booth gardner - Washington Secretary of State

Chapter 16: Out of gas
It was October 22, 1991. As they filed in for an unexpected press conference, the
press corps knew something big was up. With his wife at his side and cabinet members and
other supporters rimming the room, Booth announced he was “out of gas.” He would not
seek a third term. His eyes were dull. A month earlier, he had told the AP’s David Ammons
that despite a deteriorating economy and the possibility that voters would approve the
term-limits initiative on the
November ballot he was
strongly inclined to run for reelection.
Jean Gardner looked
resolute and relieved. It was
no secret, at least in Olympia
and Pierce County, that their
marriage had long been bumpy.
Being governor was stressful
in the best of times, and she
too was tired. He was just so
Booth announces he will not seek a third term. Jean is very pleased.
exasperating, although some
Photo courtesy Louie Balukoff.
of his old friends said they
were a poor match from the beginning. She was a cool Scandinavian, they said, while
Booth thrived on attention. His deep-seated insecurities collided with his ambition and
competitiveness. All that was amplified by exhaustion and eating habits that pushed his
cholesterol level to 300. Looking back, he believes he was exhibiting some of the telltale
early symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, including fatigue, depression and indecisiveness.
Sometimes his speech was slurred, which left some members of his staff wondering if he
was drinking on the job. “I was ambivalent about things that I used to handle in stride, and
I delegated more than I normally did. I knew something was wrong but I couldn’t put my
finger on it.”
Jean put him on notice that they needed “some solitude,” not another campaign.
Her recollection is that they “talked it over and it was very non-emotional. … Basically he
had had a good run. You know, enough is enough, and it’s time to do something else.”
However, Ammons says, “You could tell there was a lot going on beneath the surface.” It
was written all over Booth’s face. He fielded their questions, then asked himself one: “Has
it been a tough decision?” “Yes. I feel like I’ve lost an arm. It’s very excruciating. … But
we’ve got young people to motivate, cultures to explore, books to read, languages to learn
and other challenges ahead of us, whatever they may be.” He heatedly denied that the
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