AMANDA
AMANDA AND MARK. THERE ARE THREE DEMOCRATIC
FRONT RUNNERS IN THE RACE,
HOPING TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE
PRIMARIES.
PRIMARIES. ALL THREE ARE FIRST-TIME
CANDIDATES WHO INTRODUCED YOU
TO LAST NIGHT.
THEY ARE GOING UP AGAINST A
WELL-KNOWN REPUBLICAN NAME.
>> WE HAVE DOORBELL LITERATURE
RIGHT HERE.
RIGHT HERE. >> Reporter: DINO ROSSI'S
SEVENTH POLITICAL CAMPAIGN IS
TAKING HIM BACK THROUGH THE
NEIGHBORHOODS OF HIS FIRST.
>> WE WENT UP THERE BEFORE
THERE WAS SAMMAMISH.
WAY BEFORE.
WAY BEFORE. BUT, YOU DO KNOW WHAT -- THAT
CONGRESSMAN DAVE REICHERT IS
RUNNING AGAIN, RIGHT?
I'M DOING THIS THE OLD-
FASHIONED WAY.
FASHIONED WAY. THAT'S HOW I BECAME YOUR
SENATOR.
SENATOR.
SENATOR. >> Reporter: DINO ROSSI, A
NAME KNOWN FOR DECADES IN
WASHINGTON POLITICS, FIRST
ELECTED TO THE STATE SENATE IN
1996.
1996.
1996. THAT HE IS PROBABLY BEST KNOWN
FOR HIS STATEWIDE RACES
INCLUDING THE GUBERNATORIAL
BID AGAINST CHRISTINE GREGOIRE
IN 2004 THAT MADE ONE OF THE
CLOSEST BATTLES IN HISTORY.
IT WAS A LOSS FOR ROSSI, BY
JUST 129 VOTES.
HE WOULD GO ON TO CHALLENGE
HER AGAIN IN 2008, THEN
SENATOR PATTY MURRAY IN 2010.
FALLING SHORT STATEWIDE, BUT
WINNING THE REGION THAT MAKES
UP THE EIGHTH DISTRICT IN
THOSE SAME THREE RACES.
>> I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A
SUPPORTER OF YOU.
>> ONE THING I COULD USE YOUR
HELP WITH IS A GOOD WORD-OF-
MOUTH.
MOUTH.
MOUTH. THESE ARE FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN
WITH ME FOR MANY YEARS.
WE'VE BEEN TO A LOT OF BATTLES
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER. >> Reporter: ROSSI HAS NAME
RECOGNITION, AS WELL AS LOCAL
AND NATIONAL GOP SUPPORT ON
HIS SIDE, RAISING MORE THAN $3
MILLION IN CAMPAIGN
CONTRIBUTIONS SO FAR.
>> IT'S SIMPLE, DINO ROSSI
SUPPORTED THE NEW TAX LAW.
>> Reporter: BUT, AND
DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL ACTION
COMMITTEES ARE ALREADY
SPENDING MONEY TO OPPOSE HIM
AND TRY TO FLIP THE EIGHTH.
THIS RACE IS CONSIDERED A KEY
TARGET OF THE DEMOCRATIC
CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN
CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE AS ONE OF 23
DISTRICTS NATIONWIDE THAT WENT
FOR HELP THE IN 2016, BUT ALSO
REELECTED -- THAT WENT FOR
HILLARY CLINTON IN 2006, BUT
ALSO REELECTED THE HOUSE.
THIS YEAR, NATIONAL PENDANTS
AND ANALYSTS CONSIDER THE
EIGHTH DISTRICT A TOSSUP, WITH
THE WIND TO THE BACKS OF THE
DEMOCRATS, NOT THE REPUBLICANS.
>> I DON'T THINK IT'S A BLUE
WAVE BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE
EASY NO MATTER HOW YOU LOOK AT
IT.
IT.
IT. >>
IT. >> Reporter: HISTORICALLY, THE
PARTY OF THE INCUMBENT
PRESIDENT LOSES A SEAT,
SOMETIMES A LOT, DURING
MIDTERM ELECTIONS.
MIDTERM ELECTIONS. COMBINE THAT WITH A WILDCARD
PRESIDENT AND SERIES OF
CONTROVERSIAL POLICY MOVES
FROM HIS ZERO-TOLERANCE
IMMIGRATION POLICY AT THE
BORDER, TO ESCALATING TRADE
TENSIONS.
TENSIONS.
TENSIONS. SOMETHING PARTICULARLY
SOMETHING PARTICULARLY CONCERNING TO A TRADE
DEPENDENT WASHINGTON STATE.
>> I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYONE WIN
A TRADE WAR BEFORE.
THAT'S PRETTY CLEAR.
BUT YOU KNOW, IN WATCHING HOW
THE ADMINISTRATION, HOW THE
PRESIDENT, ESPECIALLY,
PRESIDENT, ESPECIALLY, NEGOTIATES, HOW HE NEGOTIATES
IS, WHAT HE DOES, IF YOU WANT
100, HE ASKS FOR 200.
IF HE WANTS 200 AND GETS 1000,
HE COMPLAINS ABOUT THAT.
>> Reporter: ROSSI WAS NOT A
SUPPORTER PRESIDENT TRUMP
DURING THE ELECTION SEASON.
BUT, SERVED AS A DELEGATE FOR
THE NOMINEE TRUMP WITH THE
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION.
>> I THINK ALL IN ALL, THINGS
ARE MOVING ALONG.
IT'S JUST A LITTLE ROUGHER
PROGRAM THAN I THINK ANYONE
THOUGHT IT WOULD BE.
>> Reporter: ROSSI SAYS HE
COUNTS THE GOP TAX-CUT BILL,
THE ECONOMY, AND SUPREME COURT
APPOINTMENTS AS WINS.
HE GAVE MORE CAREFUL ANSWERS
WHEN RESPONDING TO RECENT
HEADLINES ON HOT BUTTON ISSUES
SUCH AS IMMIGRATION.
>> I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE
SEPARATING FAMILIES.
SEPARATING FAMILIES. I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE RIGHT
THING TO DO.
WE ALSO NEED TO DO SOMETHING
ABOUT SECURITY ON THE SOUTHERN
BORDER AS WELL.
OR WE WILL BE BACK IN THE SAME
BOAT AGAIN.
BOAT AGAIN. I'M NOT RUNNING TO BE THE
APPRENTICE.
APPRENTICE. >> Reporter: ROSSI SAYS HE IS
NOT SEEKING ENDORSEMENTS AND
NATIONAL POLITICAL FIGURES
INCLUDING THE PRESIDENT,
INSTEAD, TRYING TO KEEP THE
RACE AS LOCAL AS POSSIBLE,
AND EMPHASIZING WINDS DURING
HIS TIME IN THE STATE
LEGISLATURE.
LEGISLATURE. >> THE SKILLS THAT I HAVE,
THAT I'VE DEMONSTRATED IN
OLYMPIA, BEING ABLE TO WORK
ACROSS PARTY LINES, BEING ABLE
TO BRING REPUBLICANS TOGETHER,
BUT ALSO MODERATE DEMOCRATS
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER. >> Reporter: ROSSI WAS
APPOINTED RECENTLY TO THE
STATE SENATE LAST YEAR, TO
TEMPORARY FILLED THE SEAT OF
ANDY HILL.
ANDY HILL. IT'S A SEAT HE CHOSE NOT TO
RUN FOR LAST FALL, AND A SEAT
WON BY A DEMOCRAT, A
REFLECTION OF CHANGING
DEMOGRAPHICS ON THE EAST SIDE
OF KING COUNTY.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE
EIGHTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
--
--
-- >>
-- >> I
-- >> I KNOW THE OTHER SIDE
THINKS IT'S THEIRS.
BUT I BEG TO DIFFER.
>> Reporter: ROSSI ARGUES HE
IS ON HOME TURF, WITH
NEIGHBORS WHO KNOW HIM.
>> IT'S GOING WELL.
I'M VERY BLESSED.
SO MANY PEOPLE IN THIS AREA
OVER THE YEARS.
>> CAN I GET A PICTURE OF IT
WITH YOU?
WITH YOU?
WITH YOU? >> THANK YOU.
>> NOW, WE HAVE EXTENDED
FOOTAGE OF OUR INTERVIEW WITH
DINO ROSSI ONLINE THAT COVER