Grant County, PUD seats up for grabs

It's still early, but we wanted to remind you that 13 public offices on the county and PUD levels will be up for election in Grant County.

They are the county assessor seat (held by Laure Grammer), auditor (held by David Firebaugh, who has announced he won't be running), clerk (Kim Allen), commissioner (Cindy Carter), coroner (Craig Morrison), prosecutor (Angus Lee), sheriff (Tom Jones), treasurer (Darryl Pheasant), district court judge positions 1 (Richard Fitterer) and 2 (Janis Whitener-Moberg), and district court judge position 3 (Tyson Hill).

Two seats on the Grant County PUD Board of Commissioners are also up for election: the district 3 position held by Commissioner Larry Schaapman, of Quincy, and the district B position held by Bob Bernd, of Moses Lake.

We encourage voters to learn more about these elected positions and give some thought to how Grant County government and the Grant County PUD are being run. (Just a reminder, the courthouse and the PUD are two separate entities). If you're happy with the incumbents, then vote with your conscience and keep the current group of elected officials in their positions. If you want a change, consider running yourself or backing an opponent.

The primary election is Aug. 5 and general election is Nov. 4.

Candidate filings by mail will be accepted from April 28 to May 16 and the filing week for people wanting to sign up in person is May 12-16.

For more information about filing and any filing fees, visit wei.sos.wa.gov/county/grant/en/pages/default.aspx.

- Editorial Board