Republican Nominee for U.S. Senate, Washington
By Rebecca Horvath, Tennessee
Susan Hutchison is already well-known in her home state of Washington, but her star could be rising in Washington, D.C., too.
A candidate for United States Senate, Hutchison is an Emmy-winning television journalist; she spent twenty years bringing the evening news into homes in the Seattle area via the local CBS affiliate. After her groundbreaking broadcasting career, she moved into the private sector, serving at the helm of a large charitable foundation for a decade.
Hutchison dipped a toe in politics in 2009, when she narrowly lost a county-level race but learned a valuable lesson. “Republicans need to be smart about how we do elections. I witnessed the full force of the ‘blue machine’ across the state,” she says.
All these experiences proved invaluable when Hutchison was elected as Chairman of the Washington State Republican Party in 2013. She inherited a struggling organization mired in financial woes and division. Hutchison quickly turned learning into leading: she guided the Party to a stunning turnaround, helping gain nine seats in the state legislature and unifying the organization. She stepped down as Chairman earlier this year, leaving the Party, in her words, “Healthy and wealthy.”
Hutchison has the unique distinction of being a military daughter, wife and mother. Having experienced the military from three different perspectives, she is a fierce advocate for our men and women in uniform and their families. National security and enforcement of immigration laws also rank high on her list of priorities.
At home, Washington State has long been plagued by devastating forest fires. Hutchison’s opponent –- four-term incumbent Sen. Maria Cantwell -- blames global warming, but the Senate hopeful says severe mismanagement of federal forests is actually to blame. In D.C., she plans to fight for that and other issues close to the hearts of Washington residents, from infrastructure and affordable, accessible healthcare to religious freedom and defense of the Second Amendment.
Running in a historically blue state isn’t easy, but Hutchison says the choice for Washingtonians is simple. “I’m the person who will help to protect the Constitution,” she explains, “and I will be an advocate for the residents of Washington State.”
Her entire life has prepared her for the work ahead, and Susan Hutchison is ready for her next assignment.
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