The battle lines in the governor's race seem pretty clearly drawn already. More from today's paper:

Gregoire criticized Rossi, who launched his own campaign months ago, as a doom-and-gloom naysayer “who does nothing but criticize and promote fear across the state.”

Rossi fired back, saying that Gregoire has raised taxes and dramatically increased spending, while doing little to help improve schools, transportation or public safety.

“All we’re doing is talking about her record,” Rossi said. “She’s about the only one in the state who doesn’t consider that fair.”

The two have little in common on the campaign trail. What she calls “investments” he calls “total fiscal recklessness.”

and this:

Yes, the polling has been close, concedes state Democratic Party chairman Dwight Pelz. But he said Gregoire is pulling ahead.

“The more we let people know about her record, the stronger her electability becomes,” he said. And after four years in office, he said, she has a track record: she’s invested in education, demanded better progress on traffic congestion, and saved for the future.

“And Dino Rossi has to spend the next few months reminding people that back in 2003 he was a state senator,” said Pelz.

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