Dems make choice today

Party will select candidate to back

By Brad Shannon | The Olympian • Published May 17, 2008

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Democrats meeting in Napavine for a 3rd Congressional District convention today are expected to re-up their support for five-term U.S. Rep. Brian Baird, who faces a challenge from Cheryl Crist of Olympia for the party's nomination.

"I think Brian isn't going to have a problem at all. But she's running a good, clean campaign, and she has people on her side," 3rd District leader Judy Guenther said of Crist. "She will have a speech and whatever amount of votes."

But Crist, an anti-war candidate critical of Baird's support of continuing the Iraq occupation, said she could get support for what is a symbolic nomination. Democrats are holding the nominating conventions as part of a strategy of preserving legal options under the state's new "top-two" primary, and state Democratic Chairman Dwight Pelz will serve as chairman of the event at 10 a.m. at Napavine High School. But the vote won't affect the ability of either candidate to get on the Aug. 19 ballot.

"I tell you, I'm kind of hopeful, because the (precinct committee officers) vote is weighted as to how Democratic the precinct has voted in the past. So while Brian may have more PCOs loyal to him in Vancouver … we have more votes" in Olympia, Crist said Friday.

The ballots cast by PCOs will be collected, then validated and counted at state party headquarters in Seattle next week, said Guenther, who represents the 3rd District on the Democrats' state executive board. The district takes in southwest Washington from Olympia to Vancouver.

Precinct committee officers from the 9th District, which runs from Lacey to Federal Way, could nominate U.S. Rep. Adam Smith by acclamation, said Zack Smith, the party's 9th District executive representative. That district's PCOs are meeting at North Thurston High School in Lacey.

Crist calls herself the "peace" candidate and seeks a quick withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Baird's position has been to keep troops in Iraq to give that government more time to achieve political stability.

Crist added she is disappointed by Baird's vote this week to authorize more funds for the war.

Brad Shannon is political editor for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-753-1688 or bshannon@theolympian.com.