One primary election is over in Washington and it’s on to the finale, the general election, in November.
We’ve reported about the tight race in Washington’s Fifth Congressional District between Republican Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers and her Democratic challenger, Lisa Brown. Coming into today [Thursday], McMorris Rodgers leads by a point, up just a bit from Tuesday night. That’s certainly tighter than political watchers expected and tighter than a poll last spring that showed McMorris Rodgers up by about four points. The two campaigns are already talking about debates, with McMorris Rodgers saying she has accepted invitations for two debates in Spokane and one in Walla Walla, and urging Brown to participate in those same debates. Brown’s camp countered she had already accepted the two Spokane dates and is awaiting a formal invitation for Walla Walla, and urged McMorris Rodgers to attend at least three more debates to which Brown has accepted invitations.
Also at the federal level, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell cruised through a primary election with 29 candidates. Her Republican opponent will be Susan Hutchison, former chair of the Washington Republican Party.
At the local level, there are some interesting tidbits and some status quo. Perhaps the biggest surprise is for the county commission seat held by long-time incumbent Al French. The veteran Republican is down 16 points to Democratic newcomer Robbi Katherine Anthony.
“I want to bring a sense of fiscal responsibility to the county. I’m a little exhausted with reading articles about the impending budget shortfall and then when I also look at the condition of our roads, I can’t figure out what’s going on,” Anthony said.
French’s colleague, Republican Mary Kuney, is comfortably ahead of a fellow Republican, county treasurer Rob Chase, for the other commission seat. Chase’s seat will be filled either by Republican state Senator Michael Baumgartner or Democrat David Green. Baumgartner is up by nearly nine points. Republican Leonard Christian is defeating fellow Republican Tom Konis for county assessor; both hope to replace the incumbent, Republican Vicki Horton. Republican County Clerk Tim Fitzgerald is up five points on Democratic challenger Michael Kirk. A few other county incumbents, Auditor Vicky Dalton, Prosecutor Larry Haskell and Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich, were either unopposed or winning by huge margins.
One other county level race on which we reported: In Pend Oreille County, Republican commissioner Mike Manus won a three-way race replace to advance to November. He’ll face Newport smelter opponent Sheryl Miller, who’s running as an independent.
At the legislative level, all of the incumbents in the Third, Fourth, Seventh and Ninth Districts, covering Spokane and a big chunk of eastern Washington won on Tuesday and have an advantage heading into November. In the Sixth District, covering much of South Spokane, the West Plains and some of the North, it’s an interesting jumble. Democrats are ahead in all three races, one for the Senate, two for the House. Jessa Lewis leads Rep. Jeff Holy by a point for the Senate. Kay Murano is trying to wrest Rep. Mike Volz’s House seat from him; she leads by five points. Democrat Dave Wilson is winning a four-way race for Jeff Holy’s House seat. It appears his opponent in November will be Republican Jenny Graham.
So we turn now to our legislative correspondent, Austin Jenkins, to give us the big picture, and Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman, whose office is responsible for preparing for the November election.
If you want to start your homework, we have all of our stories and full candidate interviews, 38 of them, here.