Elections 2008
EDITORIAL BOARD ENDORSEMENTS
   Learn more about the candidates and measures by reading, listening, and watching the Yakima Herald-Republic editorial board endorsements.

Oct. 19 President: We agree on need for change - Obama is our man

Oct. 17 Governor: Budget concerns give Rossi the edge

Oct. 17 4th District House of Representatives: It's Hastings by default, again

Oct. 16 Initiative 1000: Terminally ill should have a choice

Oct. 16 Initiative 985: Latest Eyman proposal doesn't benefit area, shouldn't be approved

Oct. 15 Board of Commissioners, District 2: Bouchey offers valuable experience in agriculture

Oct. 15 Initiative 1029: Just say nay to union-driven caregiver issue

Oct. 14 Public lands commissioner: It's time to change land stewards

Oct. 14 State Treasurer: Two good candidates for one office; we'll go with McIntire

Oct. 13 District 15: Newhouse's steady hand needed again
Oct. 13 District 15: Chandler deserves another term

Oct. 12 14th Dist.: Ybarra will give area a say in Olympia
Oct. 12 14th Dist.: Ross deserves another term

Oct. 10 State schools superintendent: Bergeson seems up to challenges

Oct. 10 State AG election: Let McKenna continue what he started

Oct. 09 Sonntag deserves re-election

Oct. 09 Keep Kreidler in charge of key agency

Oct. 08 Owen deserves another term

Oct. 08 Incumbent Reed wears all three hats with distinction

Despite uneasiness over her decisions, we support incumbent for state Supreme Court

Endorsement: Elofson's skills give the edge in close match
County commission candidates offer few specifics - Yakima County commissioner candidates offered broad generalities but few specifics in a Monday night forum, where questions r...
14th District candidates focus on Job No. 1: the budget - Next year's state budget crunch was the prime topic of debate as candidates for two 14th District state House seats took the ...
Confident Ross eager to retain House seat - With two legislative sessions already under his belt, Rep. Charles Ross, R-Naches, is looking forward to his third go-around ...
Where the House candidates stand - Here's a look at how U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Pasco, and Democrat George Fearing of Yakima stand on some major issues: Heal...
4th Congressional District: A matter of record - U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Pasco, and his opponent George Fearing, a Democrat from Yakima, don't have much in common political...
Benton County to vote on criminal justice tax measure - Voters in Benton County must decide Nov. 4 whether to authorize a sales tax increase to pay for more law and justice services...
State House candidates focus on wide range of issues, ideas - Expanding water storage, putting more teeth in anti-gang laws and returning lost state revenue to cities are at the top of th...
Ybarra will give area a say in Olympia - Voters in the 14th legislative district have an opportunity to send a much-needed two-party delegation to Olympia and Vickie ...
Ross deserves another term - It's always refreshing to see young people become involved in politics, and in the case of a 14th legislative district race, ...
Money vs. history in 14th District race - Democrat Vickie Ybarra has money and momentum on her side; Republican Norm Johnson has political geography and influential ba...
Small-town economics at center of District 15 race -
Updated tally shows high primary turnout - Updated counts from last week's primary show relatively high voter participation and some subtle shifts in percentages, but n...
Hastings will skip GOP convention - Like a host of high-profile Republicans nationwide, U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Pasco, won't attend next week's Republican Nati...
Elofson wins seat on Superior Court - In a contested judicial race that never got personal, Yakima attorney David Elofson defeated fellow litigator Rob Lawrence-Be...
Hastings garners 61 percent of vote in House race - Incumbent U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Pasco, and his Democratic challenger George Fearing will advance to the general election,...
Move-the-seat advocate winning in Benton County - PROSSER -- A longtime advocate of moving the county seat to Kennewick, Fred Staples collected more votes than incumbent Bento...
Ybarra, Johnson come out as top two in 14th District - Democrat Vickie Ybarra and Republican Norm Johnson emerged Tuesday from a crowded field of candidates vying for the state Hou...
Gamache ousted in commissioner's race - Yakima County Commissioner Ron Gamache has lost a bid for a third term after being bested by two challengers in a crowded rac...
County expects large turnout - Yakima County Auditor Corky Mattingly hasn't seen one nasty note accompanying a returned ballot for this year's new "top-two"...
Voters who want to be well-informed should get on the bus - Bev Luby Bartz exited the Project Vote Smart tour bus Tuesday afternoon feeling overwhelmed by the information she learned is...
Rural ambulance funding goes on Lower Valley ballot - Voters in Mabton, Grandview and the surrounding county area will decide on the November ballot whether to support rural ambul...
Obama to campaign hard in Democrat-leaning state - It's been 24 years since Washington state went Republican in a presidential election, but Barack Obama's top campaign staffer...
Hastings backs offshore drilling in the Arctic as a stopgap move - ELLENSBURG -- U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings wants to lift a moratorium on oil drilling offshore and in the Arctic National Wildlife ...
Gregoire-Rossi debate offers chance to air Valley concerns - Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire and Republican challenger Dino Rossi will debate in Yakima before the Nov. 4 election. Both ca...
Sunnyside is drawing the line - As voters start filling out ballots for this year's state and county elections, officials in Sunnyside continue fine-tuning a...
Hastings faces two challengers for 4th District seat - Gordon Allen Pross hopes the sixth time is the charm. Or is it seventh? A perennial candidate for Congress since the 1990s, P...
Three seek county prosecutor's job - Three local attorneys still have their names in the running as potential successors of Yakima County Prosecutor Ron Zirkle, w...
Lawyers' poll gives slight edge to Elofson in Superior Court judge race - David Elofson topped a new bar association poll for a seat on the Yakima County Superior Court bench, although his opponent f...
Two lawyers vie to bring new vigor to Superior Court - For the first time since 1988, somebody other than Bob Hackett is going to occupy Department 5 of the Yakima County Superior ...
Issue: Whose experience would best serve residents of largely rural district? - Experience. Each of the four Yakima County commission candidates says he has a unique background that makes him the best pers...
Goals: boost growth, reduce regulation - For a first-timer, Kevin Bouchey has gotten this campaigning stuff down pretty well.
Olson sees himself as a problem-solver - Dan Olson is the first to admit he doesn’t like politics. But he’s been a visible and active candidate for many years because...
Incumbent stands by panel's decisions - Ron Gamache is easily distinguishable from the three challengers who want his District 2 seat on the county commission.
Farias touts service at state, local levels - If length of public service is the measure of a candidate, Wapato Mayor Jesse Farias stands head and shoulders above his chal...
Crowded primary field gives race notoriety - In a mostly quiet year for local elections, the race for the 14th District House Position 1 seat stands out for the sheer num...
Time is right for Dems in 14th, Ybarra believes - It’s been 26 years since a Democrat won this seat, but Vickie Ybarra believes she’s ready to break that streak.
Schweppe says he’s ready for larger political role - Al Schweppe believes it’s his turn to be the man in front of the curtain.
Reeves points to his business experience as big plus - Almost all the candidates in this race have some mix of public- and private-sector experience. But only Aubrey Reeves has own...
Johnson: Strength is ability to work with all - Norm Johnson has support from some of the biggest names in the local Republican establishment.
WASL, fixing budgets top McLaughlin priorities - Bob McLaughlin knows budgets. As schools superintendent in Union Gap, he and the school board had to balance multimillion-dol...
Hess won’t pull punches in quest for victory - Scott Hess means business — in fact most of his platform as a state House candidate is built around helping business.
Al Schweppe: In his words - What do you think of the WASL being used as a graduation requirement? Standardized testing should not only judge students, bu...
Bob McLaughlin: In his words - What do you think of the Washington State Assessment of Student Learning being used as a graduation requirement? We need to h...
Vickie Ybarra: In her words - What do you think of the Washington State Assessment of Student Learning being used as a graduation requirement? I support ...
Norm Johnson: In his words - What do you think of the WASL being used as a graduation requirement? As a retired teacher, counselor and principal, I suppor...
Aubrey Reeves: In his words - What do you think of the WASL being used as a graduation requirement? I am not for it. Seems like the teachers spend their ti...
Issues old and new on table at debate - Business regulation, education, health care and state spending were the hot topics Thursday as the six candidates for a soon-...
Commission hopefuls talk crime, permit process - WAPATO -- Candidates for the Yakima County Commission uniformly cited crime prevention and streamlining county permitting amo...
Local candidates will attend forums - Voters looking for information on legislative and Yakima County Commission candidates will have two opportunities this week.
Ybarra, Johnson lead fundraising pack - The lone Democrat and an establishment-backed Republican are way out in front of the other four candidates for Mary Skinner's...
Candidate for judge post offers broad experience - David Elofson is the first to say he's been around the block a few times. That's a good thing, he says, when it comes to bein...
GOP candidate bows out of race - And then there were six. Attorney J.J. Sandlin, a Republican, made the crowded race for Mary Skinner's state House seat sligh...
Blomgren resigns campaign post, cites negative publicity - Glen Blomgren resigned Monday as manager of Bob McLaughlin's campaign for the state House. Blomgren left the campaign because...
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 ...
Early Republican endorsements irk newcomer in race - State House candidate and political newcomer Scott Hess has a beef with fellow Republicans who endorsed a competitor before t...
Edler out, but others may get in Dist. 14 race - YAKIMA -- Yakima Mayor Dave Edler has decided not to run for Rep. Mary Skinner's state House seat, but three Republicans and ...
Yakima's open legislative seat - Edler's out, Ybarra might run -
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 ...
Wapato mayor seeking seat on county commission - With three Republicans already in the race, Wapato Mayor Jesse Farias said Tuesday that he will run as a Democrat for the Dis...
Union Gap councilman to run for county seat - By DAVID LESTER YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC UNION GAP -- Dan Olson wants to do more than represent the residents of Union Gap. The...