During odd years like this one, a variety of elected positions are open, from Fire Districts to School Boards to City Councils and more. In Kittitas County, 79 candidates filed for 59 seats. Depending upon where you are located in the County, you may have multiple choices on your ballot this November.
The Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce partnered with the League of Women Voters of Kittitas County, reached out to all candidates in contested races to invite them to participate in Candidate Forums this October. Please join us on October 23rd to learn about your upcoming ballot choices!
While we had hoped to hold multiple candidate events across the county to introduce the 25 candidates running for 12 contested seats to Kittitas County voters, we regret to say that 14 of the candidates invited declined as not available, not really running, or did not respond to our invitation (see list below). To ensure the League remains fair and nonpartisan, we are unable to move forward with forums when there is only one candidate from a district or position attending.
We thank Delano Palmer – Ellensburg City Council 3, Justin Davis – Roslyn City Council 5, and Andrew Polak – Fire District 2 Commissioner 1 for being being willing to present themselves to the public at a Forum event.
The League recognizes that when candidates don’t respond or decline to participate in opportunities to help their future constituents learn more about them, this is a loss for voters. It is a candidate’s responsibility to make themselves available to the public they are running to represent. We encourage all candidates now and in the future to participate in the Candidate Forums. How will you, the voter, know which candidate best address your needs and issues? We urge you to contact each of them directly and ask where they stand on the issues important to you.
INVITATION RESULTS
HOSPITAL DISTRICT 1
- COMMISSIONER 1: Terry Clark vs Daniel Arnold – both candidates agreed to participate
- COMMISSIONER 2: Tom Hanna vs Bob Davis – neither candidate responded. Subsequently, Candidate Davis contacted us to find out Forum details and both Davis and Hanna were offered a short candidate interview. Davis agreed, Hanna did not respond.
DAMMAN SCHOOL DISTRICT
- POSITION 1 – Sheril Bechard vs Marlene Pfeifer – Bechard not available and Pfeifer did not respond
ELLENSBURG SCHOOL DISTRICT
- POSITION 3: Michael Karraker vs Cynthis Coe – both candidates agreed to participate
KITTITAS SCHOOL DISTRICT
- POSITION 1: Clinton Van de Venter vs Nicole Ogan vs Krystal Newcomb – no response by Van de Venter and Ogan & Newcomb not available
ELLENSBURG CITY COUNCIL
- COUNCIL 1 – John Sinclair vs Nancy Lillquist – both candidates agreed to participate
- COUNCIL 2 – Nancy Goodloe vs Arin R. Smith – both candidates agreed to participate
- COUNCIL 3 – Delano Palmer vs Sam Ezell – Palmer agreed to participate, Ezell not available
ROSLYN CITY COUNCIL
- COUNCIL 5: Mitchell W. Long vs Justin Davis – Long declined as ‘not really running’, Davis agreed to participate
SOUTH CLE ELUM TOWN COUNCIL
- COUNCIL 2: Jake Kostenko vs Leslie Ditsworth – Kostenko did not respond, Ditsworth ‘not really running’
FIRE DISTRICT 2
- COMMISSIONER 1: Andrew Polak vs Ross Ogan – Polak agreed to participate, Ogan not available
SNOQUALMIE PASS UTILITY DISTRICT
- COMMISIONER 1: Paul Pogue vs William (Billy) J. Powers, Jr. – Pogue did not respond, Powers not available