State Representative, Pos. 1
Election Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Shelly Short (R) | 37,327 | 79.82% |
| James R. Apker (L) | 9,435 | 20.18% |
* Race percentages are calculated with data from the Secretary of State's Office, which omits write-in votes from its calculations when there are too few to affect the outcome. The Spokane County Auditor's Office may have slightly different percentages than are reflected here because its figures include any write-in votes.
About The Race
Three-term incumbent Shelly Short faces a challenge from Libertarian James Apker. She’s stressing her experience, both in the Legislature and on the staffs of U.S. Reps. George Nethercutt and Cathy McMorris Rodgers. Apker is saying she’s “a trained politician” and the voters are tired of Republicans and Democrats. Both are fiscal conservatives opposed to tax increases.
The Candidates
Shelly Short
- Party:
- Republican
- Age:
- 62
- City:
- Addy, WA
- Occupation:
- State representative
Education: Graduated from University High School in 1980. Attended Spokane Community College 1980-81 and Eastern Washington University 1981-82.
Political Experience: First elected to House in 2008, appointed to Senate in 2017 to fill open seat and won special election later in 2017 to keep the seat. Chairwoman of Senate Local Government Committee.
Work Experience: Former congressional aide to U.S. Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers and George Nethercutt. Former legislative aide to Rep. Joel Kretz. Worked as a paralegal for 10 years.
Family: Married to Mitch Short. Has two grown children.
James R. Apker
- Party:
- Libertarian
- Age:
- 48
- City:
- Mead, WA
- Occupation:
- Electronics technician
Education: Graduated from Riverside High School in 1995. Earned associate degree in network engineering from Spokane Community College and associate degree in construction management from Edmonds Community College.
Work experience: Small business owner doing residential construction and consultation. Former electronics installation and service technician. Has worked as a construction worker, satellite installation technician and project manager.
Political background: Has held no public office. Previously ran for state representative in the 7th Legislative District.
Family: Single
Complete Coverage
WALeg Day 9: March for Life brings thousands to Capitol
OLYMPIA — The March for Life, an annual anti-abortion rally often among the biggest of any legislative session, brought about 3,000 people to the Capitol Tuesday.
Inslee proposes strict standards for cleaning up waterways
OLYMPIA – Gov. Jay Inslee’s proposed new standards for cleaning up Washington’s waterways immediately drew criticism from some business and labor groups that they will be too expensive and from some environmentalists that they are too lax. The plan, which is still in an early draft stage, was announced Wednesday. It would require stricter standards for 70 percent of the chemicals regulated by law and “no backsliding” on the others, Inslee said.
Crude oil legislation clears Washington House committee
OLYMPIA – The Legislature took tentative steps Tuesday to demand more information and develop stricter controls on crude oil moving through the state by rail and barge. But unlike the Spokane City Council, which Monday night voted unanimously to request more controls on the growing number of oil shipments, the Legislature is clearly split on how much information to request and how quickly to develop new regulations.
Abortion coverage, medical marijuana bills advance in Washington House
OLYMPIA – Two of the Washington legislative session’s most controversial issues moved out of a House committee Thursday, giving the full chamber the chance to vote on whether most insurance policies must cover abortion and a significant rewrite of the medical marijuana laws. On a 9-8 partisan vote, the panel passed HB 2148, often called the Reproductive Parity Act, over the opposition of Republicans like Rep. Shelly Short, of Addy, who said it was taking “choice” away from people with moral objections to abortion who don’t want to pay for insurance plans that cover it.