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Tracking would-be politician George Fearing's movements over the last year is like playing a game of "Where's Waldo."
Fearing has had addresses throughout the Tri-Cities, and even moved to Yakima for a few months while running for Congress against Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Pasco, in the 4th District.
He recently picked up stakes again and now lives in Pasco -- or at least is registered to vote there so he can attempt to fill the 16th Legislative District seat left open by the death of Bill Grant, D-Walla Walla.
Democratic leaders in the 16th District picked Fearing as their top choice to replace Grant at a meeting Saturday. The two other possible replacements are Pasco City Councilwoman Rebecca Francik and Grant's daughter, Laura Grant-Herriot.
This is the second time Fearing has made a run for the 16th District. He failed to unseat Republican Maureen Walsh of Walla Walla in 2006.
Fearing, 51, said he has long-standing ties to the Tri-Cities, having lived in Pasco for about 25 years, and no one should question his ability to represent the interests of the people living there.
"(Pasco) is my hometown," he said. "I grew up in Walla Walla. Everybody should be confident that I have the best interests of the 16th District at heart."
Fearing is a partner in a law firm on Falls Avenue, just off Highway 395 in Kennewick. That's within the boundaries of the state's 8th Legislative District, for those keeping track.
Back in May, Fearing's campaign website listed his residence in Richland, but that was changed after a Herald article printed that information. The Herald was told at the time that Fearing actually lived in Kennewick.
Fearing did have a campaign office at the Uptown Shopping Center in Richland, which he shared with other Democratic candidates.
Until Jan. 9, Fearing was registered to vote in Benton County, said Franklin County Auditor Zona Lenhart. That's the day -- five days after Grant's death -- that Fearing came in to transfer his registration to Franklin County.
But Fearing said he actually moved back to Pasco in November after he failed to unseat Hastings.
Fearing had moved to Yakima in August. He said Tuesday that made sense for reasons of geography because Yakima is more in the center of the sprawling Fourth District.
"It significantly cut down on travel time," he said.
But he told the Yakima Herald-Republic in October that his move had symbolic value and allowed him to distance himself politically from Hastings.
"You've been represented by a Tri-Citian for 14 years," Fearing said in the Yakima Herald-Republic article. "And although we have common interests, there are significant differences between Yakima and the Tri-Cities. ... I want the people of Yakima to know I want to be part of your community when I represent you."
Now Fearing says he has what it takes to represent the people of the Tri-Cities and Walla Walla.
"I understand the nature of the district," he said. "It's agriculture in nature. Although I am not a farmer, I have represented many farmers in litigation over the years. I want this area to become a leader in green technology. We have the water, the wind and the sun to do so. I work very hard as a lawyer aggressively representing those I represent. I will continue to do that in the Legislature."
Officials in the Secretary of State's Office said to be appointed to an office candidates must "reside" in the district, but that's defined by being a registered voter.
Lenhart said all someone has to do to register to vote is be over 18, not a felon and give a residential address in the county. Fearing met that criteria, she said.
She also said there's nothing in the law to stop anyone from moving from place to place to run for office because there's no minimum amount of time someone has to live in a district to be a candidate.
County commissioners from Walla Walla, Franklin, Benton and Columbia counties -- the four counties making up the 16th District -- will meet in Walla Walla on Feb. 20 to pick Grant's successor.
