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Al Schweppe believes it’s his turn to be the man in front of the curtain.
He’s been part of the local Republican milieu for years, but it’s generally been behind the scenes on behalf of others. He was co-chairman of the Yakima County campaign for Bob Dole in 1996 and for U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings in 2000, among others, and vice chairman of the county Republican Party from 1997 to 2001.
Currently, he’s county chairman for John McCain’s presidential campaign, and he’s been elected as a delegate to the Republican National Convention.
“I’ve always been in government and politics,” the 47-year-old Yakima attorney said. “I grew up in it. My dad was a grass-roots Republican.”
He’s twice sought public office, running for Yakima County in 1998 and vying for a state Senate appointment after 14th District legend Alex Deccio resigned his seat at the end of 2006.
With a mix of public and private law experience, as well a stint as an aide to U.S. Rep. Rod Chandler, R-Wash., from 1991 to 1993, Schweppe believes he has the right experience to handle issues from education to transportation to criminal justice.
A self-described center-right Republican, he has garnered endorsements from state Attorney General Rob McKenna as well as from the moderate GOP group Mainstream Republicans of Washington, which also endorsed Norm Johnson.
He’s running on a platform of forcing the state to adequately fund education and criminal justice while fostering a pro-growth business environment. And he believes that can be done while cutting state spending and without raising taxes. It’s about prioritizing, Schweppe said.
“I want to talk about fiscal discipline,” he said.
He also wants to ease regulations on agricultural growers.
“Agriculture is the No. 1 industry in the state of Washington and it gets paid a lot of lip service,” Schweppe said. “But at the end of the day, it’s still hurting.”
Schweppe attended Seattle University for his bachelor’s and law degrees. He is married to Jennifer Benson-Schweppe and has 12- and 15-year-old stepsons.
• On the Web: www.alschweppe.com
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