in the 5th legislative district. 2006 election Burner had been a volunteer in the unsuccessful 2004 campaign of Dave Ross for , an open seat, and was a local Democratic activist. In 2006, she became a first-time candidate running for the same seat against freshman Republican U.S. Representative Dave Reichert. She was supported via small dollar donors using the Democratic online fundraising website ActBlue, and both national parties spent heavily on the race. Between August and October 2006, political commentary indicated growing support for the Democratic candidate, and multiple polls showed Burner in a virtual tie with Reichert with just weeks left before the election. In late October the two major Seattle newspapers split in their endorsements: The Seattle Post-Intelligencer endorsed Burner while the Seattle Times, which had endorsed Democrat Dave Ross in 2004, endorsed Reichert. Burner conceded at a press conference on November 14, 2006. Dave Reichert's final margin of victory was 7,341, just over 2.9% of the votes. 2008 election Burner ran for the 8th district seat again in the 2008 election. According to FEC reports, Burner outraised Dave Reichert in her campaign. One of her issues during the election cycle was an end to the war in Iraq. She wrote A Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq, which was endorsed by more than 50 candidates for the U.S. House and U.S. Senate as well as Major General Paul Eaton, former Security Transition Commanding General in Iraq; Dr. Lawrence Korb, former Assistant Secretary of Defense in the Reagan Administration; Capt. Larry Seaquist, former commander of the U.S.S. Iowa and former Acting Deputy Secretary of Defense for Policy Planning; and Brigadier General John Johns, specialist in counterinsurgency and nationbuilding. The plan was cited on the floor of the U.S. House. Burner was briefly challenged in the 2008 Democratic primary by State Senator Rodney Tom, who endorsed her in September 2007. Burner's home on Ames Lake, near Carnation, Washington, was completely destroyed by a fire during the 2008 campaign for Congress. She conceded November 7, 2008, after The Associated Press determined that Reichert's lead for the 8th District seat was insurmountable. When all the ballots were tallied, Reichert had won with 53% of the vote compared to Burner's 47%. 2012 election Burner lost in the August primary election for the open seat in , being vacated by Jay Inslee. At the 2012 Netroots Nation conference in early June