Large crowd turns out for Moses Lake Chamber candidates' forum

MOSES LAKE — With a standing-room-only crowd and candidates from races across Grant County and Central Washington, the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce's candidate forum drew one of its largest audiences to date. 

Held at the Columbia Basin Technical Skills Center, the forum featured candidates from the 4th Congressional District, the 13th Legislative District, Grant County Commissioner, Grant County Auditor, Grant County Sheriff and Grant County Superior Court races.  

Chamber President Debbie Doran-Martinez said she was "blown away" by both the candidate participation and community turnout, despite technical difficulties during the event. 

"By far the largest turnout we've had at a candidates' forum," Doran-Martinez said. "I hope we have a good, strong voter turnout, and that everybody educates themselves on the candidates." 

According to Doran-Martinez, all but two candidates appearing on local ballots attended the forum. At its peak, about 170 people packed into the venue to hear candidates discuss issues ranging from taxes and housing to water access, workforce development and local control. 

This story is the first in a series highlighting candidate responses from the forum. The following focuses on candidates seeking the 13th Legislative District Position 2 seat: Deanna Martinez, Joshua Thompson and Don Myers. 

13th District candidates discuss priorities for region 

Candidates were asked a series of questions about the challenges facing the 13th District, including housing affordability, workforce development, water access, infrastructure and economic growth. 

Martinez, a former Moses Lake City Council member and longtime nurse, emphasized increasing local control and reducing what she described as one-size-fits-all policies from Olympia. She pointed to energy, water access and housing regulations as key concerns for Central Washington communities. 

"The West Side lives differently. They think differently, and they have different needs," Martinez said. "Rural Washington needs to be able to decide what we're going to focus on." 

Martinez highlighted her support for the Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program and workforce training programs, citing her own experience earning a nursing degree from Big Bend Community College. 

Thompson, an Ellensburg City Council member and technology consultant, said the district's greatest opportunity over the next decade may come from expanding technology and artificial intelligence-related industries. He pointed to workforce training partnerships at the Port of Moses Lake and higher education institutions as examples of economic development that could create local jobs. 

"We've got to find a fair balance between protecting our natural resources, but at the same time bringing in opportunity," Thompson said. 

When discussing district challenges, Thompson said housing, workforce development and economic opportunity are interconnected and should be addressed together. He voiced support for expanding workforce training and increasing housing options, including duplexes, fourplexes and cottage-style developments. 

Myers, a Moses Lake City Councilman and owner of Scotty's Auto Repair, said many challenges facing local communities originate in Olympia. He advocated for reducing regulations, returning more decision-making authority to local governments and addressing both housing affordability and water access. 

"Housing affordability, the energy code, trying to make sure houses are built to their standards, I think is just too much," Myers said. 

Myers identified water as one of the district's most pressing long-term concerns, arguing that the issue is not a lack of water, but legal access and infrastructure needed to deliver it. 

"Without water, there's nothing here in our district," Myers said. 

The candidates also discussed taxes, energy policy, property rights and economic development as part of a wider conversation about the future of the 13th District. 

Additional coverage from the candidate forum, including other local races, will be published in upcoming installments.  

The full forum video is available on the Columbia Basin Herald Facebook page at bit.ly/PrimaryCandidateForum.