David George Reichert (; born August 29, 1950) is an American politician, veteran, and former sheriff who served as the
U.S. representative for
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
's
8th congressional district from 2005 to 2019. He is a
Republican and is the former elected
sheriff
A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...
of
King County
King County is located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population was 2,269,675 in the 2020 census, making it the most populous county in Washington, and the 13th-most populous in the United States. The county seat is Seattle, also the st ...
, Washington. In September 2017, Reichert announced that he would retire from Congress after his seventh term.
Early life, education, and military career
Reichert was born in
Detroit Lakes
Detroit Lakes is a city in the State of Minnesota and the county seat of Becker County. The population was 9,869 at the 2020 census. Its unofficial population during summer months is much higher, estimated by citizens to peak at 13,000 mids ...
,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...
, 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
Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for elevated o ...
.
His family moved to Washington in 1951, living first in
Renton, then later moving to
Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
, where he attended
Kent Meridian High School
Kent-Meridian High School is a high school located in Kent, Washington, United States, and part of the Kent School District. Kent-Meridian is one of four high schools in the Kent School District. It serves students in grades nine through twelve wh ...
. In 1968, he graduated and went to
Concordia Lutheran College
, motto_translation = Without the Lord, all is in vain
, established = 1946
, type = Independent, co-educational, day & boarding
, denomination = Lutheran
, slogan =
, principal = Anton Prinsloo
, key_people =
, chaplain ...
in
Portland,
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
on a partial
football scholarship. He earned an
Associate of Arts
An associate degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of qualification above a high school diploma, GED, or matriculation, and below a bachelor's degree.
The fi ...
degree in
social work
Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social wo ...
in 1970.
In 1971 he joined the
Air Force Reserves
The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of commiss ...
'
939th Military Airlift Group. He saw
active duty for six months and served until 1976.
Law enforcement career
Reichert served with the King County sheriff's department beginning in 1972.
He was a member of the Green River
Task Force, formed to track down the so-called "
Green River killer
Gary Leon Ridgway (born February 18, 1949), also known as the Green River Killer, is an American serial killer and sex offender. He was initially convicted of 48 separate murders. As part of his plea bargain, another conviction was added, brin ...
" aided by the infamous
Ted Bundy. In 2001,
DNA evidence identified
Gary Leon Ridgway as the Green River killer.
[ In 2004, Reichert published the ]autobiography
An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life.
It is a form of biography.
Definition
The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English peri ...
, ''Chasing the Devil: My Twenty-Year Quest to Capture the Green River Killer''.
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. During this, Reichert's throat was slit by the attacker, which required stitches and surgery. In an interview, Reichert said of the incident, "I was able to save he wife and we got into a scuffle and fell over a coffee table in the living room, and he slit my throat with a butcher knife, ending up with forty-five stitches in my neck." Years later, he was awarded with one of his two Medals of Valor for his bravery.
In 1997, he was appointed sheriff of King County, Washington
King County is located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population was 2,269,675 in the 2020 census, making it the most populous county in Washington, and the 13th-most populous in the United States. The county seat is Seattle, also the ...
, by King County executive Ron Sims
Ronald Cordell Sims (born July 5, 1948) is the former Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, having served in the position from May 8, 2009 to July 2011. He is also the former King County Executive. Sims ...
. In 2001, he ran unopposed for a second four-year term. A widely rebroadcast event during the Seattle World Trade Organization conference and protests showed him chasing demonstrators down 3rd Avenue.
He served as president of the Washington State Sheriffs' Association.[ He was an executive board member of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.][ In 2004, he won the 2004 National Sheriffs' Association's Sheriff of the Year award, two valor awards, and the Washington State Attorney General's Award for courageous action.][
]
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2004
In 2004, Reichert ran for Congress. In the Republican primary
Primary or primaries may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels
* Primary (band), from Australia
* Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea
* Primary Music, Israeli record label
Works
...
debate, he bowed out, due to other Republican primary candidates not adhering to the so-called Republican 11th commandment.
He defeated his Democratic opponent, KIRO
Kiro was a colonial post in what is now the Central Equatoria province of South Sudan on the west side of the Bahr al Jebel or White Nile river. It was in part of the Lado enclave.
In 1900 there were said to be 1,500 troops from the Congo Free S ...
talk show
A talk show (or chat show in British English) is a television programming or radio programming genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Sh ...
host Dave Ross
Dave Ross (born April 10, 1952) is a talk show host on Seattle's KIRO-FM radio station. He joined KIRO as a news anchor in 1978 and was given his own talk show in 1987. He has sometimes broadcast his show while on assignment in other locations, ...
, in the 2004 Congressional elections, 52% to 47%. He replaced retiring Republican representative Jennifer Dunn. At the same time, the Democratic presidential nominee, Senator John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party, he ...
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
Americans for a Republican Majority (also ARMPAC) was a political action committee formed by former Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and directed by Karl Gallant. On July 7, 2006 ARMPAC reached an agreement with the Federal Election Com ...
, a political action committee of former House Majority Leader
Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives, also known as floor leaders, are congresspeople who coordinate legislative initiatives and serve as the chief spokespersons for their parties on the House floor. These leaders are e ...
Tom DeLay, donated $20,000 to his election campaign.
2006
He faced Democratic candidate Darcy Burner
Darcy Gibbons Burner (born November 12, 1970) is an American businesswoman and politician and a member of the Democratic Party from Carnation, Washington.
Early life, education, and family
Burner was adopted at birth in Alaska and grew up in a ...
in November 2006; he was re-elected with 51% of the vote.
2008
In a repeat of the 2006 election matchup, he faced Democratic candidate Darcy Burner
Darcy Gibbons Burner (born November 12, 1970) is an American businesswoman and politician and a member of the Democratic Party from Carnation, Washington.
Early life, education, and family
Burner was adopted at birth in Alaska and grew up in a ...
. He won the general election
A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
with 53% of the vote to Darcy Burner's 47%.
2010
He was challenged by Democratic candidate Suzan DelBene
Suzan Kay DelBene (née Oliver; ; born February 17, 1962) is an American politician and businesswoman who has been the United States representative from Washington's 1st congressional district since 2012.
DelBene was the 2010 Democratic nomin ...
.
He won re-election with 52% of the vote.
2012
He was challenged by Democratic candidate Karen Porterfield, and won with almost 60% of the vote.
2014
He was challenged by Democratic candidate Jason Ritchie, and won with 63% of the vote.
2016
He was challenged by Democratic candidate and former sportscaster Tony Ventrella, and won with 60% of the vote.
Committee assignments
* Committee on Ways and Means
The Committee on Ways and Means is the chief tax-writing committee of the United States House of Representatives. The committee has jurisdiction over all taxation, tariffs, and other revenue-raising measures, as well as a number of other program ...
** Subcommittee on Trade
** Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures, chair
Caucus memberships
* House Baltic Caucus
* Congressional Arts Caucus
* Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus
*Climate Solutions Caucus
The Climate Solutions Caucus is a bipartisan caucus of U.S. legislators supported by the Citizens' Climate Lobby whose members work to achieve action addressing the risks from climate change. The House of Representatives and Senate each have a c ...
* U.S.-Japan Caucus
Political positions
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 during the 114th United States Congress
The 114th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States of America federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from ...
(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).
Civil rights
Reichert was one of fifteen Republican House members to vote in favor of repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell
"Don't ask, don't tell" (DADT) was the official United States policy on military service of non-heterosexual people, instituted during the Clinton administration. The policy was issued under Department of Defense Directive 1304.26 on Decembe ...
", the ban on openly gay
Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity.
Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of ...
military service personnel.[Chris Geidner]
House Passes DADT Repeal Bill
, ''Metro Weekly
''Metro Weekly'' is a free weekly magazine for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community in Washington, D.C., United States. It was first published on May 5, 1994. ''Metro Weekly'' includes national and local news, interview ...
'' (December 15, 2010).[House Vote 638 – Repeals 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell']
, ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' (December 15, 2010).
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."
Budget, debt, and spending
While he was not present at the vote on the Ryan Budget, he intended to vote for it but was in Washington state for the death of his mother. However, he did vote for the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act and the Budget Control Act of 2011
The Budget Control Act of 2011 () is a federal statute enacted by the 112th United States Congress and signed into law by US President Barack Obama on August 2, 2011. The Act brought conclusion to the 2011 US debt-ceiling crisis.
The law in ...
. Both acts required Congress to pass a balanced budget amendment
A balanced budget amendment is a constitutional rule requiring that a state cannot spend more than its income. It requires a balance between the projected receipts and expenditures of the government.
Balanced-budget provisions have been added ...
prior to raising the United States debt ceiling
The United States debt ceiling or debt limit is a legislative limit on the amount of national debt that can be incurred by the U.S. Treasury, thus limiting how much money the federal government may pay on the debt they already borrowed. The d ...
. This was supported primarily by Republicans and opposed by Democrats. In the final vote to lift the debt ceiling
A debt limit or debt ceiling is a legislative mechanism restricting the total amount that a country can borrow or how much debt it can be permitted to take on. Several countries have debt limitation restrictions.
Description
A debt limit is a l ...
, until 2013, he voted with the Republican majority in favor.
Crime
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 foster care children.
Drug reform
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
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various t ...
.
Presidential tax returns
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
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
's tax returns.
Health care
Reichert favored repealing the Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Pres ...
(Obamacare).
Reichert was one of only 20 Republicans to vote against the American Health Care Act of 2017 (also known as Trumpcare).
Taxation
Reichert had signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge by the Americans for Tax Reform
Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) is a politically conservative U.S. advocacy group whose stated goal is "a system in which taxes are simpler, flatter, more visible, and lower than they are today." According to ATR, "The government's power to contro ...
, 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 , 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
An S corporation, for United States federal income tax, is a closely held corporation (or, in some cases, a limited liability company (LLC) or a partnership) that makes a valid election to be taxed under Subchapter S of Chapter 1 of the Interna ...
are subject to tax and to make such reduction permanent.
Personal life
He is married to Julie, whom he met in college. They live in Auburn and have three grown children: Angela, Tabitha, and Daniel, and six grandchildren. He is a member of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), also known as the Missouri Synod, is a traditional, confessional Lutheran denomination in the United States. With 1.8 million members, it is the second-largest Lutheran body in the United States. The LC ...
.
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
A subdural hematoma (SDH) is a type of bleeding in which a Hematoma, collection of blood—usually but not always associated with a traumatic brain injury—gathers between the inner layer of the dura mater and the arachnoid mater of the meninges ...
and required emergency surgery.
Electoral history
References
External links
Visit Dave Reichert's Website
*
*
Capture of The Green River Killer Mini-Series
*
, -
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reichert, Dave
1950 births
21st-century American politicians
American Lutherans
Concordia University (Oregon) alumni
Living people
Military personnel from Minnesota
Military personnel from Washington (state)
People from Auburn, Washington
People from Detroit Lakes, Minnesota
People from Kent, Washington
People from Renton, Washington
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Washington (state)
Washington (state) sheriffs