Seaney not Republican enough

NEWPORT – Pend Oreille County Superior Court Judge Jessica Reeves ruled Thursday that Joe Seaney wasn’t a member of the Pend Oreille County Republican Party and therefore wasn’t elected to Republican Precinct Officer. He and William Bisson had been on the Primary ballot, with Seaney outpolling Bisson 63-14. But since Seaney hadn’t paid dues and didn’t really offer an argument other than that he has voted Republican for years and felt like he was a member of the Republican Party, Reeves ruled that, according to the local party’s bylaws, he wasn’t eligible to run as PCO.

Pend Oreille County Republican Party chairman Bill Deilke had brought the action. He sought to disqualify Pend Oreille County commissioner Brian Smiley and Seaney. Smiley ran unopposed for PCO. Deilke also wanted county Auditor Marianne Nichols to reject their PCO candidacies. Neither Smiley nor Seaney had paid dues to the Pend Oreille County Republican Party and Deilke argued that they weren’t members of the party.

Smiley said that he ran and was elected as a Republican. Going by the party’s bylaws, he was an ex-officio member of the party, Reeves ruled. She ruled Nichols wasn’t obligated to go beyond accepting the candidates’ sworn statements as to party membership.