Another Democrat Ends Congress Bid

Thu., May 25, 2000

By Jim Camden jimc@spokesman.com (509) 879-7461

Wayne Brokaw, the first candidate into the Democratic primary for Eastern Washington’s congressional seat, on Wednesday became the latest candidate to drop out.

Brokaw said he will work with the most recent Democrat to enter the race, Tom Keefe.

Keefe, an attorney and former congressional staffer, began his campaign earlier this month.

The two candidates have met several times in the past two weeks, Brokaw said, and realized they had the same views on transportation, jobs and economics.

“We just came down on the same side of the issues,” Brokaw said, adding it was “absolutely crazy” to have two people with similar views and backgrounds competing in the primary.

Just weeks ago, Brokaw was preparing for a major campaign push over the Memorial Day weekend and was on the verge of ordering hundreds of yard signs and booking commercial time on radio. Brokaw, 53, is a labor relations specialist for Acme Materials and Construction Co. He began talking about running for Congress last summer and formally announced his campaign in November.

He is the second Democrat to drop out of the race. Julie Wells, a Spokane real estate developer, announced her campaign in mid-March but withdrew 10 days later because she couldn’t devote enough time to the race. At one point, Brokaw had discussed dropping out to support Wells. Instead, she dropped out and endorsed him.

His departure leaves the Democratic primary with Tommy Flynn, an executive with the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters, and Keefe, a former aide to U.S. Sens. Warren Magnuson and Brock Adams. Keefe recently moved to Spokane from Kamiah, Idaho.

In the Republican primary so far, incumbent George Nethercutt is facing former radio talkshow host Richard Clear.

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