Nany Evans oral history.indd - Washington Secretary of State

Editor’s Note: Evans crushed Christensen by 100,000 votes.
Christensen conceded gracefully, pinning on an Evans campaign button
and declaring, “My task now is to join with this man and make him the
next governor of this state…” The Rosellini camp, meantime, had tried to
woo crossover votes with ads that said “Thinking Republicans CANNOT:
‘Go with Goldwater,’ ‘Crusade with Christensen’ … or ‘Endure with Evans.’ ”
Hughes: Then it’s the sprint to November. Did Dan and Al Rosellini have any debates?
Evans: Yes, they had two in 1964.
Hughes: And then in 1972 there was the memorable debate when Al called him “Danny
boy.” We can talk more about that later. I’ve got an “I’m for Danny boy” bumper sticker
right here.
Evans: (Laughs)
Hughes: Do you remember meeting Al and Ethel Rosellini for the first time?
Evans: I had met them when Dan and I were engaged. Mrs. Rosellini hosted teas. The First
Lady would have open houses at the Mansion for legislators’ wives and other guests.
Hughes: What was Ethel like?
Evans: Mrs. Rosellini was a very nice person. Very sweet. I always liked her. And I’d met Al
a few times, and he can be very charming.
Hughes: No doubt about it. And he’s now 99 years old!
So when the battle between Al and Dan was fully engaged,
if you ever encountered Ethel Rosellini she was always—
Evans: We were fine, absolutely fine. Both of us.
Hughes: And in the 1964 race, Al had not made the
strategic mistake of “dissing” young Dan Evans, as the kids
say today.
Evans: No. He was an incumbent, and he had the money,
and he had a history, good or bad.
Hughes: 1964 wasn’t exactly a fortuitous Republican year.
Evans: No!
Governor Al Rosellini in 1956. Life Magazine
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