State, county candidates file for election

EPHRATA - Elections filing closed last week and Grant County voters now have several decisions to make, starting with the Aug. 7 primary and heading into November.

In the race for Fourth Congressional District Representative, longtime incumbent Doc Hastings, R-Pasco, faces three challengers, including fellow Republican Jamie Wheeler, a TEA Party activist from Kennewick. Others in the race are Yakima Democrat Mary Baechler and Mohammad H. Said, Ephrata, who has in the past run as a representative of the "American Centrist Movement," but this year filed as a Democrat.

Four Republicans are running for two state representative positions in the 12th Legislative District, which includes parts of northern Grant County as well as Chelan, Douglas and Okanogan counties. Stan Morse, Chelan, is challenging incumbent position 1 Rep. Cary Condotta, R-Wenatchee, while Brad Hawkins, East Wenatchee, is challenging incumbent position 2 Rep. Mike Armstrong, R-Wenatchee. Incumbent 12th District Sen. Linda Evans Parlette, R-Wenatchee, is running unopposed.

In the 13th Legislative District, which includes portions of Grant, Kittitas, Lincoln and Yakima counties, Moses Lake Democrat Kaj Selmann is vying with Ellensburg Republican Matt Manweller for Republican Bill Hinkle's soon-to-be vacant position 2 seat. Current position 1 Rep. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, is running unopposed.

Incumbent Grant County commissioner for district 1, Republican Richard Stevens, Soap Lake, is being challenged this year by Republican Gloria Shiprek of Ephrata. Current district 2 commissioner Carolann Swartz, a Moses Lake Republican, will face off against Moses Lake Republican James Liebrecht.

Three Grant County Supreme Court Justice positions are up for election, but none are contested. Evan E. Sperline, of Soap Lake, is running for position 1, John Knodell, of Quincy, is running for position 2, and John Antosz, Ephrata, is running for position 3.

Also uncontested are two Grant County Public Utility District races. Terry Brewer, of Soap Lake, is running unopposed for District 1 and Tom Flint, of Ephrata, for District A.

Several statewide elections drew a lot of candidate interest, including Washington's gubernatorial race, in which nine candidates filed, and the lieutenant governor race, which attracted six candidates. Eight candidates filed to run against U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, D-Spokane, and seven filed to replace outgoing Secretary of State Sam Reed, including Karen Murray of Quincy, who noted a preference for the Constitution Party.

Also up for election this fall are the positions of state auditor, state treasurer, state attorney general, commissioner of public lands, superintendent of public instruction, insurance commissioner, and several Supreme Court judgeship seats.

For more information or a complete list of candidates, visit wei.secstate.wa.gov/grant/.