In a post-election memo to campaign staffers, Gov. Chris Gregoire's campaign manager, Kelly Evans, laid out some of the apparent reasons that 2004's narrow race between Gregoire and Republican challenger Dino Rossi went decisively for Gregoire this time.

"In both public and private polling, we saw our lead steadily expand beginning about three weeks out from Election Day," Evans wrote, citing several key things:

-"a commanding performance" by Gregoire in the final debate in Seattle,
-a campaign aimed at getting out the message that Gregoire would stand for "working families" as attention turned to the economy,
-and a large get-out-the-vote operation.

A significant chunk of Gregoire's gains came from Eastern Washington, Evans wrote.

"The Gregoire campaign had paid campaign staff across the state, including Spokane and Clark counties, as early as June. The 2004 campaign had only five field organizers working out of Seattle on the day of the election. In a race that was essentially a statistical dead heat in 2004, there were votes to be picked up everywhere and the commitment to campaign outside of the Puget Sound region paid off, even if we didn’t win those counties."

The full memo is below.

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