Fiery New Leader for State GOP

The Washington State Republican Party has a new leader who strikes a similar chord to a local politician here in Yakima.

On Saturday, the State Republicans elected from television news anchor Susan Hutchison as the chair of the Grand Old Party. Hutchison was most prominently a news anchor on KIRO in Seattle.

The Yakima Herald reports that Hutchison defeated interim GOP Chairwoman, Luanne Van Werven 59 votes to 46. Hutchison had previously run for office as King County Executive, but lost that election.

Hutchison gave an impassioned speech as she ran for GOP Chair where she labeled state Democrats as "union fat cats" and "masters of election fraud." The Herald notes that she's expected to bring her experience in the media to help with the message and modernization of the state's conservatives.

A former news anchor turning to politics is nothing new to Yakima as Dave Ettl was a longtime news anchor in Yakima who has since been elected to city council.

Hutchison will complete the remainder of the two-year term that Kirby Wilbur was elected to in January. Wilbur left his post abruptly for a position in Washington D.C.