House seat already draws 2 Tri-Cities candidates. You've probably heard of them

Two candidates with long histories of public service have entered the wide open race to succeed Richland Republican Larry Haler in the Washington House of Representatives.

Kennewick City Councilman Matt Boehnke and retired Tri-City Herald publisher Gregg McConnell, both of Kennewick, are the first two candidates to launch campaigns for the Eighth District, Position 2 seat. Haler confirmed he won't seek re-election in February.

Both are running as Republicans.

With two candidates already, the race signals a fast start to what promises to be a busy 2018 election season. Dozens of local, state and federal positions up for election this year. Candidates may begin filing to run by mail on Monday. The official filing week is May 14-18.

The Eighth District race, covering Kennewick and Richland, is shaping up as one of the more competitive of the season.

The district's three positions — a senator and two representatives — are up for election this year and two have two candidates.

While Sen. Sharon Brown, R-Kennewick, is unopposed to date, Rep. Brad Klippert, R-Kennewick, has drawn a challenger in Richland City Councilman Phil Lemley for his Position 1 seat.

Boehnke and McConnell both draw on deep but decidedly different backgrounds. Boehnke, 50, retired from the Army after a career as a pilot and cyber security expert. He teaches at Columbia Basin College. McConnell, 61, spent more than four decades in newspapers before retiring last year.

Both pledged to wage campaigns of ideas and not personal attacks. McConnell called Boehnke to tell him of his plans before he went public this week.

Boehnke, is a Kamiakin High School graduate whose pre-law studies at Eastern Washington University took a unexpected turn when his track coach, and scholarship, ended midway through his schooling.

He turned to ROTC to help fund his education, leading to a 21-plus year career as a helicopter pilot for the Army. After retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 2011, he returned to the Tri-Cities with his wife, Dawn. He spent three weeks in retirement before pursuing a career that included a stint at Energy Northwest.

At CBC, Boehnke is director and assistant professor for cyber security and leads the school's lone four-year degree program through a partnership with the University of Washington. He owns an IT consulting service and joined the Kennewick City Council in 2016, bringing a conservative voice to council.

Boehnke's wife Dawn is listed as his campaign treasurer. He has not yet listed any other campaign officers.

McConnell is a 42-year veteran of newspaper publishing. He grew up on a ranch in Montana and joined his first newsroom as a high schooler.

He pursued journalism after high school but moved to the advertising side of the business after a publisher told him that learning the business would be the best way to work his way up in the industry.

He worked his way up through the corporate ranks, save for a '90s detour that saw him buy and publish a community newspaper and printing company in Sedro-Woolley, Wash.

He and his wife, Diane, moved to the Tri-Cities in 2011 when he was appointed publisher of the Herald, capping a publishing career that included positions in Northern California and Washington. He has served in leadership positions with TRIDEC, Visit Tri-Cities, the WSU Tri-Cities advisory council and other community groups.

He retired as publisher of the Tri-City Herald in 2016. He is chairman the MyTri2030 community visioning process.

McConnell said his campaign steering committee is comprised of Benton County Commissioner Jerome Delvin; former candidate and Kennewick restauranteur Steve Simmons; and Paul Carlisle, founder of Tri-Cities tech company Elevate and a professor at WSU Tri-Cities.

Legislative priorities

Both candidates emphasize the need for greater transparency and accountability in Olympia. Both say modernizing education to align it with future careers should be a top priority for law makers.

McConnell called the 2018 Legislature's attempt to exempt itself from the state's Public Records Act "unconscionable."

Gov. Jay Inslee vetoed the legislation after more than a dozen Washington newspapers, including the Herald, published front page editorials decrying the lack of transparency, triggering a public backlash against the plan. He praised the newspapers for the dramatic move..

McConnell said he was also concerned by a legislative maneuver that allowed the state to spend down its Rainy Day reserve fund without a 60 percent vote of the House and Senate.

The Democrat-led move allowed the state to avoid putting $700 million in the fund through June 30, 2017, allowing it to be allocated instead to fund schools.

The Legislature needs the discipline to bank surpluses in good times to bolster budgets in bad, he said.

The "sleight of hand" by government is what interested him in journalism more than four decades ago, he said.

Boehnke said he didn't have particular concerns with recent Legislative sessions. . Rather, he said he sees himself as a cheerleader for Tri-City interests, particularly when it comes to Hanford-related issues.

He said he would carry on Larry Haler's advocacy for Hanford and for ill workers. He pledged to work with the other members of the Eighth District delegation to keep Hanford issues in front of state lawmakers.

Education and jobs

Both candidates call education a top legislative priority and want to see Washington do more to align primary and secondary education with jobs.

McConnell said he's gratified to see the state begin embracing technical education, recognizing that not all career paths require a college diploma or enormous debt.

Boehnke said wants the Legislature to refocus its attention on higher education.

Lawmakers "robbed Peter to pay Paul" when it boosted funding for K-12 education to satisfy the Supreme Court's McCleary ruling, that it was failing to meet its constitutional duty to fully fund education.

Boehnke said the investment in primary education is coming at the expense of higher education at a time when community colleges are moving to better match programs to jobs. Boehnke directs the four-year advanced technology program at CBC.

The program is open to all students but increasing demand for workers who understand how to manage, and secure, the Internet of Things means there are more students than spots and gaining admission could become more competitive.

Voice in a crowd

Both candidates say their careers prepared them for the challenge of working in a Legislature that includes 97 other elected representatives and 49 elected senators.

Boehnke cited his military experience working with national and international teams responsible for protecting systems against cyber attacks. if anything, he said, he's more comfortable working in a large, diverse group than on a smaller body like the seven-member city council.

McConnell said he would be a strong fiscal conservative, but a center-right lawmaker on social issues who would work across the aisle to find workable solutions to complex challenges, ranging from fiscal management to updating the Public Records Act and adapting government to the digital age.

Government, he joked, is the only industry that has adapted slower to the digital age than newspapers.

How to file to run for elected office

2018 promises to be a banner year for elections with dozens of local, state and federal offices up for election.

Federal positions include U.S. Senator and U.S. Representative, Fourth Congressional District.

State positions include Legislative District 9 Rep. Positions 1 and 2, Legislative District 16 State Rep. Positions 1 and 2.

In Benton County, Commissioner District 2 along with county auditor, assessor, auditor, clerk, coroner, prosecutor, sheriff and treasurer are up for election.

In Franklin County, Commissioner District 3 along with the county assessor, auditor, clerk, coroner, prosecutor, sheriff and treasurer are up for election.

There are three state Supreme Court positions up for election, along with several local judicial posts and public utility district posts.

The Washington Secretary of State's elections page offers links to instructions about eligibility, filing fees and the steps necessary to file a campaign. Visit bit.ly/FileForElection

This story was originally published April 26, 2018 at 11:21 AM with the headline "House seat already draws 2 Tri-Cities candidates. You've probably heard of them."