Primary ballots hit mail Friday

Two local park and recreation district funding proposals will join the U.S. senate and congressional races and a state supreme court race as the most significant issues on the Aug. 17 primary.

Whitman County’s elections office will mail 19,053 primary ballots to voters Friday. An additional 220 ballots have already been sent out to military and overseas voters.

Garfield park and recreation district will ask voters to approve an $80,000 proposal by taxing property owners $1.38 per $1,000 assessed value for swim pool operations. Last year’s $100,000 levy request received 76 percent approval.

Rosalia voters will be asked to approve a $47,975 levy proposal for maintenance and operations at $.48 per $1,000. Last year’s $47,000 levy received 66 percent approval.

Races to be decided by the state’s “top two” primary are the U.S. Senate seat held by Patty Murray, the U.S. House seat held by Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Position 6 on the state supreme court.

Murray, a Seattle Democrat, faces 15 challengers, including six Republicans, five fellow Democrats, one Centrist, one Reform party member and two unaffiliated challengers.

McMorris Rodgers faces challenges from Democrats Daryl Romeyn, David R. Fox, Clyde Cordero and Barbara Lampert and a member of the Constitution Party.

Nine local office races are on the countywide ballot.

Only two local contested races are on the ballot. Whitman County Auditor Eunice Coker faces a challenge from Esther Wilson of Endicott, and District 9 State Rep. Joe Schmick faces a challenge from Glen Stockwell, of Ritzville.

Coker was appointed in 2002 and has been elected to two full terms. Wilson is the lone employee in the county’s finance department and has accepted a job in the information technology department.

Schmick was appointed to the seat to replace David Buri in late-2007, and was elected over Democrat Tyana Kelley in 2008.

Stockwell lost a bid for the state house as a Democrat.

New voters in Washington have until Aug. 9 to register for the primary.

Beginning Friday, poll boxes will be set up for in person drop-off in the county auditor’s office at the courthouse and at Pullman City Hall.