The Herald recommends 2 challengers for the 9th District. Here’s who they are
Our recommendations for the two House seats in the 9th Legislative District go against the status quo.
In both races we prefer the challengers over the incumbents. While experience can count for a lot, an infusion of new energy also is appealing.
And Democrats Jenn Goulet of Pasco and Matthew Sutherland of Pullman are showing the kind of drive and commitment we need in Olympia.
Both are eager to discuss issues, and have attended candidate forums that their counterparts have not. That gives them extra points.
Here’s our take on these four candidates:
Mary Dye v Jenn Goulet
We reached out to Republican Rep. Mary Dye of Pomeroy by phone and email several times, and she has been unresponsive.
Dye canceled our editorial board meeting last month because a conflict came up, but when we tried to re-schedule with her we never got a call or email back.
Goulet showed up, and to be fair to her we went ahead with the interview.
She emphasized she used to be a Republican, and that there is a difference between an Eastern Washington Democrat and a Seattle liberal. She says she is the former.
For instance, she leans more to the right when it comes to gun issues, and believes in protecting constitutional rights. She comes across as a fighter, and someone who would defend citizens struggling to make ends meet.
Her race with Dye is a repeat of two years ago.
Dye and her husband are wheat farmers, and the agricultural arena is where Dye is most knowledgeable. She was appointed to the seat in 2015 and defeated Goulet the next year so she could keep it.
With an “R” behind her name in the sprawling, rural 9th District, Dye has a big advantage. But it’s unfortunate she has not been available to defend her record in a public setting.
In addition to canceling our editorial board meeting, Dye did not attend the candidate forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Benton and Franklin Counties. She also was not at a town hall candidate’s meeting held last month at Washington State University.
We would have liked to have talked with Dye and given her chance to prove herself after another two years on the job, but we cannot recommend someone who wouldn’t meet with us.
And Goulet is a strong candidate from west Pasco – the urban pocket in a district of farmland and small towns.
Joe Schmick v Matthew Sutherland
Republican Rep. Joe Schmick of Colfax has been a reliable, hardworking legislator since 2007. Our recommendation of his opponent is not a criticism of Schmick.
Rather, we are so impressed with Sutherland that he gets our nod. He has so much going for him at such a young age, it’s hard not to root for him.
Sutherland is 25 years old and a Washington State University graduate. He is also vice chair of the Whitman County Planning Commission and an active member of the Pullman Board of Adjustment and Pullman Police Advisory Committee.
Added to that, he is also a non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Army and is currently pursuing his master’s degree at WSU in Global Security Policy.
His mother died of cancer when he was young, and he is very focused on improving the health care system in this state. He also is pro-labor and is concerned about student loan debt.
Sutherland will have a lot to learn, but his passion is infectious and we would like to see what he could accomplish if given the chance at the legislative level.
On the other end of the spectrum, Schmick has been a legislator for over a decade.
Over the years, he has been a champion of water and property rights and has been a guard against government overregulation. He also has worked hard to protect rural healthcare, and spends much of his time talking to health professionals in the region.
Schmick has been a good lawmaker and dedicated to his constituents. His experience as a farmer endears him to many in the Palouse. But while he met with us, he also did not make the League of Women Voters event and he was absent at the WSU town hall meeting. That’s a shame.
Perhaps it is time to see what someone new could bring to the district. Sutherland is young, smart and hungry to make a difference.
The Tri-City Herald recommends Jenn Goulet and Matthew Sutherland for the 9th District.
This story was originally published October 16, 2018 at 5:45 PM.