After latest count, two Republicans emerge in state House race

Former Franklin County Sheriff Richard Lathim held onto a slim lead over former Othello City Councilman Ken Caylor Friday and seemed likely to advance to the general election against Mary Dye of Pomeroy. Lathim had a 60-vote lead over Caylor after the three counties that tabulated ballots in the southeast Washington district reported results. With less than 200 votes left to be counted in the six counties combined, and Dye collecting about half the votes so far, that’s a difficult gap for Caylor to bridge. Lathim and Dye are both Republicans, but under the state’s primary system, the top two vote-getters advance to the general election regardless of party preference. The 9th District, which includes rural areas as well as Pullman and parts of suburban Spokane County, is heavily Republican and hasn’t sent a Democrat to the Legislature since 1977. Dye and Lathim both applied for the seat that became open earlier this year when Rep. Susan Fagan, of Pullman, resigned in the middle of her term amid questions about mileage claimed on her expense accounts. They were both nominated as possible replacements by Republican precinct officers, but county commissioners from the district selected Dye. Lathim is touting his executive experience running the county sheriff’s office for 28 years. Dye is citing her business experience operating a family farm in Garfield County with her husband.