State Representative Jim McDermott who died today at the age of 89 ran for governor in Washington State in 1972.
McDermott’s campaign had an unusual aspect that other politicians have used: To visit communities in his search for support, he rode a bicycle.
During his campaign McDermott rode his bicycle approximately 1,200 miles across the state.
Facing a significant fundraising disadvantage against better-known candidates, he used the cross-state bike tour to gain media attention and meet voters directly in towns and cities throughout Washington.
Acccoring to HistoryLink, Jim McDermott's 1972 gubernatorial campaign was defined by his grassroots "Not For Sale" strategy, which relied on personal endurance to overcome a lack of institutional funding against heavyweights like former governor Albert Rosellini and state senator Martin Durkan.
A Cross-State Route
Because he could not afford television advertisements, McDermott rode his ten-speed bicycle across both Western and Eastern Washington. His tour took him over the Cascade Mountains and through rural agricultural communities, smaller towns, and major population centers to generate local newspaper and radio coverage.
Targeting Protest Voters
In post-election interviews with The Daily McDermott noted that his primary strategy was appealing to discouraged citizens looking for a protest vote against entrenched political figures.
Long-Term Impact
Although he finished third in the September Democratic primary behind Rosellini and Durkan, the name recognition he built during the 1972 bike tour laid the groundwork for his future career. Two years later, he easily won a seat in the Washington State Senate, eventually launching two more gubernatorial bids (in 1980 and 1984) before serving 28 years in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Ken Robinson and Jim McDermott on 312th SW in Federal Way in 1972
One of his stops was at the local newspaper in Federal Way, The Federal Way News, part of the Robinson Newspapers group in King County. Always on the lookout for for a hot story, I hopped on my own bike and rode along 312th Street, taking notes as I rode with the candidate.
