A key chance for you to be heard
The August 6th Washington State Primary Election ballots are being mailed this week and should be in your mailbox in the next few days. Watch for it. Do your homework early, then encourage like-minded friends and neighbors to do the same. (I know that focusing on state and local elections while the presidential campaigns are drawing all the headlines is challenging—but it is essential. See below.)
This Primary is of paramount importance to setting up the choices that you will have in November General Election. For races on your ballot with more than two candidates our votes in the Primary will determine the choices we have on the November General Election ballot. Do not ignore the Primary!
For most of the choices on your ballot I encourage you to check out the Progressive Voters Guide. Click that link and then enter your address after clicking Click here to choose your customized guide. The Progressive Voters Guide is very helpful in sorting out the rhetoric, but it does not cover Superior Court Judge races, nor does it make the choice among progressive candidates for Congressional District 5. That’s understandable, but a potential problem (see below). (My favorite negative voters’ guide, WeBelieveWeVote.com, wasn’t up and running yet as of yesterday. I’ll keep watch.)
Congressional District 5
Eastern Washington’s federal Congressional District (CD) 5 is an “open” seat. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who held this seat in the U.S. House of Representatives for twenty years, is retiring at the end of 2024. There are eleven candidates for this office on your ballot, five “Prefers Democratic Party” and six “Prefers Republican Party.” Based on the results of the Primary, only two will appear on the November General Election Ballot. (This is thanks to our “top two” or “jungle”primary system—as opposed to ranked choice voting.) If too many Democratic voters fail to vote in this Primary—or vote but evenly split among the Democratic candidates—the choice we have in November could be between two entirely unpalatable MAGA Republicans. This is especially true if Republican voters turn out and are convinced to vote for the two “Prefers Republicans” who have amassed the biggest war chests.
As a Democratic voter, how to choose? Money is certainly not everything, but these days in the U.S. it is a significant indicator of a candidate’s support and of their ability to mount a successful General Election campaign. Sadly, there is no point in voting for a candidate who has attracted very little money to spend on their campaign. Campaign finance data is available to us, the general public, (complete through June 30)—but accessing it requires a bit of diligence. Campaign data for candidates for federal offices (U.S. Senate and U.S. House) is found at fec.gov (that’s Federal Election Commission). The pulldown menu “Campaign finance data” offers “Find elections, search by state or zip code”. Enter your zip code. This link should take you to the webpage listing all the CD5 candidates (including some who are no longer in the race).
Let me be clear. I know and I like the personality and the values of all four of the most active “Prefers Democratic Party” candidates. (Bennet-Wolcott has little money, no effective campaign, and has not appeared at any campaign event of which I’m aware. Mr. Welde is well-spoken, has appeared at campaign events, but has attracted minimal campaign funds.) I am hopelessly torn among the other three, Carmela Conroy, Dr. Bernie Bank, and Ann-Marie Danimus. I personally believe that Carmela Conroy is the best equipped (by her long experience in the Foreign Service) to get things done in Congress, but I would be delighted to have any one of these three advance to the November General Election ballot. Of course, it would be lovely if two of them advanced to November—but that is a pipe dream at best. The key here is to get as many people who value women’s rights, truth, and democracy to pay attention and cast their ballot in the Primary. This is an all-hands-on-deck moment.
A Quick Note on Superior Court Judges
There are thirteen judgeships in Spokane County Superior Court. Although all of them are technically up for election this year, only two of them have drawn challengers, Judges Marla Polin and Timothy Fennessy—and only Judge Fennessy appears on the August Primary ballot—because he has drawn more than one challenger (three). (Judge Polin and her single challenger will advance to the November General Election automatically.) Earlier this year there were some rumblings that Judge Fennessy planned to retire, leaving an open seat. Clearly, this is a major part of the reason for his drawing three challengers. In April (according to a very confusing article in the Spokesman) several of the other judges on the Spokane County Superior Court bench asked Judge Fennessy to stay on, as a judge with greater experience than any of the five other judges that have been appointed since 2022. (Judge Fennessy has served since 2017.) I have briefly met Judge Fennessy, I have read several of his opinions, and of the people in the legal profession whom I know all have high regard for him. I will cast a vote for Judge Fennessy. As an aside, there is a rumor among some with whom I have talked that a measure of the enthusiasm for challenging Judge Fennessy is based on his writing the opinions in favor of Planned Parenthood in the case against “Pastors” Matt Shea’s and Ken Peters’ “The Church at Planned Parenthood (TCAPP).” I haven’t the stomach to search out and listen Shea’s and Peter’s judicial recommendations, so take this rumor as you will.
Vote and remind your friends to do the same!!!
Keep to the high ground,
Jerry