GOP candidate Semi Bird vows to join WA governor race Friday. Surprises in other races
Tri-Cities Democrats are doing some political jockeying to flip a county commission seat, and a Tri-Cities candidate for Washington governor says he plans to file Friday.
The Thursday developments come as the list of candidates running for election in 2024 nears completion.
Candidates running for federal, state and county offices this year have until 5 p.m. Friday, May 10, to file paperwork with the Washington Secretary of State’s Office to get on the ballot.
All partisan positions will appear on the Aug. 6 primary ballot, regardless of how many candidates file. Non-partisan races need to attract three or more candidates to appear in the primary, in most cases.
The top-two vote recipients will move on to the Nov. 5 general election.
Ana Ruiz Kennedy, chair of Franklin County’s Democrat Party, has pulled out of the race for the District 2 county commission position and filed instead for the state Legislature.
The commission seat is currently held by Rocky Mullen, a two-term Republican commissioner and local business owner.
On Wednesday, Pasco City Councilwoman Blanche Barajas filed to run against Mullen as an independent.
Ruiz Kennedy chose to bow out of the race after hearing this week that a Yakima Democrat, Raul Martinez, was reconsidering his run for the 14th Legislative District seat being vacated by Rep. Gina Mosbrucker, R-Goldendale.
She filed to run Thursday morning after seeing that Martinez would not be running.
Mosbrucker was forced into retirement this year after a judge ordered new legislative district maps following a redistricting lawsuit that forced her out of her home district. The new maps also give Democrats a slight political advantage over Republicans in the 14th.
Washington Democrats are now hoping to flip seats in the district, which encompasses parts of the Yakima Valley and includes Latino strongholds like Pasco and Yakima.
As it stands Ruiz Kennedy’s only competition is Deb Manjarrez, an apple farmer from Wapato who filed as a Republican. If no one else joins, they’ll bypass the primary and move on to the general election.
WA governor race
In the race for Washington governor, rumors had been swirling about why Richland Republican Semi Bird had yet to register to run in the race. Last month, he earned the sole endorsement of delegates at the Washington State Republican Party Convention.
On Thursday, Bird’s campaign announced plans to gather Friday morning at the Benton County Voting Center in Richland to see the first Black candidate file in-person as a Republican gubernatorial candidate and “witness a historic moment in our state history.”
Once filed, Bird will face off against Democrat Bob Ferguson, the state attorney general, and Republican Dave Reichert in August in the open race to succeed Gov. Jay Inslee.
Other key filings in state, federal, local races:
U.S. Senator
Maria Cantwell, Democrat, incumbent
Chuck Jackson, Independent
Paul L. Giesick, Democrat
Dr. Raul Garcia, Republican
Henry C. Dennison, Socialist Workers
David Titon, Nonpartisan
Mel Ram, Republican
Scott Nazarino, Republican
Thor Amundson, Independent
U.S. House Washington 4th District
Dan Newhouse, Republican, incumbent
Tiffany Smiley, Republican
Jerrod Sessler, Republican
Benny Garcia, Independent
WA State Legislature — District 8
House, Position 1: Stephanie Barnard, Republican, incumbent
House, Position 2: April Connors, Republican, incumbent
WA State Legislature — District 14
House, Position 1: Chelsea Dimas, Democrat
House, Position 1: Gloria Mendoza, Republican
House, Position 2: Ana Ruiz Kennedy, Democrat
House, Position 2: Deb Manjarrez, Republican
Senate: Curtis King, Republican, incumbent
Senate: Maria Belstran, Democrat
WA State Legislature — District 15
House, Position 1: Chris Corry, Republican
House, Position 2: Jeremie Default, Republican
WA State Legislature — District 16
House, Position 1: Mark Klicker, Republican, incumbent
House, Position 1: Linda Gunshefski, Democrat
House, Position 2: Skyler Rude, Republican, incumbent
Senate: Perry Dozier, Republican, incumbent
Benton County Commission
District 1: Jerome Delvin, Republican, incumbent
District 1: Jeff J. Smart, Republican
District 3: Will McKay, Republican, incumbent
District 3: Zach Fluharty, Independent
Franklin County Commission
District 1: Stephen Bauman, Republican, appointed incumbent
District 1: Paul L. Frenzel, Republican
District 2: Rocky Mullen, Republican, incumbent
District 2: Blanche Barajas, Independent
Benton-Franklin Superior Court Judge
Position 1: Dave Petersen, incumbent
Position 2: Joe Burrowes, incumbent
Position 3: Diane N. Ruff, incumbent
Position 4: Norma Rodriguez, incumbent
Position 5 (no incumbent): Bronson J. Brown
Position 5 (no incumbent): Shawn P. Sant
Position 6: Jacqueline Stam, incumbent
Position 7: Jackie Shea-Brown, incumbent
Benton Public Utility Commission
Position 3: Barry Bush, incumbent
Position 3: Mike Massey
Franklin Public Utility Commission
District 3: Stu Nelson, incumbent
District 3: Pedro Torres
