Bob Sump
Party: Republican
Age: 63
Personal: Sump and his wife, Brenda, recently celebrated their 44th wedding anniversary, and he got a yellow Labrador retriever. The couple lives near Republic in Ferry County, and has three adult children.
Education: Graduated from Mary Brantley High School in Houston.
Professional: He has lived in Washington since the mid-1960s, working mostly as a heavy-equipment mechanic in the mining industry. Sump also has operated service stations and auto repair shops in the Olympia area. He worked 13 years for Washington Irrigation and Development Co.'s coal mine in Centralia. From 1988 until his retirement in 1999, he worked for Echo Bay (now Kinross Gold) in Ferry County.
Political: Has been a 7th District state representative almost eight years, since his first bid for public office in 1996.
Key issues: Wants to reduce regulations on businesses, including the insurance industry, which he believes are driving up prices. Regulation of the insurance industry has stifled competition and driven up rates to the point that premium increases wipe out employees' raises and many businesses can't afford to offer medical benefits, Sump said. He thinks tort reform is needed to keep medical malpractice lawsuits from driving doctors out of the state. Sump also wants to rein in bureaucrats and judges he believes are substituting their own views for state laws.
Money raised/spent: $14,950 raised/$7,170.75 spent as of 8/11/04.
Top contributors: Echo Bay Minerals, Physicians Insurance, Realtors PAC, Washington Hospital PAC, Washington State Auto Dealers PAC -- each $675.
Quote: "It seems to me that the arrogance of these (state)agencies just continues to grow. Case in point: Senate Bill 6118, the cougar bill. Fish and Wildlife simply refuses to cooperate with the legislation."
Key influence: His mother, who raised him after his father deserted them.
Favorite book: The Bible
First priority if elected: To reduce regulations on business.
