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WALLA WALLA -- Laura Grant-Herriot was chosen Friday on a 6-5 vote to replace her father, the late Rep. Bill Grant, as state representative for the 16th District.
Pasco lawyer George Fearing was a close second, said Walla Walla County Commissioner Gregg Loney.
Commissioners from Walla Walla, Columbia, Benton and Franklin counties met in Walla Walla to choose a successor for Grant, who died Jan. 4 from a rare form of lung cancer.
Grant-Herriot was sworn in after the vote Friday and will serve the remainder of this year. She must be elected in November if she wishes to complete her father's term, which runs through 2010.
She said her application for the seat was a family decision -- they wanted to see the seat held by a Democrat who embodied Rep. Grant's values.
"As a Democrat, my dad felt it was very important that a Democrat retain the seat just to have the best possible representation for the 16th District," she said. "We have two other great representatives ... but without representation in the majority party, it's difficult to maintain an effective voice. That's why he continued to run time after time."
Grant-Herriot is a teacher and once served as an elected member of the Prescott School Board. She said life with her father, including helping with his campaigns for 20 years, gives her a solid background for taking up his mantle.
"I feel more prepared than any of the other candidates could possibly have been," she said. "I am going to Olympia with a huge support system. There are a huge number of people who want me to be successful and are going to do everything they can to help me be successful. It's not going to be a fun time but I will be able to hit the ground running."
She plans to arrive in Olympia on Monday.
The 11 commissioners who made the selection all are Republicans, and speculation has been rife that they'd pick the weakest candidate so they could get a Republican elected in November. But Loney said he thought Grant-Herriot might be the hardest to unseat because of her pedigree and her father's popularity.
Two Republicans already have said they plan to run for the seat in November -- Dayton lawyer Terry Nealey, who failed to unseat Grant in November, and Walla Walla County Commissioner Greg Tompkins.
Tompkins did not take part in the vote on Friday.
Fearing was the top choice of 16th District Democrats, who urged commissioners in a letter sent Thursday to respect their choice.
Grant-Herriot was the third choice of party precinct committee officers in the district.
Fearing ran unsuccessfully in 2006 against Rep. Maureen Walsh, R-College Place, and failed in a bid to unseat Rep. Doc Hastings in the 4th Congressional District in November.
Loney said he voted for Grant-Herriot because he believed she's honest, understands agriculture and would best represent district interests.
Pasco City Councilwoman Rebecca Francik also was interviewed for the job Friday.
Loney said the vote was split along geographical lines, with the Walla Walla and Columbia commissioners favoring Grant-Herriot, while most Benton and Franklin County commissioners voted for Fearing.
Benton County Commissioner Jim Beaver was the deciding vote in favor of Grant-Herriot.
Walsh said she looks forward to working with Grant-Herriot and showing her the ropes in Olympia in the same way Bill Grant did for Walsh when she was a new representative.
"I think it's wonderful," Walsh said of the appointment. "I think Laura is a sharp gal. I think emotionally it's a nice tribute to Bill."
Although Walsh is a Republican and Grant-Herriot is a Democrat, Walsh said the 16th District delegation has a history of putting aside party differences to work for the best interest of the district.
"I truly look forward to seeing her over there and seeing someone sitting in that chair again on the floor," Walsh said. "I know her father is probably looking down right now and feeling very glad of her getting that appointment."
