Olympia resident hopes to unseat Brian Baird
Two prominent members of the Christian right have endorsed Republican David Castillo in his campaign to unseat Rep. Brian Baird next year.
Castillo’s campaign announced Monday that he had been endorsed by former Washington state representative and one-term congressman Randy Tate.
Tate was elected to Congress from Puyallup in the 1994 Republican sweep and went on to serve as executive director of the Christian Coalition during a period when Congress passed several pro-family bills. He now works as a consultant.
“David Castillo understands the value of faith and freedom and in this time of economic recession, he knows that small business owners are the heart of American enterprise,” Tate said in a statement released by the Castillo campaign.
Also endorsing Castillo on Monday was conservative political activist Joe Fuiten, senior pastor at Cedar Park Church in Bothell.
Fuiten founded the Committee for Religious Freedom Political Action Committee and serves on the board of the Family Policy Institute of Washington.
In a statement, Fuiten said Castillo “understands the value of faith, family and friends” and will be a strong advocate for the American family.
Castillo, an Olympia financial consultant, is the former chief of staff for the Washington House Republican Caucus and a Navy veteran. He worked for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Department of Labor and as deputy assistant secretary at the Department of Veterans Affairs in the George W. Bush administration.
Jon Russell, a Washougal city councilman and owner of a community clinic in Washougal, also has formally announced his candidacy for Baird’s 3rd District seat.
