“Representative Beefcake” Resigns Amid Double-Voter Registration Scandal

Olympia, Washington State Representative Mike Hope, aka Representative Beefcake, (R)  resigned yesterday following allegations that he’s been registered to vote in two states since summer, 2013.

According to the Greenfield Reporter, “A Democratic activist in Snohomish County alerted the chief clerk of the House of Representatives that Hope had registered to vote in Ohio. Hope registered to vote there in August 2013. He says he doesn’t remember doing it.” His accusers, however, say that he has been taking Washington money as a state senator, while living in Ohio.

Last year, Hope made headlines for a series of topless photos that he posted to IMDb, an online movie database, as part of a promo for his role in a low-budget film called “Vampire Soul.” He played a police officer in the movie. Hope also worked as a Seattle police officer during his tenure as senator. He did not give up the job when he took office.

To promote “Vampire Soul”, Representative Hope released 15 photos of himself, most of them oiled and topless. KomoNews.com   gushed at the time, “When the legislature is in session, Hope champions health and public safety. When the session ends, he turns into Representative Beefcake.”

Earlier in 2013, he had mused about a possible run for Snohomish County sheriff and hinted at challenging a Democratic state senator. “But in the summer, after two special sessions of the Legislature, he also said he might get out of politics because he was struggling to find enough hours each day for family, work, legislating and pursuits such as acting.”

Prior to the revelations about his voter registration, he had announced he wasn’t going to seek re-election. In December, 2013, he told The Herald of Everett, Washington that instead of running for re-election, he planned “to pursue a career as a financial adviser and a life outside of politics.”

Hope’s job as a state legislator suffered during the two extra Legislature sessions last year, and he has had trouble balancing his lifestyle with the duties of his office. “…He often was absent and missed dozens of votes. Some absences were due to his work as a Seattle police officer and others because he vacationed with his wife and son.”

Hope currently works as a financial adviser with Morgan Stanley.