Martinez, Thompson advance in tight 13th District State House race

OLYMPIA — Deanna Martinez and Joshua Thompson will advance to the general election for Washington's 13th Legislative District Position 2 seat after emerging as the top two vote-getters in a three-way Republican primary. The seat was formerly held by Alex Ybarra, who is running for state senate during this election.

According to preliminary election results, Martinez received 9,687 votes, or 37.23%, while Thompson garnered 8,886 votes, or 34.15%. Don Myers finished third with 6,970 votes, or 26.79%. Write-in candidates received 474 votes, or 1.82%. The primary election will be certified Aug. 18. 

The race now heads to the Nov. 4 general election, where voters will choose between two candidates who share many conservative priorities but bring different backgrounds and experiences to the contest. 

Martinez, a Moses Lake City Council member and registered nurse, said she was confident she would advance through the primary and was encouraged by the level of support she received across the district. 

"When you have three Republicans running in a race, it really splits up the voters," Martinez said. "I think people just want to make sure that there's someone there as their legislator that can get their points across for the district." 

Martinez said she believes voters are looking for a representative who can effectively advocate for Central Washington while building relationships in Olympia. 

"We're a minority," she said, referring to Republicans in the Legislature. "You're going to have to work with a majority." 

Thompson, an Ellensburg City Council member, described the primary results as highly competitive and said he was pleased with his performance throughout the district, particularly in Grant County. 

"The counts were very, very close," Thompson said. "I look at this as a tie and highly competitive. I'm really looking forward to the next three months." 

He said voters repeatedly emphasized economic development, agriculture and preparing the district for future growth. 

"I think the district wants good, high-paying jobs, and we're set up to produce them," Thompson said. "We've got to support agriculture. We really are a breadbasket district." 

Both candidates said agriculture remains central to the district's economy, but each emphasized different aspects of the industry's importance. 

Martinez drew on her personal background, noting that her father worked as a migrant farmworker before raising his family in Warden. 

"I grew up in Warden. My dad was a migrant farm worker," Martinez said. "I know how important it is, not only just for our family having grown up, but everybody else in our district and our area." 

She said agricultural production is critical not only to the 13th District but to the state and beyond. 

"It's not just about what the ag community does for the 13th District, but what it really does for the state and worldwide," Martinez said. 

Thompson connected agriculture to ongoing discussions about energy development and data centers in Central Washington. 

"I think agriculture has to come first," he said. "It's the biggest employer, but I think there's a way in which we can kind of all play together and continue to have the 13th District be prosperous and grow into the future." 

As the campaign transitions to the general election, both candidates said voter outreach will remain a primary focus. 

Martinez said she plans to refine her message and continue traveling throughout the district despite balancing campaign responsibilities with her work in health care. 

"I need to get out to the voters more," she said. "It's just honing my message." 

Thompson said he intends to continue the grassroots approach that earned him endorsements from Republican organizations across the district. 

"If you want the job, you've got to go out there and earn it," Thompson said. "It's just getting out there, doing the work, talking and listening and learning." 

If elected, both candidates acknowledged that their first legislative session would involve a significant learning curve, though each outlined different priorities. 

Martinez said one of her immediate concerns is Washington's budget situation. She said lawmakers should focus on accountability and identifying waste before considering tax increases. 

"I want to know where the money's going and if it's being used wisely," she said. "Let's get our spending under control first." 

Thompson said his early focus would be on learning the legislative process, building relationships and advancing priorities identified by residents throughout the district. 

"I'm not going to pretend to say I've got five bills already that I'm going to pipe through," Thompson said. "It's going to be a gigantic learning curve." 

Asked what they hope to accomplish during their first months in office, both candidates pointed to infrastructure and economic issues. 

Martinez said she hopes to establish strong relationships with constituents and create open lines of communication between district residents and their representative. 

"My door's going to be open," she said. "I want to hear from them before I make a decision." 

Thompson highlighted water projects, transportation improvements and support for higher education as areas where he hopes to make measurable progress. 

"I want to be able to point directly and say this is what I've done," Thompson said, citing water, transportation and educational opportunities as key priorities. 

Despite competing for the same seat, both candidates expressed concern about low voter participation in the primary election and encouraged residents to stay engaged ahead of November. 

"Nothing changes unless people vote," Thompson said. 

Martinez urged voters to learn about candidates before casting their ballots. 

"When you go to buy a car, buy a house or buy insurance, you're researching all of that before you make that decision," she said. "It shouldn't be any different for deciding who to vote for in the election." 

With the primary nearly complete, Martinez and Thompson now have three months to make their case to voters across Adams, Grant, Kittitas and Douglas counties before the general election determines who will represent the 13th Legislative District's Position 2 seat in Olympia. General election ballots are due Nov. 4. 

    Legislative District 13 House Candidate Deanna Martinez is the current frontrunner going into the general election. Martinez garnered 9,687 votes as of preliminary election results.
  

    Legislative District 13 House Candidate Joshua Thompson is set to go to the November General Election with the second most votes at 8,886, according to preliminary election results.