Election | Tri-Cities area roundup: 14th District, commissioners, cannabis and more

While no seats were won in the August primary, Tri-Cities voters narrowed the field in numerous races and weighed in on a variety of high priority issues.

They also gave the rest of Washington a preview of how one of the state’s most highly watched races in the newly redistricted 14th Legislative District could play out in November’s general election.

Voters made their voices heard on topics ranging from who will face off for Benton and Franklin county commission seats to a retail cannabis advisory vote in West Richland.

They also voted on some much needed fire district levy requests around the region.

The 14th Legislative District was perhaps the hottest race in the state, with redistricting allowing an opportunity to flip the traditionally Republican seats. The turnout in those primary races narrowed the field for the state House seats and gave candidates a path to victory in November.

Voters also sent a message to several incumbents that they’re going to need to work to retain their seats this fall.

Early voting tallies in Benton County included 21,311 ballots with an estimated 25,000 ballots left to be counted in the coming days. Franklin County counted 9,357 ballots. It’s unclear how many are left to be counted. The election will be certified Aug. 20.

Commissioner races

In the most competitive local race on the ballots, Franklin County voters will send appointed incumbent Stephen Bauman to the November general election to face off against Caleb Atkins. They were the top two vote-getters.

Bauman led the race with 1,804 votes, or 53%, in early voting tallies. Atkins followed with 1,339 votes, or 39%, and Paul L. Frenzel with 181 votes, or 5%. All three are Republicans.

In Franklin County’s District 2 commission race, current board chairman Rocky Mullen, a Republican, had 769 votes, or 64%, to his challenger former Pasco Mayor Blanche Barajas, with 424 votes, or 35%. That race also will be decided in November.

The tighter than usual race is likely a reprimand from voters who are weary of the ongoing political fighting at the county. Mullen is one of three elected officials under criminal investigation for allegedly abusing their offices to cover up an investigation.

Bauman is not a suspect in that investigation, but he did recently find himself in hot water over changing the locks on his courthouse office and refusing to provide the sheriff’s office with a key.

In Benton County, the majority of its commission is also up for reelection this fall.

In the District 1 race, incumbent Jerome Delvin was leading with 4,010 votes, or 57%, to opponent Jeff Smart’s 2,892 votes, or 41%.

Smart is a local real estate agent and was recently named president of the Washington Association of Realtors. Both are Republicans.

In the District 3 race, incumbent Will McKay was leading with 3,131 votes, of 68%, to opponent Zach Fluharty’s 1,313 votes, or 29%. They also are both Republicans and will face off in November.

14th Legislative District

The newly drawn 14th District stretches from east Yakima through part of Benton County to Pasco and down to the Columbia River. Voters in the district are just over 50% Hispanic.

▪ Democrat Chelsea Dimas from Sunnyside and Republican Gloria Mendoza from Grandview appear set to be on the November ballot for Position 1 in the 14th District legislative race.

On Tuesday night Dimas had 2,268 votes, or 38%, Mendoza had 1,937 votes, or 32%, and Republican Andy Kallinen of Lyle in Klickitat County had 1,810 votes, or 30%.

Mendoza served as Grandview’s mayor and on the Grandview City Council for eight years. She is a former farmworker and business owner.

Dimas is a communications professional and the daughter of immigrant farmworkers from Mexico. She says she is the first openly queer, Indigenous Latinx woman to run for the Legislature.

▪ For Position 2 in District 14, Republican Deb Manjarrez of Wapato and Democrat Ana Ruiz Kennedy of Pasco were leading Tuesday night.

Manjarrez had 3,185 votes, or 53%; Kennedy had 2,412 votes, or 40%; and independent Eddie Perez of Union Gap had 412 votes, or 7%.

Kennedy is the business liaison at a nonprofit community development financial organization. She is concerned that housing costs are too high and wants to work to create living wage jobs, support local businesses and tackle the fentanyl problem.

Manjarrez is a certified public accountant and apple orchardist. She has a community service background that includes chairing the Wapato Chamber of Commerce and also the Republican Central Committee and helping found the Wapato Tamale Festival.

▪ In the primary for the District 14 Senate seat, incumbent Republican Curtis King had 3,488 votes, or 57%, and Democrat Maria Beltran had 2,569 votes, or 42%, Tuesday night.

Cannabis advisory vote

The voters of West Richland have spoken: Cannabis retail sales should not be allowed in city limits.

In a vote with symbolic weight and no legal effect, the city’s voters advised the city council they don’t want to end the city’s 10-year ban on cannabis sales.

With 2,111 votes counted Tuesday, the vote was 55% against allowing retail marijuana sales to 45% in favor, or 1,157 voting “Do not allow” to 954 voting in favor.

Benton County will update results at 4 p.m., Wednesday. The voter turnout in Benton County was 16.5%.

The West Richland City Council has not said if it will bind itself to the results of Proposition 1, an advisory ballot.

The city council referred the request to voters in the Aug. 6 primary after a cannabis retailer from Yakima submitted an environmental impact report to Washington state that could have opened the door to retail sales in industrial areas of West Richland.

Ken Weaver wanted to bring his Slow Burn chain to the area. West Richland’s planning commission voted 3-1 to recommend the city council make the change. But faced with fierce opposition, the council opted to canvas voters for their thoughts.

Officials in neighboring Richland are watching the outcome as well after receiving a similar request from Fire Cannabis to amend city codes to allow it to open a store in the Horn Rapids Industrial Area.

Fire Cannabis suspended its request while Richland city leaders watched results from the neighboring jurisdiction.

Washington voters legalized recreational cannabis use in 2012 but the measure was so unpopular in the Tri-Cities that several local jurisdictions banned sales, though possession remains legal under Washington law.

Cannabis sales are still banned in Kennewick, Richland, West Richland and Franklin County.