Primary ballots include levy proposals, state races

The primary ballot includes 18 offices that voters across the county will decide who advances to the November general.

Lead local matchups will be the county commission races. District 1 incumbent Greg Partch of Garfield will face challengers Art Swannack of Lamont and Bill Tensfeld of Rosalia. District 2 incumbent Pat O’Neill of Johnson is up against Dean Kinzer of Ewartsville.

The District 1 race will narrow the field of three Republicans to two for the general. District 2 candidates O’Neill, a Democrat, and Kinzer, Republican, will be on November’s countywide ballot regardless of the primary outcome.

This election will feature a change in how the county issues its ballots to voters.

Instead of a separate pink envelope, in which voters have placed their ballots and sealed in past elections, this year’s ballot package will include a security sleeve which voters can slide their ballots into.

Elections Supervisor Debbie Hooper said the sleeve is being used to reduce costs by having an envelope which the county can order in bulk and re-use in subsequent elections.

Hooper said security of the ballot and of voters’ identity will not be compromised by the switch to the open-ended sleeve which will be returned inside the exterior signature envelope.

Funding propositions will be on ballots for Farmington, where the town is taking a second run at asking voters for funding for street maintenance and to fund general operations. The street levy would raise $10,000 at a rate of $1.78 per $1,000 value, while the current expense levy would raise $15,000 at a rate of $2.66.

In Garfield, voters are asked to authorize $57,000 for street maintenance and improvements at a rate of $2.64. Garfield’s park and rec district is also asking for $70,000 to finance pool operations at a rate of $1.12.

Fire districts No. 7, around St. John, and No. 12, around Pullman, will ask for continuing levies for emergency medical services. LaCrosse Park and Rec is asking $40,000 at a rate of $.30 to run the swimming pool. Colfax Cemetery District is asking for $150,000 at a rate of $.52 to fund operations and maintenance.

All three 9th District legislators will appear on the ballot, though none are opposed.

U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers is being challenged by three candidates: Democrat Rich Cowan, Republican Randall Yearout and Independent Ian Moody.

Sen. Maria Cantwell has seven challengers as she seeks a third term.

Also on the ballot will be primary elections for several state offices.

Nine candidates are vying for the Governor seat being left vacant by the retirement of Chris Gregoire. Five are up for Lt. Governor; seven for secretary of state; one for state treasurer; four for state auditor; three for attorney general; three for commissioner of public lands; five for the superintendent of public instruction, and four for insurance commissioner.

In judicial races, three seats on the state supreme court are on the ballot, as is Whitman County Superior Court Judge David Frazier, who is unopposed.

Washington state will not produce a voters’ pamphlet this year, but the League of Women Voters of Washington announced this week the launch of its VOTE411.org web site. Information on state wide candidates and the entire voting process will be featured on the site.