One candidate who walks her talk

COULEE CITY - Whether she wins a 13th District State House seat or not, candidate Dani Bolyard of Coulee City is going to learn if what she teaches works.

For two years, Bolyard has been teaching eastern Washington Republican Party activists and precinct committee officers that the key to success is talking to people directly.

Bolyard just finished door-belling her 17th community. She has spoken with more than 4,000 people directly. She's doing it because she believes in it. Besides, the majority of the party donor money is going to her opponent, Tom Dent.

"There's no reason for disappointment," she said. "I'm doing what I've been teaching about activism."

Bolyard is not alone. She has teams walking in parades, writing letters to the editor, making campaign trinkets to be handed out at events, and simply just sharing with others why they're excited to vote for her.

"This is an old-fashioned campaign," Bolyard said. "I believe voters matter more than money. So I'm out to prove it. Our corn farmers have a saying: 'Knee-high by the 4th of July.' I'm doing what I can to create those grassroots connections that grow the voters."

Bolyard has knocked on every door in 16 towns. They are Coulee City, Almira, Creston, Wilbur, Reardan, Stratford, Odessa, Wilson Creek, Soap Lake, Lakeview, Warden, Royal City, Easton, Kittitas, Vantage, George and Thorp. She still has Moses Lake, Ephrata, Cle Elum, the Wenas Valley in Yakima County and Davenport to go.

There are multiple reactions after Bolyard knocks. There are those who don't want to be bothered and quickly just take her card with a "thank you."

"The ones I enjoy are the people who are shocked that a candidate knocked on their door at all," Bolyard said. "One retired woman in Wilson Creek said, 'In my entire life, I've never had a candidate knock on my door,' and thanked me profusely.

"Many times I hear, 'I'll vote for you just because you stopped here. That takes a lot of guts.'"

Bolyard likes to hear children ask who was at the door. She can hear the parents beginning to explain the political system to them as she walks away.

"These are kids who may never have been exposed to their representatives before, and I hope that it inspires them, even if only to vote when they reach 18," Bolyard said.

"Other little ones see me knocking on the doors in their neighborhood and stand by their door, excited to see what I'm handing out. They ask questions and then run in to get their parents. Several times, I've had a little child ask, 'Do I get one too?'

"Of course, they do."