A new book about former Washington’s last Republican governor,  “John Spellman: Politics Never Broke His Heart,” is being launched by The Legacy Project  in the  Office of the Secretary of State.

The author is Legacy Project’s chief historian, John C. Hughes, a former editor and publisher for the Aberdeen Daily World. He’s no stranger to storytelling; this is Hughes’ seventh book he has penned since accepting his position in 2008.  Among his other projects were biographies of U.S. Senator Slade Gorton and Spellman’s successor as governor, Booth Gardner.

A book launch was scheduled for Friday at 4:30 p.m. at the Rainier Club in Seattle.

Secretary of State Kim Wyman praised the new book:

“John Spellman is a rarity in Washington politics – the first county commissioner and first county executive to be elected governor. This book captures John’s rise through local politics to King County executive and on to the Governor’s Mansion, and it gives readers a riveting picture of the political climate in the county and state from the 1960s to the 1980s. John Hughes has written another must-read book for followers of local and state politics.”

The new book has been printed exclusively with private funds. The hardbound version will be available after the Friday book launch for $35 at the State Seal Store, in the Office of Secretary of State on the second floor of the Legislative Building, online, and at the Legislative Gift Shop on the first floor of the Legislative Building. It also will be sold at Amazon.com.

A free electronic version will be available online on The Legacy Project website.  In fact, the entire Legacy Project e-book series is available free of charge online.