Judge approves Port of Pasco election changes to boost Latino representation
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- Port of Pasco will adopt district-based, even-year elections starting in 2026
- Settlement follows voting rights complaint aimed at increasing Latino representation
- Revised system retains 2022 district boundaries and includes $50,000 legal payment
The Port of Pasco will alter how it conducts commissioner elections after settling a voter rights complaint brought by Latino voter activists Gabriel Portugal and Jose Trinidad Corral.
Franklin County Superior Court Judge Bronson Brown signed the settlement agreement Sept. 29.
Starting in 2026, the port will hold district-based primary and general elections in even-numbered years.
Backers believe the change will improve Latino participation in elections as voters and candidates. No Latino has ever held the post of port commissioner despite accounting for more than 54% of Franklin County’s total population, according to 2020 Census figures.
The Port of Pasco is the chief economic development agency for much of the county, including the city of Pasco.
It operates the Tri-Cities Airport as well as commercial and industrial development projects. It is a public agency governed by a three-person elected board of commissioners and receives property tax dollars to support its mission .
It currently elects commissioners from individual districts and conducts elections in odd-numbered years.
Under the current system, the port conducts district-based primary elections, but then everyone gets to vote in the general election in all of the three races.
The new approach transforms the port into a true district-based commission. Each commissioner will be chosen by voters in their specific district in both the primary and general.
The move to even years ensures greater voter participation since those are reserved for partisan elections, including for president, state offices and congressional seats. The Port of Pasco will be one of the first jurisdictions to conduct nonpartisan elections in partisan years.
Portugal, national vice president for the League of United Latin American Citizens in the Northwest, praised the deal.
“This resolution empowers every voting member of our community to have a seat at the table,” he said in a statement.
Portugal and Corral notified the port in March they believed the current approach violated the Washington Voting Rights Act. The voting rights act prohibits practices that disenfranchise voters.
The court said there was evidence to support the allegation.
The new election approach will begin with the District 3 post held by Hans Engelke in the 2026 election cycle.
The first general election for District 1, held by Vickie Gordon, will be in 2028. The first general election for District 2 will take place in 2030.
Former Pasco Mayor Matt Watkins is expected to be sworn in as the District 2 commissioner in January. He is running unopposed for the seat being vacated by longtime commissioner Jean Ryckman.
The current commissioner district boundaries, set in 2022, will remain in place.
The port said it too is pleased to resolve the case after six months of negotiations.
“This agreement not only confirms the legality of the port’s existing commissioner district boundaries, it affirms the port’s commitment to ensuring all voters have an equal voice in elections,” said Adam Lincoln, executive director.
The plaintiffs were represented by the UCLA Voting Rights Project and Morfin Law Firm LLC. .
The port will pay $50,000 in attorney costs.