Last updated on: 6/3/2014 | Author: ProCon.org

Paul Berendt Biography

Title:
Former Washington State Democratic Party Chairman
Position:
Not Clearly Pro or Con to the question "Should Felons Who Have Completed Their Sentence (Incarceration, Probation, and Parole) Be Allowed to Vote?"
Reasoning:

“We know for a fact that nonunion, blue-collar, Caucasian men vote very disproportionately Republican, and when you look at the felon population in the state of Washington, they are overwhelmingly nonunion, blue-collar, male Caucasians.”

“Democrats Flag 743 Votes They Say Felons Cast,” Seattle Times, May 7, 2005
Involvement and Affiliations:
  • Senior Vice President, Strategies 360 (Public Relations and Communications industry)
  • Chairman, Washington State Democratic Party, Jan. 1995-Jan. 2006
  • Former Western Region Vice Chair, Association of State Democratic Chairs
  • Former Member, Democratic National Committee (DNC) Credentials Committee
Education:
  • BA, Liberal Arts, Evergreen State College, 1987
Other:
  • Raised on a cattle ranch in Northeast Washington’s Pend Oreille County
Quoted in:
  1. Are Felons More Likely to Vote for Democrats over Republicans?