Who benefits from large field in 14th District?

YAKIMA -- Even Republican rivals say Vickie Ybarra, the sole Democrat running for the 14th District House seat being vacated by Mary Skinner, is likely to benefit from the exceptionally crowded primary ballot.

While six Republicans are running, Ybarra is the only Democrat. Rivals generally agree that all but assures her a spot on the general election ballot despite the state's new "top two" primary, which doesn't reserve a place for each party.

"We haven't spent a whole lot of time analyzing what (the crowded field) is going to do to the vote," Ybarra said this week, adding that she plans to campaign the same way she would have if facing one or two Republican candidates.

But while Ybarra downplayed the politically lopsided field's significance, her opponents concede there's likely to be only one Republican on the general election ballot.

"That's a pretty decent guess," Norm Johnson said.

"It's a strong possibility," Scott Hess said.

"Naturally as the only Democrat in the race ..." Al Schweppe said.

"It could dilute the votes down to that point," Aubrey Reeves said.

"It definitely helps (Ybarra)," Bob McLaughlin said.

"I hope they vote for me, but there are a lot of good choices there, so it will probably dilute any majority and there will not be a supermajority," J.J. Sandlin said.

In past years, the issue would have been moot. As the lone Democrat in the race, Ybarra, president of the Yakima school board and director of planning and development for the Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic, would have been guaranteed to advance to the general election.

But the state's new primary system advances the two highest vote-getters regardless of party. The state's change to that system has irked party leaders, who worry that heavily Republican areas such as Yakima and heavily Democratic areas such as Seattle regularly may see intraparty general elections.

Given the number of
Republican candidates, though, the question isn't whether a Democrat will get past the primary, but which Republican will. No state House race in any of Yakima County's three legislative districts has featured this many candidates since at least 1970. The only comparable race was in 2006 when six candidates, five Republicans and a Democrat, ran for the seat left open by Rep. Jim Clements' resignation. Aside from that, the 13th, 14th and 15th legislative districts have had more than four state House candidates in only two elections since 1970.

Despite the potential for splitting the vote, the Republican candidates unanimously said the high number of people vying for the seat is good for the party. Many of them have been around local politics for years and are considered credible candidates.

Johnson is a Yakima councilman and retired educator who has the support of the other members of the 14th District legislative delegation, Rep. Charles Ross and Sen. Curtis King. Schweppe is a Yakima attorney and party activist who has a long political background. Reeves was mayor of Union Gap for 10 years and has operated Aubrey's RV in that city for 40 years. McLaughlin is a former superintendent for Union Gap schools and is a former principal of Davis High School in Yakima. Sandlin is a well-known local attorney. Hess, the only newcomer in the group, is Yakima's field representative for the National Federation of Independent Business.

Each is confident his voice will be heard during the race, even above the cacophony of his intra-party rivals.

"The more the merrier," McLaughlin said.

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

* Reporter Mark Morey contributed to this report.

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