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Don Gronning
NEWPORT – Pend Oreille County voters have returned 4,420 votes as of Tuesday, Oct. 29. That’s out of 11,362 that were mailed out. Ballots that are mailed must be postmarked Nov. 5 or earlier.
From the president to the governor to county commissioner, voters are casting ballots for the next leaders, as well as on several statewide and local measures.
It’s been a spirited election, both nationally and locally.
In the race for District 3 Pend Oreille County Commissioner, incumbent Brian Smiley is facing Kevin Young. Both men are Republicans. According to the Washington Public Disclosure Commission, Young has spent $2,227 on the election and Smiley has spent $4,168, including $1,075 for a billboard in Newport. Smiley started the campaign with $3,326. He raised $1,782 in in-kind donations in a party, the PDC reports.
Young has spent $2,275, $2,175 of which he donated to the campaign. The only other contribution is for $100.
In the race for District 1 Pend Oreille County Commissioner, incumbent John Gentle is facing Steve Minnich. Both are Republicans.
According to the PDC, Gentle has spent $7,336 on the race. He loaned himself $3,000 of the $7,710 he had raised. His biggest two donors were his wife, Kim, who works for Inland Power and Light and Jank Travis, who works for KAMBU. Both donated $1,000 each.
Minnich has spent $5,172. He raised $6,284, of which $1,000 was a loan he made to himself. His biggest donor was himself. In addition to the loan, he donated $3,000 cash to the campaign. The next biggest donor is the Pend Oreille County Republican Party, which donated $1,000.
In the race for Pend Oreille Public Utility District commissioner, both candidates, Joe Onley and Troy Moody opted for mini reporting, meaning if they didn’t raise or spend more than $7,000, the didn’t have to report expenditures or contributions to the PDC.
Onley didn’t report any expenditures or contributions. Moody reported he raised $5,120, all from himself.
At the state level, there will be new 7th Legislative District representatives to replace longtime reps Joel Kretz and Jaquelin Maycumber, who did not run again.
Andrew Engell and Soo Ing-Moody are running for the position 1 seat held by Maycumber. Both are Republicans.
Engell has raised $73,209 in cash contributions and $488 in in kind donations. His biggest contributions, $4,068 came from Cathy McMorris Rodger’s Fundraiser in Colville. The Stevens County Republican Central Committee donated $4,000.
Ing-Moody raised $67,638 in contributions. She had several $1,200 contributions, the largest amount she raised. Hans Smith, Martha Kongsgaard, Peter Goldman, Judy Konrad, Hank Conrad, Nanetter Latham, John Latham, Linda Aruffo, Cascade PAC, Spokane Firefighters PAC Local 29, Ronal McCollum and Mary Louise McCollum all gave $1,200.
In the 7th Legislative District position 2 race, Hunter Abell faces Paul “Rocky” Dean. Dean, a Democrat, raised $31,350 and borrowed $6,409. His biggest donor was the Pend Oreille County Democrats, who contributed $3,000. His next largest donor was the 7th Legislative District Democrats, with a $2,000 contribution.
Abell, a Republican, has raised $56,853. The 7th District Republican Committee is his biggest donor. They contributed $5,000. Stevens County Republican Central Committee is his next biggest donor, contributing $4,000. Abell also contributed $6,685 in cash and in-kind donations to the campaign.
In the race for Ferry, Pend Oreille and Stevens County Superior Court Judge, N. Smith “Smitty” Hagopian reports $5,198 in contributions from himself. He also has $500 in in-kind donations. The PDC reports that Hagopian missed the Oct. 15 filing deadline for pre-election spending reports.
Lisa Malpass Childress is also running for the Superior Court judge position. She reports raising $23,254 in contributions, all from herself. She donated $12,440 in cash and $14,716 in in-kind donations.
Christal Olivia Irwin is running as a write-in candidate for the Superior Court judge position. She also did not file a mandatory pre-election spending report.
