2 outspoken Franklin County candidates jump out to big early leads Tuesday night

Two outspoken Franklin County incumbents are winning their seats following the first round of ballots counted.

Commissioner Clint Didier and Sheriff Jim Raymond each led their challengers by clear margins.

Didier was defeating former Commissioner Rick Miller with 55%, or 8,500 votes. Miller had 44%, or about 6,900 votes.

Sheriff Jim Raymond jumped out to an overwhelming lead over his opponent former Connell Police Chief Chris Turner. Turner had 26%, or about 3,800 votes to Raymond’s 74%, or 11,000 votes.

While Didier and Raymond were the only candidates with challengers, all county elected offices were being voted on this year.

The two outspoken Republicans drew fellow Republican challengers upset about how they managed their positions.

Miller was looking to regain the seat he lost in 2018 from Didier, a frequently controversial commissioner.

Miller pointed to expensive lawsuits, frequent resignations and hostile behavior in commissioner meetings during the four years that Didier has been in the position.

Didier, an Eltopia farmer and former professional football player, made big waves across the state with his frequent challenges to Gov. Jay Inslee’s COVID restrictions. That included refusing to wear a mask during commissioner meetings.

While Miller had jumped out to an early lead in spending, by the time the November election, they had raised a similar amount of money. According to the state Public Disclosure Commission, Didier outspent Miller 2-to-1.

The next release of ballot counts was scheduled for 5 p.m. Wednesday.

The race will the final one before the county moves to district-only elections in 2024.

Sheriff’s race

Raymond is looking to serve one more term as the county sheriff, finishing off a law enforcement career that has spanned four decades.

The former Pasco police captain came into the position in 2014 after defeating longtime sheriff Richard Lathim.

Raymond wants to see a Behavioral Health and Recovery Center finished, develop a bicounty search and rescue program and help improve emergency dispatch services in the region.

Turner, who ran a very low-key campaign with few public appearances, has gone after Raymond on some of his strong stands, including a legal fight with the union representing jail employees, Teamsters Local 839.

Franklin District Court

Trinity Orosco is on the road to replace outgoing District Court Judge Jerry Roach on the bench.

She had 64%, of 9,800 votes, to her opponent Carlos Villarreal’s 35%, or about 5,300 votes.

Orosco, who started as a paralegal student at Columbia Basin College, graduated from Gonzaga Law School and became an attorney. She returned to the Tri-Cities where she has worked as a public defender at the District Court level.

She wants to bring the successful model of drug, veterans and mental health courts to Franklin County District Court. The process aims to help treat the problems that lead to criminal behavior.

Villareal served as a judge pro tem in District Court and wanted to turn that experience into a permanent position on the bench.

This story was originally published November 8, 2022 at 9:17 PM.