Aaron Reardon
3rd Snohomish County Executive
In office
January 5, 2004 – May 31, 2013
Preceded byBob Drewel
Succeeded byJohn Lovick
Member of the Washington Senate
from the 38th district
In office
January 13, 2003 – December 31, 2003
Preceded byJeralita "Jeri" Costa
Succeeded byJean Berkey
Member of the Washington House of Representatives
from the 38th district
In office
January 11, 1999 – January 13, 2003
Preceded byJeralita “Jeri” Costa
Succeeded byJohn McCoy
Personal details
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseKate Reardon
Children2
Residence(s)Everett, Washington, U.S.
EducationCentral Washington University (BA)

Aaron G. Reardon is an American politician and lobbyist who served as the Snohomish County Executive from 2004 to 2013. First elected to the post in 2003, Reardon was sworn in as the youngest county executive in the United States.[1] On February 21, 2013, Reardon announced his resignation effective May 31, 2013.

Prior to serving as Snohomish county executive, Reardon served as a Washington State Senator and a member of the state House of Representatives.

Education

Reardon attended Mariner High School in Everett, Washington and lettered in football and swimming. His interest in competitive swimming led him to attend Central Washington University, but his swim career ended two months after his arrival. He earned dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in economics and public administration.[2] During college, he volunteered on multiple statewide and local Democratic campaigns.

Career

After graduating from college, Reardon was selected for a post-graduate position with the Downtown Seattle Association, where he lobbied on behalf of Seattle businesses.[3]

In 1998, aged 27, Reardon sought election to the Washington House of Representatives. He won the general election with more than 55% of the vote.

Reardon was easily re-elected in 2000 and vacated the seat in 2002 to run for the Washington State Senate.[4][5] In 2002, he won election to the 38th Legislative District Senate seat, garnering 65 percent of the vote.[6]

In 2003, Reardon won a three-way Democratic Primary election for the Snohomish County executive position. In the primary election, he defeated former Democratic state senator Kevin Quigley. Reardon won the November general election garnering 52 percent of the countywide vote.[7] Reardon positioned himself as a centrist Democrat, campaigning on a platform that called for decreasing taxes while implementing a long-term strategic growth plan specific to Snohomish County.[2][8]

In 2007, Reardon retained his seat as County Executive defeating Republican Jack Turk. Reardon received 65 percent of the popular vote.[9] In 2011, he won a third term as county executive, defeating Republican Mike Hope, a Seattle police officer and member of the Washington State Legislature.[10] In August 2012, a Skagit County judge dismissed a petition by a local blogger to recall Reardon because it had not been sworn in under oath.[11]

On February 21, 2013, Reardon announced his resignation as county executive effective May 31, 2013. He cited the ongoing financial toll on him and his family, regarding legal costs to continue to successfully defend against political allegations of improper use of county resources in his re-election campaign and an extra-marital affair.[12][13]

Personal life

Reardon and his wife Kate live in Everett, Washington, with their two children.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 "Profile: Snohomish County Executive". Snohomish County. Archived from the original on April 29, 2012. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  2. 1 2 Reardon, Aaron (September 2, 2003). "Seattle Times Election Bio". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  3. ↑ "2008 Award Best Dreamy Politician". Seattle Weekly. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Best Dreamy Politician 2008". Seattle Weekly. Archived from the original on December 1, 2008. Retrieved August 21, 2012. in 1998, the 27-year-old Reardon took a shot at a vacant state house seat and won.
  5. ↑ "2000 General Election results" (PDF). Snohomish County. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 25, 2006. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  6. ↑ "General Election Results, 2002" (PDF). Snohomish County. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 11, 2012. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  7. ↑ "2003 Snohomish County Election Returns". Seattle Times. November 20, 2003. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  8. ↑ Heffter, Emily (September 5, 2003). "Charges of Dirty Politics Color Snohomish County Race". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  9. ↑ "2007 General Election Results". The Seattle Times. November 14, 2007. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  10. ↑ "Reardon wins third term". Edmonds Patch. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  11. ↑ "Snohomish Co. exec recall petition thrown out". The Seattle Times. August 9, 2012.
  12. ↑ Heffter, Emily (February 21, 2013). "Embattled Snohomish County executive stepping down". The Seattle Times. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Full statement of Aaron Reardon's resignation | KING5.com Seattle". www.king5.com. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
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