Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
The online candidate filing season is approaching, and several statewide positions will be on the ballot and open for filing beginning May 16 at 9 a.m.
Positions for Ninth District representatives will be on the ballot. The Ninth District covers Adams, Asotion, Garfield and Whitman counties, as well as parts of Franklin and Spokane.
Currently in those positions are Senator Mark Schoesler, Ritzville; Mary Dye, Pomeroy, and Joe Schmick, Colfax, all Republicans. Senator Schoesler's position comes up for re-election every four years, and the positions for Reps. Dye and Schmick come up for re-election every two years. Dye, however, was appointed to the seat last May and officially elected to a special one-year term in November after Rep. Susan Fagan, Pullman, resigned amid concerns over her financial practices in office. Dye's special one-year term finishes out the remainder of Fagan's original term.
Online filing for the state positions can be done at the Secretary of State's office website May 16-20.
County positions that will see the ballot in November include two county commissioner positions as well as the superior court seat in the county.
Art Swannack and Dean Kinzer, both elected to their first terms in 2012, announced their bids for re-election for their respective county commissioner seats. As of now, no one has declared to run against them.
Superior Court Judge David Frazier, 65, announced his retirement after 34 years April 4, and the same day Colfax attorney Gary Libey, 64, announced his plans to run for the superior court seat.
City council and mayoral seats across the county will also be open for election, though the list of open seats has not yet been posted.
On a statewide level, several positions will be coming for re-election. Govenor Jay Inslee has announced his intent to seek another term, and Republican Bill Bryant, a former Port of Seattle commissioner, has been mounting a campaign against him. Other statewide positions to hit the ballot include lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state auditor, state treasurer, attorney general, commissioner of public lands, insurance commissioner and superintendent of public instruction.
Senator Patty Murray will also seek re-election for her position, a six-year term, and three justices in the Washington Supreme Court will also be up for re-election, including Barbara Madsen, Charlie Wiggens and Mary Yu.
Candidate filing by mail will also open soon. The by mail filing period opens May 2 and closes May 20. Candidate filing forms are also available at the Whitman County Elections Office, located at N. 304 Main Street in Colfax.
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