• Another District 12 candidate
JD Greening, a former congressional staffer and Navy veteran, has entered the state representative race in Legislative District 12. Greening, a Republican who lives in Wenatchee, is the fourth announced candidate to fill the position being vacated by Cary Condotta, who recently announced that he will not seek re-election after serving 16 years in the Legislature.
Also announced as candidates for Condotta’s seat are Ann Diamond of Winthrop, an independent; Chelan County Commissioner Keith Goehner, a Republican from Dryden; and Wenatchee City Councilwoman Linda Herald, also a Republican.
District 12 covers Chelan and Douglas counties and parts of Grant and Okanogan counties.
• Roger’s won’t seek re-election
Okanogan County Sheriff Frank T. Rogers said this week that he will not seek re-election to a fifth term. “It’s one of the toughest decisions I have ever had to make but it’s time and I am a firm believer that change is good,” Rogers said in an email. “It’s been a great career and after 35 years in law enforcement I will be retiring at the end of this term.”
• Newhouse running again
Congressman Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, officially filed for reelection this week. Newhouse has represented Washington’s 4th Congressional District since 2015 and is seeking his third two-year term.
Newhouse previously served eight years in the Washington state House of Representatives and four years as the Director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture.
• Return postage on ballots
Gov. Jay Inslee and Secretary of State Kim Wyman announced this week that they have secured funding for statewide ballot return postage in the 2018 primary and general elections. Inslee said his office found a way to support statewide return postage by combining $600,000 from the governor’s funds with a match from Wyman’s office. The total cost for funding all 39 counties is estimated at $1.8 million. Washington state’s 2018 primary is scheduled for Aug. 7, and the General Election will take place on Nov. 6.
