After filing deadline, choices loom large in August primary
From Congress to courthouse, dozens make election bids.
EPHRATA — August primary elections often tend to be ho-hum affairs with low voter turnout, locally and across the state.
But based on this week’s candidate filings for 2026, voters in Grant County will face plenty of decision-making when primary ballots begin arriving in their mailboxes in mid-July.
With Friday’s closing deadline, there are now six contested races with three or more candidates – including 11 running for central Washington’s lone congressional seat. The Aug. 4 primary will narrow the field to two for the Nov. 3 general election.
With a few exceptions, most of the positions carry four-year terms beginning Jan. 1, 2027.
Here’s a rundown:
CONGRESS
With U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse’s decision not to run again, the floodgates have opened for the sprawling 4th District congressional seat, which carries a two-year term.
Republicans seeking the post include Yakima County commissioner Amanda McKinney, state Sen. Matt Boehnke of Kennewick, prior two-time candidate Jerrod Sessler of Prosser, Toppenish mayor Elpidia Saavedra, John C. Hughs of Lind, and Ken Vaz of Seattle.
Also vying for the seat is a lone Democrat, John Duresky of West Richland, and four Independents; mechanical engineer Jacek Kobiesa of Pasco, Hanford reactor operator Zac Rossi of West Richland, Yakima attorney Favian Valencia, and software engineer Devin Poore of Malaga.
STATE LEGISLATURE
In the 13th District, state Rep. Alex Ybarra of Quincy is the lone candidate for the Washington Senate with longtime incumbent Judy Warnick of Moses Lake not seeking reelection. That opens up Ybarra’s Position 2 House seat, which attracted three candidates — Moses Lake deputy mayor Don Myers, former Moses Lake city council member Deanna Martinez, and Ellensburg city council member Joshua Thompson. All are Republicans.
Although it’s not a primary race, Pos. 1 incumbent Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, has a challenger for his House seat in Juan “Jerry” Garcia, a Democrat who serves on the Othello School Board.
Senate positions have four-year terms; House seats carry two-year terms.
GRANT COUNTY
Four elected offices at the courthouse in Ephrata will be contested in the August primary.
They are:
√ Auditor — this race includes longtime county deputy clerk Shannon Falstad of Ephrata, Moses Lake businessman Andrew Koeppen, and Darci Homesley, an accounting technician from Moses Lake. All are Republicans.
√ District 3 Commissioner — four Republican candidates have filed for this post, which represents the southern portion of Grant County: administrative services consultant and Quincy School Board member Shannon Durfee; Royal City finance director Janice Flynn; Kelly Raap, whose family has a farm and cattle operation in rural Ephrata; and Seth Weeks, a Mattawa-area horticulturist and Wahluke School Board director.
√ Sheriff — incumbent Joey Kriete of Moses Lake faces two experienced law enforcement challengers in former chief deputies Josh Sainsbury of Ephrata and Darrik Gregg of Moses Lake. All are Republicans.
√ Superior Court Judge/Position 3 — interim appointee Jennifer Richardson, who took the bench in January, faces challenges from two attorneys, Ken Chadwick and Trevor Bevier. The position is non-partisan and carries a two-year unexpired term.
Incumbents running unopposed for reelection include county clerk Kimberly Allen of Soap Lake, coroner Craig Morrison of Moses Lake, and prosecuting attorney Brandon Guernsey of Moses Lake, all Republicans. Guernsey, appointed to the position last August, will be serving a short- and four-year term.
Also unopposed for their non-partisan positions are District Court Judges Brian Gwinn and Nick Wallace, both of Moses Lake, and Grant County PUD commissioners Larry Schaapman of Quincy (six-year term) and Nelson Cox of Warden (four-year term).
County incumbents who chose not to seek reelection after long courthouse tenures include current assessor Melissa McKnight of Ephrata, auditor Michele Jaderlund of Ephrata, commissioner Cindy Carter of Royal City, District Court Judge Brian Barlow of Moses Lake, and treasurer Darryl Pheasant of Ephrata.
Three of the positions will be filled by unopposed candidates who won't have to move far for their new jobs — Clayton Johnson is currently a sales analyst in the assessor’s office, Carrie Heston is a deputy in the treasurer’s office, and Tom Middleton will move from superior court commissioner to district court judge succeeding Barlow. Johnson and Heston are Independents, Middleton is non-partisan; all three are from Ephrata.
There is a May 11 deadline for candidates to withdraw. May 19 is the final day to submit candidate statements and photos for the state Voters Pamphlet. There are also respective deadlines of July 16 and Oct. 15 to file as write-in candidates for the August primary and November general elections.
Additional information — including online filing, political advertising, financial regulations and public disclosure requirements — is available at the Grant County Elections Department in Ephrata and the Washington Secretary of State’s Office.
