The Olympian Logo

2nd Legislative District incumbent faces two primary challengers | The Olympian

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • About Us
    • Buy Photos and Pages
    • Contact Us
    • Plus
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Newsletters
    • Newspaper in Education
    • Subscribe
    • Subscriber Services
    • Archives

    • News
    • Business
    • Crime
    • Databases
    • Death Notices
    • Education
    • Local News
    • Military News
    • Obituaries
    • Politics & Government
    • State
    • Traffic
    • Watchdog
    • Weather
    • Opinion
    • Cartoons
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Opinion Columns
    • Submit a Letter
    • Sports
    • College
    • High School
    • Mariners
    • Preps Stats
    • Seahawks
    • Sounders
    • UW Huskies
    • Politics
    • Living
    • Announcements
    • Food
    • Health & Fitness
    • Home & Garden
    • Travel
    • Entertainment
    • Arts & Culture
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Events Calendar
    • Horoscopes
    • Movies
    • Restaurants
    • Outdoors
    • Fishing

  • Classifieds
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Place An Ad
  • Mobile & Apps

Politics & Government

2nd Legislative District incumbent faces two primary challengers

By Melissa Santos - Staff writer

    ORDER REPRINT →

July 04, 2014 12:00 AM

A Republican state representative from Yelm is facing his first primary election challenge this year, but not from either of the two major political parties.

State Rep. J.T. Wilcox, R-Yelm, will battle Steven Nielson, a Libertarian from Orting, and Graham resident Rick Payne, who is identified on the ballot as preferring the Marijuana party.

The three candidates are vying to represent the right-leaning 2nd Legislative District, which straddles the Pierce and Thurston county line and includes Graham, Orting, Yelm, Eatonville and other communities near Mt. Rainier.

The Aug. 5 primary election will decide which two candidates will move on to the general election, which is Nov. 4.

SIGN UP

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Olympian

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Wilcox, the former chief financial officer for his family’s dairy farm in Roy, said his ties to the community and his political experience distinguish him from the other candidates in the race.

Since being elected to the state House in 2010, Wilcox has become a leader in his party, serving as House Republican floor leader and as one of three top Republicans on the budget-writing House Appropriations Committee.

But Payne and Nielson both say it’s time for a change – albeit for different reasons. Nielson, a quality engineer who was recently named secretary of the state Libertarian party, said he thinks more can be done in the Legislature to cut government waste and lower taxes.

Payne, a retired union official, said he’s frustrated with what he called “gridlock” in Olympia, and that he thinks the state should make it easier for people like him to open marijuana businesses.

EDUCATION

Debate over education funding will dominate the Legislature in 2015 and beyond. Lawmakers have been ordered by the state Supreme Court to fully fund the state’s education system by 2018, which legislative staff estimate will cost at least another $3.5 billion.

Wilcox said he thinks the Legislature needs to create a separate education budget that is funded first, which he said would ensure education spending is prioritized above other programs and projects.

“It’s just a simple moral choice that schools should be funded first, then we have discussions based on priorities about everything else,” Wilcox said.

The two-term incumbent has been wary of increasing taxes to boost education spending. In 2013, he opposed a plan proposed by House Democrats that would have raised money for schools by extending some taxes and letting some tax exemptions expire.

But Payne said he thinks lawmakers must look at ending tax exemptions to help fund education. After existing tax loopholes are closed, the Legislature still may need to consider other taxes, such as a soda tax, he said.

“We need to close loopholes before we do taxes,” Payne said. “Loopholes across the board.”

Payne said he also wants to route 80 percent of tax revenues from recreational pot sales to K-12 education.

Nielson, the Libertarian candidate, said he opposes any kind of tax increase, and that he thinks money for schools can be found within the state’s existing budget. Nielson said the state has plenty of money, but is wasting it on projects like salmon culverts and road beautification.

“If you cut the special projects and redirect that funding toward real things like education...then we are using the government properly,” Nielson said.

TRANSPORTATION

Another big issue lawmakers face is how to pay for road and transit projects throughout the state.

So far in the Legislature, Wilcox has opposed a plan to raise the state’s gas tax to pay for transportation projects.

Wilcox said he is open to discussing a transportation tax package, but only under certain conditions: It would have to include projects that benefit rural communities, as well as reforms to the state’s transportation system, he said.

“My only vote so far has been a no, because I wanted a fair package and it had zero reforms,” Wilcox said.

Nielson takes an even sterner stance on increasing the state’s gas tax: he won’t consider it under any circumstance, he said.

“As a Libertarian, I would absolutely oppose a gas tax increase,” Nielson said. “There is no way I would support any increase in taxation for anything.”

Nielson said he believes money for transportation expenditures can be found by cutting wasteful spending within the Department of Transportation, as well as privatizing some state services, such as the state’s ferry system.

Payne, meanwhile, said he thinks an increase in the gas tax may be necessary to reduce freeway congestion and help drivers who spend hours of their day stuck in traffic. When it comes to completing road projects, “we are so far behind right now,” Payne said.

“If anyone in the traffic line says they don’t want to pay a little more to be out of traffic, they do. They’re wrong,” Payne said.

MARIJUANA

The candidates’ views align more closely when it comes to marijuana use and regulation – an issue that Payne said got him into the race. All have concerns about merging the state’s recreational and medical marijuana markets, especially the idea of taxing medical marijuana and putting patients’ names on a state registry.

Though Payne is a precinct committee officer for the Pierce County Democrats, he said he chose to identify himself with the Marijuana party while filing to run for office because “Democrat for Marijuana” wouldn’t fit on the Secretary of State’s online filing form.

Payne has applied for a license to grow recreational marijuana on his property in Graham, but his application is still being reviewed by the state Liquor Control Board.

CAMPAIGN MONEY

Wilcox will undoubtedly have an edge in the race when it comes to raising money. Both of his opponents have filed paperwork with the state Public Disclosure Commission saying they don’t plan to raise more than $5,000 in contributions.

As of the first week of July, Wilcox’s campaign had already raised $102,369, and had spent more than $30,000 on things such as political consultants, yard signs and campaign events.

Nielson said he is not accepting donations from big businesses – only from private individuals -- as a matter of principle.

“I represent the people – I don’t represent corporations,” Nielson said.

Payne is going even further: he said he is using only his own money to fund the campaign, and is not accepting donations from anyone at all.

“The people need their money, so they should keep it,” Payne said.

Wilcox said he thinks business owners have the right to contribute to political causes, just like everyone else.

Related stories from The Olympian

HOMEPAGE

The Olympia's Voter Guide

July 05, 2014 10:38 AM

  Comments  

Videos

Trump announces national emergency to get border wall funding

Sen. McConnell says Trump will sign spending bill and declare a national emergency

View More Video

Trending Stories

Tim Eyman investigated for theft after Office Depot incident, Lacey police say

February 15, 2019 03:45 PM

Thurston County students didn’t return to school until Friday. What took so long?

February 15, 2019 08:11 AM

Another storm, another big question: Why was power out for so long?

February 16, 2019 07:00 AM

Despite residents’ pleas, Lacey policy is to clear only main roads during snowstorms

February 15, 2019 07:00 AM

The snow on the sidewalk must go if you live in Tacoma or Olympia. It’s the law

February 15, 2019 05:29 PM
Local display advertising by PaperG

Read Next

The Latest: CEO: Gunman passed background check when hired

Business

The Latest: CEO: Gunman passed background check when hired

The Associated Press

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 16, 2019 03:05 PM

The gunman who killed five co-workers in Illinois passed a background check when he was hired 15 years ago.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Olympian

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE POLITICS & GOVERNMENT

Vatican defrocks former US cardinal McCarrick for sex abuse

Nation & World

Vatican defrocks former US cardinal McCarrick for sex abuse

February 16, 2019 01:13 PM

Business

Correction: Lithium Ion Batteries-Recycling story

February 16, 2019 07:12 AM

Nation & World

Patrick Caddell, pollster to Jimmy Carter, dies at 68

February 16, 2019 08:13 PM

Nation & World

4 dead after Mississippi hostage standoff, shooting

February 16, 2019 07:41 PM
Officer shot multiple times, suspects die in subsequent fire

Nation & World

Officer shot multiple times, suspects die in subsequent fire

February 16, 2019 07:23 PM
State Department: Nauert out as pick for UN ambassador

Nation & World

State Department: Nauert out as pick for UN ambassador

February 16, 2019 06:36 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

The Olympian App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Contests-Promotions
  • Vacation Hold
  • Rewards
  • Pay Your Bill
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Photo Store
  • Archives
Advertising
  • Information
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
  • Place an Obituary
  • Today's Circulars
  • Special Sections
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story