Pasco Democrat challenges Mary Dye for House seat

Jennifer Goulet of Pasco said Thursday that she will run as a Democrat for the Washington House seat held by Republican Mary Dye.

Goulet plans to file to run for Pos. 1, representing the 9th District in the state House of Representatives. The district covers portions of Adams, Asotin, Franklin, Garfield, Spokane and Whitman counties.

Dye, a Pomeroy Republican, is seeking re-election after being appointed to the job a year ago.

Candidates will formally file for election the week of May 16-20. In the run-up to that period, candidates are announcing plans and disclosing their intent through the Washington Public Disclosure Commission.

Goulet is a Columbia Basin College graduate and works at the HAMMER Federal Training Center. She has a 12-year-old daughter.

Her primary concerns center on the Legislature’s failure to adequately pay for public education while funding $4 million to “prop up” charter schools.

She faulted Washington’s sales tax-dependent revenue structure as one of the most regressive in the country and praised a study that suggests Washington could raise more money if it embraced Idaho’s tax system. She did not directly discuss if Washington should adopt an income tax. Idaho collects sales tax and income tax revenue.

Goulet said she would support raising the state minimum wage to $15 an hour to stimulate the economy.

Goulet was recently appointed to the board of Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho, drawing a contrast with the incumbent, who caused a stir in January when she asked visiting teens if they were virgins.

Goulet said Dye “crossed a line” with the question addressed to high school students who were in Olympia to lobby for Planned Parenthood.

The winners of the Republican and Democratic primaries on Aug. 2 will advance to the Nov. 8 general election.

This story was originally published May 12, 2016 at 5:29 PM with the headline "Pasco Democrat challenges Mary Dye for House seat."