Candidate filing surprise of the day -- or at least so far -- in the 5th Congressional District: Former TV weathercaster Daryl Romeyn filed as a Democrat to run against Cathy McMorris Rodgers.

Romeyn's filing, which apparently arrived via the Internet, went up late this morning. We're still trying to contact him.

Romeyn was a weather reporter at KXLY for several years, then switched over to KREM, where he was a Stormtracker 2 fixture, particularly on the weekends. He also had an outdoors program, Romeyn's Domain. He left KREM in March, the station said.

One thing he brings to the race that the other two Democrats -- Clyde Cordero and Barbara Lampert -- don't, is name recognition.

In other filing news, the U.S. Senate race is  up to 14 candidates with the addition of Republican Mike Latimer of Des Moines.

 

---

---