Whitman County Gazette - Serving Whitman County since 1877

For Washington residents, the decision on who to vote for in the race for U.S. Senate should be a no-brainer in the Nov. 8 general election.

The fact that incumbent Patty Murray, a westside Democrat, doesn’t want to debate Republican political newcomer Tiffany Smiley should be enough to choose the challenger. But there’s a lot more to Smiley than her bold challenge of the well-funded, career politician.

Smiley has a story to tell. It’s a story of standing up for what’s right. It’s a story of defending her family and farming. It’s a story of rejecting unreasonable dam-breaching r...