Treasurer candidates spar over experience, partisanship

MOSES LAKE - Grant County treasurer candidates Darryl Pheasant (incumbent) and Casey Cooper disagree about experience in the treasurer position and partisanship in the race.

Pheasant, a Soap Lake/Ephrata product, has been Grant County's treasurer for nearly 28 years. He points to his record and experience as the county's chief financial officer.

"I guess one of the biggest points I have is the resume. Each person should be examined by the public," Pheasant stated. "My resume shows a lot of accomplishments and great results." Pheasant said the public does not know about Cooper's past because he does not talk about it.

Cooper, originally from Eugene, Ore., disagrees. As a business graduate from Western State Colorado University, Cooper said he has the necessary acumen to make up for his lack of experience in the field.

"I truly do not have any experience in the treasurer's office, but neither did he before he started working there," remarked Cooper. "I do understand investing, it was part of what I studied in my business degree."

Cooper noted Spokane County's treasurer had no experience as treasurer when he was elected, but has enjoyed success in the position.

The candidates also disagree about partisanship in the race.

Pheasant, up until 2010, had run as Democrat, until he changed his political preference to non-partisan.

Pheasant noted 2010 was the first year, after laws changed, that a person could declare something other than a political party, and he was the first person in the state to do so.

The treasurer job has nothing to do with politics, rather the treasurer is supposed to follow the set laws and sometimes recommends laws to the legislature that promote efficiency, he said.

Political affiliation should not play a role during voting, Pheasant explains.

"Unfortunately my opponent is very political. He has really pushed politics as a reason why you should vote for him. He has been pretty much, really putting a lot of pressure on people making them feel like the only reason to elect him is because he is Republican," Pheasant stated. "And that is the last reason a person should be elected to a position that is chief financial officer for the county."

As a current state committee man for the Grant County Republican Party, Cooper disagrees.

Cooper countered by stating he is not trying to make the race a partisan one, but by law it is one.

"I have not been trying to make it a partisan race. I am a Republican. But the state laws says it is a partisan race, so I am not trying to make it a partisan race, but it is a partisan race," said Cooper.

Cooper stated he originally had no interest in running for the position. He was approached by numerous people asking him to run, or find people who might run for the treasurer position.

Cooper was approached by a person who told him Pheasant's opponent would receive support from realty and title groups.

Cooper weighed the pros and cons of running. He decided to do so and announced his candidacy on the primary ballot as a write-in candidate.

Cooper has also taken issue with Pheasant's claim he is primarily running for the treasurer position to use it is a launching point for a legislative career.

"I didn't claim I was using it as a stepping stone toward the legislature. I just said that I would like to someday run for legislature, and this is a start in politics. But I am not using it as just a stepping stone," Cooper remarked. "I am going to take this job seriously and do everything I can to make the treasurer's office run better, with better customer service."