10, 2014, Reichert introduced the Permanent S Corporation Built in Gains Recognition Period Act of 2014 (H. R. 4453; 113th Congress), a bill that would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to reduce from 10 to 5 years the period during which the built in gains of an S corporation are subject to tax and to make such reduction permanent.

He is married to Julie, whom he met in college. They live in Kent and have three grown children: Angela, Tabitha, and Daniel, and six grandchildren. He is a member of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. 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 a subdural hematoma and required emergency surgery.

Date Position Status Opponent Result Vote share Top opponent vote share 1997 County sheriff Appointed N/A 2004 U. S. Representative Open seat primary Diane Tebelius (R), Luke Esser (R), Conrad Lee (R) Nominated 45% 22% (Tebelius) 2004 U. S. Representative Open seat Dave Ross (D) Elected 52% 47% 2006 U. S. Representative Incumbent Darcy Burner (D) Re elected 51% 49% 2008 U. S. Representative Incumbent Darcy Burner (D) Re elected 53% 47% 2010 U. S. Representative Incumbent Suzan DelBene (D) Re elected 52%
48% 2012 U. S. Representative Incumbent Karen Porterfield (D) Re elected 60%
40% 2014 U. S. Representative Incumbent Jason Ritchie (D) Re elected 63%40%