Career
He has been repeatedly arrested for speaking past his allotted time during public comment periods of the Tacoma city council, then refusing to yield the floor. In the 2004 race for state auditor, the Washington State Republican Party nominated Baker as their candidate after efforts to recruit someone else failed, though later admitted they were unaware of his colorful past and had not properly vetted him. (Under Washington elections law at the time, candidates listing party affiliation had to have received endorsement from the party in question.
Under current state elections law candidates can list affiliation with any party whether approved by that party or not) Another Washington perennial candidate, Richard Pope, attempted - unsuccessfully - to have Baker removed from the ballot.
Baker ultimately lost the election with 32-percent of the vote. Baker"s frequent electoral campaigns have been motivated by what he"s explained is institutional corruption that has engulfed Tacoma municipal and Washington state government.
In the 2004 election for Auditor he declared the "number one issue.
