Political Quotes

“I wish to pay tribute to a great American governor, dedicated public servant, and community leader from the State of Washington, Governor Booth Gardner. He was born August 21, 1936 in Tacoma, WA and was a leader of tremendous compassion, dignity, and bravery whose service to our State will live on far into the future. Booth was generous in sharing his wisdom and his time, and I will never forget the lessons he taught me when I was just beginning my political career in Olympia many years ago. I learned so much from Booth because he was a man that led by example. He demonstrated governing was about the people you served and served with, by learning everyone's name, what issues they cared deeply about, and by taking the time to work with anyone who shared his desire to make Washington State a better place to live. Booth also showed compromise and compassion were not competing ideals by being pragmatic when he needed to be, but by always working to protect the needs of the most vulnerable. Governor Gardner passed away on March 15, 2013 in Tacoma at the age of 76, after a long battle with Parkinson's. While I am deeply saddened by his passing, Booth's imprint on our State will long be seen in our classrooms and the many open spaces he fought to protect. Up until the very end of his life, Booth remained a fighter for the issues he cared most about. Those of us who knew him couldn't have imagined it any other way. I miss him greatly.…”