Washington Senate portrait, 1941 At the age of 29, Rosellini was elected to the
Washington State Senate as its youngest member, representing the 33rd district in south Seattle—the home of many Italian immigrants. A
New Deal Democrat supported by the
Washington Commonwealth Federation, Rosellini served from 1939 to 1957, and rose to the rank of majority leader. He was elected governor in the
1956 Washington gubernatorial election, winning by 108,732 votes.
Governorship at
Seattle's Blue Moon Tavern in 2007 under construction in 1962 As governor, Rosellini coupled personal charm with decades of political experience, developing a reputation for decisiveness and ability to move ahead on long-stalled projects. Don Hannula, longtime political columnist for
The Seattle Times, wrote in 1996, "He was not a man of empty rhetoric. He got things done. His legacy is everywhere." In his 1997 biography, ''Rosellini, Immigrant's Son and Progressive Governor'', author Payton Smith wrote: "He was attracted to issues where progress could be made and measured . . . Budget reform, economic development, transportation, higher education and institutions were the core matters to which he devoted his talent and governmental know-how." Rosellini was narrowly re-elected in
1960, beating Republican
Lloyd J. Andrews by 17,865 votes. In order to promote economic development, Rosellini established a state Department of Commerce and championed the
Seattle World's Fair in 1962. He shepherded construction of the former longest
floating bridge in the world, the original
Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, which opened in 1963 and carried
State Route 520 over
Lake Washington from
Seattle to
Medina. It was renamed for Rosellini in 1988. After 53 years of service, it was replaced by
a new floating bridge at the same site in 2016, which also bears his name. In addition, he was a tireless supporter of higher education, strengthening the state university system and developing a system of junior colleges. During his time in office, Rosellini also reformed the state budget process and balanced the budget.
1964 gubernatorial election Rosellini was defeated in his bid for a third term in
1964 by Republican
Daniel J. Evans, a
state legislator and
civil engineer. Rosellini entered the primary unopposed by his ostensive rivals for the Democratic nomination, Lieutenant Governor
John Cherberg or
Attorney General John J. O'Connell, but did encounter opposition from several unknown candidates who collectively garnered close to 50,000 votes. The general election campaign was marked by bruising attacks on the candidate's integrity from both the Republican and Democratic camps. Governor Rosellini attempted to portray Evans as a supporter of
Barry Goldwater and his record as antithetical to the interests of labor, welfare, and education. Starting with a lead in the polls, Rosellini saw his support fall when he disparagingly referred to Governor Evans as "Danny Boy" and being accused of intervening on behalf of his friend
Frank Colacurcio to obtain a club license in
Hawaii while in office. A minority of Evans' supporters also began to sport bumper stickers on the back of their cars stating "We Don't Need A
Godfather," described by his daughter Lynn Rosellini as extremely hurtful to her father given his pride over his Italian ancestry.
Consultant and elder statesman After leaving office in 1965, Rosellini returned to the practice of law, and also became a political consultant, specializing in matters of the liquor and entertainment industries. Over the years, Rossellini served as an elder statesman of the state Democratic Party, mentoring political figures including Washington governors
Christine Gregoire and
Gary Locke. In 2003, Rosellini was back in the news briefly when he was reported to have delivered campaign contributions to
Seattle City Council members on behalf of strip-club owners, one of whom (the aforementioned Frank Colacurcio) was a convicted racketeer. Rosellini was never charged in the scandal that became known as "Strippergate." Until his death, Rosellini attended fundraisers for candidates and helped raise money for charities, particularly the Washington State Olympics Committee, which he chaired for many years. Danny Westneat, columnist for
The Seattle Times, wrote in 2005, "His record makes most governors after him look like
slackers." == Personal life ==