Republicans may benefit from 'top two' primary format

With three Republicans and just one Democrat in the running, the Yakima County Commissioner District 2 race is shaping up as a potential test case for the state's first use of the "top two" primary.

In previous years, one Democrat and one Republican would advance to the general election. Under that system, if Wapato Mayor Jesse Farias remains the only Democrat in the race, he'd be guaranteed a spot on the final ballot.

But under the top-two system validated last month by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, the two highest vote getters advance regardless of party. Both state parties opposed the change.

"In our case, it's likely that they'd be two Republicans," Yakima County Republican Party Chairman Jim Keightley said. "But in Seattle or on the West Side (of Washington) they're likely to be Democrats."

Five times since 1990 the top two vote getters in a County Commission race were both Republicans, according to election returns. In all of those instances the second-highest vote getters were left off the general election ballot.

That will not happen this year. In Commissioner District 2, incumbent Ron Gamache, a Republican, is facing intra-party challenges from Toppenish farmer Kevin Bouchey and Union Gap Councilman Dan Olson. So it's possible the general election could pit any two of those three Republicans against each other, leaving Democrats out entirely.

Under such circum-stances, the county party would have the right to endorse its favorite of the two. But the county Republicans are likely to do that only if they don't think one of the candidates is a legitimate Republican, Keightley said. He is "99 percent certain" the county party will refrain from endorsing any one of the current commissioner candidates over another.

"Really there's not much for us to do," he said.

Farias, aware of the fact that county voters have leaned Republican in recent elections, said he hopes his record in Wapato and his experience working at various levels of state government will render the party question moot.

"I'm trying to appeal to everybody," he said. "What I'm trying to sell to people is that I'm a person of a lot of experience and a lot of skills who can benefit everybody."

* Pat Muir can be reached at 577-7693 or pmuir@yakimaherald.com.