Politics Jennifer Dunn
posted by on September 5 at 9:01 AM
Dead.
The Dunn family released a statement a few minutes ago. It was sent out via email from the office of her son, King County Council Member Reagan Dunn.
The family of Jennifer Dunn regret to inform you that today, Jennifer passed away.Jennifer Dunn led an amazing if all too short life. In the words of President Bush used on her retirement from Congress, “She is a superb legislator and a strong leader who has stood for the best of Washington State’s values and who has improved the lives of its people.”
Her political career was a series of firsts: first women to chair the Washington State Republican Party (1981), first freshman woman to win a place in the House Republican leadership team (1992) and went on to be elected as the highest ranking Republican women in leadership as the Vice Chairman of the Conference.
Dunn suffered a pulmonary embolism while in Virginia, and never regained consciousness. “She passed peacefully surrounded by family,” according to the statement.
Full text of the Dunn family statement after the jump.
September 5, 2007
For Immediate Release
Contact Neil Strege
Chief of Staff
King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn
206-296-1009
The family of Jennifer Dunn regret to inform you that today, Jennifer passed away.
Jennifer Dunn led an amazing if all too short life. In the words of President Bush used on her retirement from Congress, “She is a superb legislator and a strong leader who has stood for the best of Washington State’s values and who has improved the lives of its people”.
Her political career was a series of firsts: first women to chair the Washington State Republican Party (1981), first freshman woman to win a place in the House Republican leadership team (1992) and went on to be elected as the highest ranking Republican women in leadership as the Vice Chairman of the Conference.
Her legislative accomplishments were legion during her six terms in Congress: Amber alert, tax relief, (particularly eliminating the death tax), expansion of free and fair international trade, welfare reform, IRS reform, overhauling the tax code, high tech policy, and retirement security.
She gave the Republican response to the State of the Union address (1999). She was the only woman to serve on the Joint Economic Committee. She was only the fifth woman in history to serve on the House Ways and Means Committee. She was the first woman to win the Tax Foundation’s Annual Distinguished Service Award (2000). Fortune Magazine included her in the Small Business Power 30 for her work on behalf of IRS reform for homemakers in 2000.
Jennifer was twice a delegate to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (1984 and 1990).
But for all her legislative and political triumphs, what Jennifer Dunn was most proud of was her family. She delighted in talking of the successes of her sons, Bryant Dunn, Reagan Dunn and Angus Thomson.
Jennifer collapsed from a pulmonary embolism in her Alexandria, VA apartment and never regained consciousness. She passed peacefully surrounded by family.
She is survived by her husband Keith Thomson and their sons, Bryant Dunn, Reagan Dunn, Angus Thomson and her daughter’s in-law, Jessica Dunn and Paige Dunn and two grandchildren. She will be missed by all.
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Drag.
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And today is Karen Marchioro's (former chair of the WA State Dems) funeral. eerie!
Wow, you guys beat the vengeful Stefan Sharkansky and the Sound Politics idiots to the punch. Impressive.
I visited the Capitol on a school trip when she was a freshman in Congress. She couldn't have been nicer to us kids from a junior high in her district.
She had retired from Congress, and I'm sorry to hear that she didn't get to enjoy it as much as a person should.
Dunn done.
Didn't she become a major Washington DC lobbyist after she left the Congress?
Seems like this is left out of her bio being circulated.
Sweet.
She was a mean person who smiled.
The Devil will be glad to see her.
stay classy, will in seattle!
You know, I thought a well educated, worldly, open minded, but partisan liberal would be tolerant and even appreciative of political adversaries. Sadly, Will in Seattle doesn't fall into that category.
Wow, I'm truly shocked.
Will just wants to get on O'Reilly, like those "hateful" commenters at DailyKos.
My dad went to Bellevue High School with her -she was a whiz kid nerd back them.
Too bad she was not a Democrat, but compared to the sherriff, she was wonderful.
Mid all the right wing stuff, she was very AIDS projects supportive.
Class act, death was premature. She should of had twenty more good ons.
What is the proper way to note the passing of a person who was part of a political apparatus that shamelessly and repeatedly used (and continues to use) hatred of gay men and lesbians and other minorities as a means to increase their political power?
My sympathies to Ms. Dunn's family for their loss.
And yes she did stay in DC as a lobbyist after her terms in Congress.
At the risk of sounding like someone willing to charge toward someone who's just died (charging forth with knife and cleaver in hand), I'd be very interested in knowing her net wealth before she entered Congress and after she left.
I realize a lot of Congressional people get rich in DC (if they aren't stinkin' rich going in). That's nothing new. But I'll be damned if I'll quietly sit and read about their service and sacrifice while they've become fabulously wealthy in Congress all the while voting to keep minimum wage at $5 or so an hour.
Original Andrew @ 13
I don't know, but if you find out please let me know when Bill "Defense of Marriage Act" Clinton or his wife, Hillary "Children are better off if they have a mother and father" Clinton shuffles off this mortal coil.
@14 - The important thing is that she helped make sure her kids would get every damn cent possible of that money by abolishing the evil Death Tax. Oh, and the kids of all those farmers out there too, of course. It's really about the farmers.
Not a good day for Republicans. Also, the deputy minority whip was found dead today. 43rd richest member of the House or something like that.
It's not 2010 yet!
(Estate tax, people.)
I was no great fan of Jennifer Dunn - I always referred to her as Rod Chandler in a Dress - but I had one whole hell of a lot more respect for her than I do for any of the current crop of Taliban-Republicans. She wasn't a foaming-at-the-mouth theocrat; she supported choice, among other things. On the whole, today she'd be a pro-business moderate. While I did my share of railing against the country-club Republican faction in their day, these days, they look downright refreshing by contrast. And the woman did have class, which most of the modern Talibushies wouldn't know if it bit 'em in the ass.
Her offspring, on the other hand - well, I expect he's going to start looking rather like a marionette with the strings cut. Never has been the brightest porch light on the block. I don't think he'll last long in politics without Mom's help.
@19 - I'll give you that.
She at least had manners.
And I know it must be tough on her family, regardless. Death is never easy.
De mortuis nil nisi bonum.
- I'm Bradstreet & you're Dunn
Rated 15% by the League of Conservation Voters, voted
yes on Bush's energy policy, no on Kyoto, no on increased CAFE standards and incentives for alternative fuels, no on strengthening the Social Security lockbox, rated 0% by the American Public Health Association, yes on flag burning amendments, rated 14% by the ACLU, yes on banning gay adoptions in D.C., yes on missile defense, yes on prohibiting needle exchanges and med marijuana in D.C., yes on subjecting all federal employees to random drug tests, yes on making the Bush tax cuts permanent, rated 84% by the Christian Coalition.
Did you see that idiot Reichert's comments about her on the news? "I introduced myself to people and said "I'm Jennifer Dunn" and they'd say "no you're not, Jennifer is prettier than you, and dresses better". What a total airhead.
What a nice lady with class! She will be greatly missed on the political stage! My best wishes to her family. God Bless....
I have known Jennifer Dunn since I was an 18 year old Young Republican. She was a fantastic role model and a first class politician. She will be missed by many.
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