Primary Endorsements

          The election season is upon us and candidate signs are spreading like spring flowers.  Don’t despair, the primary will soon cut the number of candidates to a more manageable level.     To assist you in weeding out some of the candidates here we have the RuminationsBlog endorsements for the Washington State August 17, 2010 primary election.  As you would expect, all my endorsements are on the right of the political spectrum, but people are conservative to varying degrees and in differing ways so, I include a brief explanation.  Finally, while I have voiced my support for several people in my local area I have not included them in this posting because their candidacy would be of no interest to the wider RuminationsBlog readership. 

U.S. Senate
Dino Rossi 

          He has pledged to cut federal spending and pass a Balanced Budget Amendment. He wants to revamp the tax code, “reward work, saving, and the investments that create jobs while closing special interest loopholes that favor the politically connected.”  He wants to reform Obamacare by limiting the power of the federal government and insurance companies and, “giving it back to patients and their doctors.” 

          Rossi is clearly a fiscal conservative, but in this race, Clint Didier is the true conservative.  Either would be a vast improvement over Patty Murray.  Dino Rossi has an excellent chance to defeat Murray, in this left leaning state I do not believe Didier would be able to win. 

U.S. Congressional District 3 Representative
David Castillo 

          He described himself as a conservative and went on to say he was, “conservative of conscience and character.”  When I heard him speak his answers were specific. Regarding Social Security he favored reducing the rate of benefit growth, indexing benefits to life expectancy and offering younger workers improved IRAs.  He favors a flat tax to replace the income tax, local control of schools and the abolition of the federal Department of Education.  I appreciated the well thought out and detailed answers he provided.

          Castillo is a solid conservative and can win in this district.  Another candidate, David Hedrick, favors even smaller, more limited, government and greater reductions in taxes.  I like Hedrick’s ideas, but remain concerned about his ability to win this district.     

State Representative, 20^th Legislative District, Position 1
Richard Debolt

            He led the fight for stronger sex offender laws and, believing the state should live within its means, works for a balanced state budget with no new taxes.  Debolt is a smart, consistent, conservative.  

State Representative, 20^th Legislative District, Position 2
Gary Alexander

            He favors reducing property taxes, eliminating the death tax and a constitutional amendment requiring a 2/3 majority to raise taxes.  Alexander favors cutting government red tape while finding market solutions to problems.      

Washington State Supreme Court, Position 1
Jim Johnson 

          Judicial conservative, he has a consistent record of supporting free speech and open government as well as gun and property rights.  In the fight over Gay marriage, Justices Johnson ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act, which limits marriage to opposite-sex couples, did not violated the state constitution.

Washington State Supreme Court, Position 6
Richard B. Sanders 

          Generally, he has a libertarian inclination however, he did rule in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act.  The Seattle Times states, “He appeals to a mix of criminal-defense attorneys, gun-ownership proponents, property-rights advocates, anti-abortion supporters and personal-injury attorneys.” Most of that sounds good to me.