11 picked to attend conventions

Thurston County residents to have role in political parties' events

By Brad Shannon | The Olympian • Published June 21, 2008

• Comments (0)

Nine Democrats and at least two Republicans from Thurston County have been selected to attend their national parties' political conventions later this summer.

Democrats supporting Illinois Sen. Barack Obama include delegate Debby Pattin, alternate Stewart Henderson, delegate James Yee, alternate Natalie Stevens, and delegate Jim Cooper. Cooper won selection as an at-large delegate at the June 13-15 state convention.

Supporters of New York Sen. Hillary Clinton include delegate Paul Berendt, the former state Democratic chairman; delegate Zach Smith; at-large delegate Jim Kainber, who had led Clinton's local campaign; and Megan Walsh, a Clinton campaign representative on the national convention's rules committee.

"I don't think we've ever had this many. So we're very excited," Pattin said Friday.

The Democrats' convention is Aug. 25-28 in Denver. Democrats are taking 97 delegates and 13 alternates from Washington.

For the Republicans, Lacey City Council member John Darby is going as a delegate for John McCain. Ralph Munro, the former secretary of state and co-chairman of the state's delegation to the national convention, also is going as a delegate.

The GOP convention is Sept. 1-4 in Minneapolis. The party is taking about 40 delegates from Washington. Besides Munro, McCain supporter Chris Fidler of Seattle is a co-chairman of the delegation.