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Long-serving Chopp makes his mark, his own way
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Candidate
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| Contributor | Ralphie |
| Last Edited | Ralphie Jan 21, 2007 01:40pm |
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| Category | Profile |
| News Date | Saturday, January 20, 2007 07:00:00 PM UTC0:0 |
| Description | Frank Chopp, an idealistic social-services liberal from Seattle, arrived at the Legislature 12 winters ago, just as voters were enlisting in the "Republican Revolution." In a single election, the House Democrats had plummeted from a 65-seat majority to a skimpy 35-seat minority.
Chopp wondered what he'd gotten himself into, but settled in and began an unexpectedly meteoric rise. He was soon the leader of his caucus and became co-speaker when his Democrats pulled into an oddball 49-49 tie, then came into his own as the caucus took control and grew with every election.
Counting his time as co-speaker, Chopp is Washington's longest-serving speaker, now in his ninth year and showing no signs of losing his interest or his majority.
He's one of the most powerful speakers in modern times despite sharing power with a team of colleagues who run the speakership almost as a collective.
Gov. Chris Gregoire calls him Olympia's Idea Guy. She and other Democrats have sparred with their blunt and sometimes autocratic colleague, but say he's one of the state's pre-eminent progressives and is making his mark. |
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