Dems lack a fall candidate; GOP wrestles with too many

August’s top two primary produced a general election final between two candidates from the same political party, and local party officials are figuring out how to deal with it.

Republicans Susan Fagan of Pullman and Pat Hailey of Mesa advanced to the finals in the race for 9th District State Representative, leaving the GOP with too many candidates and the Democrats without.

“I’m becoming less and less enamored with the top two system,” said Steve Naught, chair of the Whitman County Republican party.

Following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Washington last year instituted the top two system, in w...