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Theodore Robert Bundy (né Cowell; born November 24, 1946) is an American politician, author, and convicted felon, who served two terms as the 20th Governor of the State of Washington and represented Washington for six years in the United States Senate. Plagued by a turbulent adolescent life, Bundy would find his footing on the political stage in the late '70s and early '80s, attending the Seattle University of Law and, urged by mentors Daniel J. Evans and Ross Davis, running for Washington's 7th Congressional District in 1980. Coinciding with a landslide victory for President-elect Ronald Reagan and a comfortable Gubernatorial victory for John Spellman, Bundy outperformed previous runners for this seat, coming in at just under a 5 point margin, nearly gaining the seat, an unexpected turn for the youthful Republican. This, combined with his connections to the now Senator Evans, his charisma, and his vigor, lead him to run for Lieutenant Governor just four years later, narrowly securing the Republican nomination and winning the general by a similarly narrow margin, as Democrat John Cherbug won the Gubernatorial seat. Bundy served for just four years, as a health scare prompted Governor Cherbug to retire in 1989, after just one term. This prompted Bundy to run for the highest office in Washington state, handily winning the nomination and winning the general against Democrat Booth Gardner by just over three points.
Throughout his Gubernatorial reign, Bundy would become well-known across the nation as not only one of the youngest Governors but also one of the most charming. The last of the relevant Rockefeller Republicans, he crafted an image of a tough on crime Governor, with a moderate tinge on social issues, while being heavily pro-business. This moderate reputation would lead to speculation of him replacing Vice President Quayle on the Republican ticket in 1992. Although this did not come to pass, opting instead to pursue re-election, Bundy would get the chance to run for Vice President in 1996, alongside Senator Bob Dole, who tapped the young Governor as his Vice Presidential candidate as a balance to his age and strong Conservatism. The Dole/Bundy ticket would lead in the polls for much of the 1996 campaign season against embattled President Jerry Brown, but an October Surprise would change that. It was revealed that Bundy had ongoing affairs during his current marriage, with allegations of paying off women to keep silent. This prompted his first wife, Stephanie Brooks to come out with allegations of affairs during their marriage as well, citing that as the reason for their divorce. Although the bribery allegations were pushed to the back burner, the Republican ticket that November would narrowly lose the election, despite winning the popular vote by a one point margin. Bundy left the Governor's Mansion ashamed, although, that would not last long, as he ran for the United States Senate against the unpopular incumbent Don Bonker, pulling off a narrow upset. He could not take his popularity for granted, however; as he was back to his days of narrow margins, winning both the Republican nomination and general election by similar margins of just over one point.
He had a similar tenure in the Senate as he did as Governor, voting with a moderate record, positioning himself close to the Vermont Senator Jim Jeffords. His popularity began to look up throughout his time in the Senate, choosing not to remarry, and he looked to be positioning himself for a Presidential run in 2004, as a mid-tier candidate, however; he would soon find himself under investigation for wire fraud and campaign finance violations, relating to his 1996 Vice Presidential campaign, his 1998 Senatorial campaign, and his multiple affairs, costing him re-election handily in 2004. In addition, he was accused of killing off one of the women he had an affair with after she was found dead, although, he wasn't charged, due to the fact that she was found years after the affair had ended and there was no evidence linking Bundy to the crime. On the charge of wire fraud, he was found guilty in 2006, after he had left office, and was sentenced to five years in prison, where he would remain until 2010, being let go a year earlier than expected. Bundy would then go into retirement for the next six years. During this time, conspiracies began popping up about the former Senator being a prolific serial killer in the Seattle area throughout most of his adult life. Conspiracy documentarian Alex Jones alleged that Bundy was connected to three spree killings, from 1974 to 1978, 1985 to 1993, and 2011 to 2013. There is no evidence that Bundy is resolutely connected to these crimes, although the conspiracy has some ground, with up to 25% of Washington residents saying they believe the allegations those in charge of investigating these crimes, however; say there is no evidence that Bundy could have committed these crimes and that they believe, in fact, that the killings were done by three separate serial killers. In 2016, Bundy came out of retirement, now arthritic and bound to a wheelchair, to run for President in a crowded primary, running with the satirical campaign slogan, poking fun at Jones' conspiracies: "I will slash your taxes and kill your debt". He was considered a low tier candidate but outlasted most primary opponents and won an upset victory in the Washington primary, a testament to his rehabilitated image amongst Washingtonians. He currently lives outside Seattle, Washington with his son, Ted Bundy Jr.
Throughout his Gubernatorial reign, Bundy would become well-known across the nation as not only one of the youngest Governors but also one of the most charming. The last of the relevant Rockefeller Republicans, he crafted an image of a tough on crime Governor, with a moderate tinge on social issues, while being heavily pro-business. This moderate reputation would lead to speculation of him replacing Vice President Quayle on the Republican ticket in 1992. Although this did not come to pass, opting instead to pursue re-election, Bundy would get the chance to run for Vice President in 1996, alongside Senator Bob Dole, who tapped the young Governor as his Vice Presidential candidate as a balance to his age and strong Conservatism. The Dole/Bundy ticket would lead in the polls for much of the 1996 campaign season against embattled President Jerry Brown, but an October Surprise would change that. It was revealed that Bundy had ongoing affairs during his current marriage, with allegations of paying off women to keep silent. This prompted his first wife, Stephanie Brooks to come out with allegations of affairs during their marriage as well, citing that as the reason for their divorce. Although the bribery allegations were pushed to the back burner, the Republican ticket that November would narrowly lose the election, despite winning the popular vote by a one point margin. Bundy left the Governor's Mansion ashamed, although, that would not last long, as he ran for the United States Senate against the unpopular incumbent Don Bonker, pulling off a narrow upset. He could not take his popularity for granted, however; as he was back to his days of narrow margins, winning both the Republican nomination and general election by similar margins of just over one point.
He had a similar tenure in the Senate as he did as Governor, voting with a moderate record, positioning himself close to the Vermont Senator Jim Jeffords. His popularity began to look up throughout his time in the Senate, choosing not to remarry, and he looked to be positioning himself for a Presidential run in 2004, as a mid-tier candidate, however; he would soon find himself under investigation for wire fraud and campaign finance violations, relating to his 1996 Vice Presidential campaign, his 1998 Senatorial campaign, and his multiple affairs, costing him re-election handily in 2004. In addition, he was accused of killing off one of the women he had an affair with after she was found dead, although, he wasn't charged, due to the fact that she was found years after the affair had ended and there was no evidence linking Bundy to the crime. On the charge of wire fraud, he was found guilty in 2006, after he had left office, and was sentenced to five years in prison, where he would remain until 2010, being let go a year earlier than expected. Bundy would then go into retirement for the next six years. During this time, conspiracies began popping up about the former Senator being a prolific serial killer in the Seattle area throughout most of his adult life. Conspiracy documentarian Alex Jones alleged that Bundy was connected to three spree killings, from 1974 to 1978, 1985 to 1993, and 2011 to 2013. There is no evidence that Bundy is resolutely connected to these crimes, although the conspiracy has some ground, with up to 25% of Washington residents saying they believe the allegations those in charge of investigating these crimes, however; say there is no evidence that Bundy could have committed these crimes and that they believe, in fact, that the killings were done by three separate serial killers. In 2016, Bundy came out of retirement, now arthritic and bound to a wheelchair, to run for President in a crowded primary, running with the satirical campaign slogan, poking fun at Jones' conspiracies: "I will slash your taxes and kill your debt". He was considered a low tier candidate but outlasted most primary opponents and won an upset victory in the Washington primary, a testament to his rehabilitated image amongst Washingtonians. He currently lives outside Seattle, Washington with his son, Ted Bundy Jr.