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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 17, 2012)
Labor-backed candidates in Washington advance from primary, look to November ENJOY LABOR DAY YOU’VE EARNED IT! TER N N O ATI O R UN I ON AL N TRENG T H HO JU ST IC E S O rg an 03 LAB ORER S' IN of i z ed No , A pr i l 1 3 19 rth A m er i ca Laborers Local 296 Labor-endorsed gubernatorial candi- date Jay Inslee and incumbent U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell advanced through Washington’s primary Aug. 7. Under Washington’s “top two” pri- mary system, the top two vote-getters move on to the general election, regard- less of party. Inslee, a former Democratic con- gressman who left mid-term to run for the open governor’s chair, was the top vote-getter (46.5 percent) among nine candidates. His opponent in November will be Republican Attorney General Rob McKenna (43.5 percent). Cantwell, a Democrat in her second term in the U.S. Senate, captured 55 percent of the vote in an eight-person race. She faces Republican state Sen. Michael Baumgartner in November. Inslee and Cantwell were endorsed by most unions, as well as the Wash- ington State Labor Council. In other statewide primary races, la- bor-endorsed candidates advancing to the general election included Bob Fer- guson for attorney general, Brad Owen for lieutenant governor, Kathleen Drew for secretary of state, and Mike Kreidler for insurance commissioner. With help from labor, incumbent Su- perintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn won re-election after earn- ing 55.5 percent of the vote against four unknown candidates. The state’s top ed- ucation post and judicial races are de- cided in the primary if one candidate re- ceives more than 50 percent of the vote. In races for the Washington Sup- Union favorite Joe reme Court, Susan Tanner will meet incum- Owens captured 64 bent Clark County Com- percent of the vote in missioner Tom Mielke in Position 2 and Steven November. Mielke took Gonzalez collected 58 40 percent of the vote to percent of the vote in Tanner’s 31 percent in a Position 8 to win out- five-person race in Dis- right. Both were en- trict 1. dorsed by labor. In District 2, Democ- A WSLC dual en- rat Roman Battan fell a dorsement for couple hundred votes Supreme Court Posi- J AY I NSLEE short of second place to tion 9 fell short, with two-term Republican in- Bruce Hilyer and John cumbent Marc Boldt. Republican mil- Ladenburg finishing third and fourth, lionaire David Madore was the top vote respectively, in a four-person race. In legislative races involving candi- getter, with 32.6 percent. Boldt had 29.5 dates in Southwest Washington, labor- percent and Battan, who was running in endorsed Tim Probst finished second his first political race, captured 28 per- behind incumbent Republican state sen- cent of the vote. Labor-endorsed Dave Gregerson ator Don Benton in District 17. The two pulled off a stunning victory over Clark will square off again in November. Union member Monica Stonier, a County Superior Court Judge John school teacher, and Jim Gizzi advanced Wulle, defeating him 54.5 percent to 45 in their respective House races in Dis- percent. It is the first time in 37 years that a sitting judge has lost a re-election trict 17. In District 49, labor-backed Annette bid. Gregerson, a private practice lawyer Cleveland outpolled former Oregon leg- islator Eileen Qutub for an open state from Vancouver, doesn’t take office un- Senate seat. They will meet again in til Jan. 1, 2013. In a seven-person race for Clark November. Incumbent District 49 rep- resentatives Sharon Wylie and Jim Public Utilities commissioner, union Moeller each advanced to the general electrician Philip Parker finished out of election as well. Both had backing from the running behind Jim Malinowski and Julia Anderson. several union locals. Voter turnout in Clark County was In Clark County, two of four candi- dates endorsed by the Southwest Wash- 30.48 percent. Statewide, just over 36 ington Central Labor Council advanced percent of registered voters cast ballots in the all-mail election. to the general election. 4545 NE 102nd Ave. Portland, Oregon Kenneth Morgan Business Manager 503-256-5716 Special Recognition to Workers Everywhere happy labor day! OREgOn StAtE Building And COnStRuCtiOn tRAdES COunCil JOhn MOhliS Executive Secretary 503-788-7153 www.oregonbuildingtrades.com/ PAGE 12 3535 SE 86th Ave. Portland, OR 97266 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS AUGUST 17, 2012
