Our view: Best votes for House
Every two years in Washington, all 98 seats in the House of Representatives are up for election. Some go uncontested, however, as is the case with four of them this year in the Eastern Washington region served by The Spokesman-Review. Following are the editorial board’s recommendations in the others.
3rd District, Position 1: Democrat Alex Wood has represented Spokane’s 3rd District in the state House of Representatives now for a decade. The former radio reporter and talk show host hasn’t distinguished himself during that time, but he says it’s because he’s a team player who would rather support good legislation than initiate it.
His opponent, Republican Laura Carder, is a newcomer to Spokane and to politics. She is unqualified and unprepared to serve in the Legislature. Despite his limitations, Wood is the better choice.
4th District, Position 2: Spokane Valley voters have sent Republican Lynn Schindler to the state House of Representatives every two years since 1998. Schindler believes it’s because she reflects the conservative, small-government values shared by many of her 4th District constituents. “It’s not my job to keep passing bills, but to get rid of them,” she says.
If re-elected, Schindler plans to continue her focus on getting the North-South freeway built, but her anti-tax stance makes funding solutions difficult. Schindler’s Democratic opponent, substitute teacher Ed Foote, outlines far-reaching solutions to state problems, including universal health care, but he lacks the understanding of how a state budget would fund these mandates.
Spokane County needs Schindler to keep pushing for the north-south route. It also needs her to take a more realistic approach to the gasoline tax decisions that will pay for it.
6th District, Position 1: John Serben was young and green when elected to the House of Representatives two years ago. His political experience consisted of stumping for the 2003 Mead School District levy. Serben, now 38, has grown on the job. The rookie Republican lawmaker worked across party lines to secure projects crucial to Eastern Washington’s economic growth, and he volunteered to be on Gov. Chris Gregoire’s bipartisan council studying health care costs.
His opponent, Democrat Don Barlow, is a Spokane School District board member running against Serben for a second time. His experience on the board hasn’t generated the leadership skills necessary to work effectively in the Legislature. Serben has earned a chance to continue his political growth.
6th District, Position 2: In the last session of the Legislature, Republican Rep. John Ahern purposely hounded key legislators and Gov. Chris Gregoire. He didn’t want the session to end without lawmakers getting tough on drunken drivers.
His tenacity paid off. Ahern sponsored a bill that mandated felony charges for drivers who receive five drunken driving offenses within 10 years. Before, chronic DUI offenders faced only misdemeanor charges. After two unremarkable terms in office, Ahern demonstrated an ability to work across the aisle to get this bill passed during his third term.
Democrat challenger Barbara Lampert runs for something every election cycle, but she has yet to show that she has the credentials to serve. In this 6th District race, Ahern is preferable.
7th District, Position 1: From Oroville to Odessa and Metaline Falls to Sprague, the 7th Legislative District is the largest in the state, but this sparse corner of the state has nearly as many legislators as traffic lights. This year, only the Senate seat and one in the House are being contested. Republican Rep. Joel Kretz is unopposed.
In Position 1, the race is between Rep. Bob Sump, R-Republic, who is seeking his sixth term, and Jack Miller, a Democrat who lives on a small ranch between Edwall and Medical Lake. These two squared off in 2004, with Sump winning by a 2-to-1 margin.
Sump prides himself on being one of the most conservative members of the Legislature. He introduces few bills, preferring to cast votes aimed at shrinking the size of state government. This no-nuance stance keeps him away from the table when decisions are being made. Being in the minority party or being conservative shouldn’t preclude him from accomplishing more for his district. Kretz was able to shepherd a number of bills through to passage, even though he’s a freshman.
Miller, who is the information systems director for Whitworth College, embodies the kind of vigor and engagement that would better serve the district. His pragmatic, informed approach would include the district in the conversation as Olympia addresses health care, education, transportation and energy issues. Miller could forge deals with West Side colleagues, rather than provide the reflexive “no” votes that have kept the district trapped in the past.
Miller understands that the hope for economic development for this hardscrabble district lies in building the social, educational and physical infrastructure that employers need. The days of living off natural resource extraction are fading fast. Miller deserves credit for returning to the fray after the electoral pummeling he took two years ago. District voters would be wise to give him a chance.
9th District, Position 1: Republican Steve Hailey, a third-generation farmer, rancher and business owner from Franklin County, is trying for the House of Representatives seat filled for four terms by the highly respected Rep. Don Cox. Hailey has the credentials to understand the agricultural concerns of the rural 9th District. If elected, however, he will need to get up to speed quickly on education issues – an area where Cox showed exceptional strength – because his district is home to both Washington State University and Eastern Washington University.
The Democrat in this race, Caitlin Ross of Valleyford, is just 22 years old. The recent Gonzaga University graduate has admirable energy for the political process, but Hailey is the obvious choice.