Wenatchee, Wash.
Washington state Republicans challenged the result of November’s gubernatorial election in court this week, calling Democrat Christine Gregoire’s victory a “sinister” fraud. “This election was stolen,” GOP lawyer Dale Foreman said during opening arguments, in a trial that is expected to last about a week. Republican Dino Rossi won the first tally by 261 votes, but Gregoire was declared the winner after a recount gave her the victory by 129 votes out of 2.9 million cast. Foreman said ineligible voters and “bumbling bureaucrats” in one Democratic stronghold, King County, tilted the scales. Democratic attorney Kevin Hamilton said the GOP was trying to exploit innocent “imperfections” to force a new vote, instead of graciously accepting defeat.
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