Walla Walla County candidates address voters at AAUW forum

Local candidates had an opportunity to voice their opinion on wide range of issues - from the proposed data center to immigration enforcement - in front of prospective voters Thursday, June 18.

The American Association of University Women-Walla Walla invited all Walla Walla County candidates in contested races to a candidate forum at Walla Walla High School where they were each asked questions for their respective offices. Every invited candidate showed.

The races under the spotlight Thursday were Walla Walla County sheriff, Walla Walla County District Court part-time judge, Walla Walla County commissioner District 3 and Walla Walla County auditor.

Sheriff's Office

Now that Walla Walla County Sheriff Mark Crider has announced his upcoming retirement, two of his deputies are running to replace him.

Chief Deputy Richard Schram and Deputy Ashley Daschofsky, both Republicans, participated in the forum and gave similar answers to the questions posed.

Both candidates were firm that the office under their leadership would continue to focus on local and state laws and not enforce immigration law.

Washington state law limits how local agencies can assist with immigration enforcement and both candidates stated they intend to follow the law.

Daschofsky said that is important because victims of crime should not hesitate to call police because they think it will result in their immigration status being investigated.

"I know we have victims of crimes who are not reporting them because the fear is, by making a report, they are putting their name and their address on an official document that some government agent is going to get a hold of, and before long those guys are knocking on their doors and trying to get them out," Daschofsky said. "It bothers me greatly … We have perpetrators of domestic violence that tell their victims, ‘Go ahead, call the police, you'll get deported.' So, they don't report it … It breaks my heart."

Daschofsky said he has selected someone to be his undersheriff - though he did not name the person - who is Hispanic and whom he said will reach out to those communities to build trust.

Schram had similar worries.

"Our job is about protecting people," Schram said. "He (Daschofsky) is right, we want people to call 911. We want people to call us for help. We want to go out and protect our community, no matter who's in it."

Schram said the sheriff's office would only assist ICE in a specific situation.

"If ICE is out in our community and they are under attack, if they are in harm's way and they call for assistance, as law-enforcement officials, we will go and stop violence," he said. "But that is it."

Both candidates also said they do not support the idea that elected sheriffs should get to choose what laws they enforce.

Some sheriffs, including some who call themselves "constitutional sheriffs," have publicly stated they won't enforce laws that they disagree with or feel are unconstitutional, even if they have not been deemed as such by courts.

Both candidates spoke against that practice, saying that law enforcement officers enforce the law, they do not create it.

Part-time judge

Local attorneys Nicholas Holce and Janelle Carman-Wagner are running to be the new Walla Walla County District Court part-time judge, replacing Jared Hawkins, who is running unopposed for the full-time judge position.

Like in the sheriff's race, the questions asked by the moderator did not bring out differences in the candidates.

Holce and Carman-Wagner both side-stepped voicing their opinion on the issue of chalk messages being written on Walla Walla sidewalks, saying their opinion doesn't matter, their job would be to enforce the law.

Both also voiced support for additional treatment options for non-felony level offenders. Felony cases are adjudicated in Superior Court.

Walla Walla Board of Commissioners District 3

Incumbent and Republican Gunner Fulmer is being challenged for his seat by fellow Republican Troy Woody and independent Rikki P. Wescott.

The candidates were asked whether they support the Amazon data center planned in District 3.

Woody said he supported it as it could benefit the county. Wescott voiced her opposition, saying it would use a lot of the county's water and not offer appropriate financial support to the county.

Fulmer, meanwhile, said he felt that Amazon has not been forthcoming enough with information, and that he is pressing them to share more about the project. He said in the meantime, he is trying to learn more.

"I am eyes-wide-open on this project," he said.

Fulmer spent much of his time talking about building relationships and working with other people to get stuff done.

He said he has experience doing that from his time as a firefighter, a police officer and in his current position as a county commissioner.

"I think that's what got me here to begin with, the relationships that I've built," Fulmer said. "And I've tried to continue that in my career as a commissioner … It's important to have those relationships."

Wescott emphasized that running as an independent meant she could keep politics out of it and just focus on what's best for Walla Walla County residents.

"Do we need more people to come to county commissioners' meetings to tell us what they need? Sure," she said. "Do we need our commissioners to address our issues when we bring them to them? Sure. And if that's what you want, then I'm your gal. If you want you want a partisan race, then pick a partisan (candidate)."

Woody mentioned several times his view that the county needs less politicians and that elected officials, including commissioners, should make less money.

Woody said he would like the county to take a more city-like form of government, with five lower-paid commissioners, a county manager and hired department heads instead of elected officials leading each department.

"Success for me is that if I'm elected, I take a pay cut," he said. "That would mean we got step one done. Success would mean that we have successful people replacing politicians. And that we have less politicians."

Auditor

Longtime County Auditor Karen Martin retired from her position on the last day of 2025, with a year left on her term. Sheryl Park was appointed to serve the final year of her term.

Park, a Republican, is now running for her own term against challengers Tim Reeves, a Democrat, and Marjorie Denton Sanborn, an independent.

Among the auditor's many duties is overseeing the elections department.

All three candidates fielded a question about the federal government possibly seeking to end mail-in voting and requesting voter information from states.

Sanborn said she would seek guidance before providing the federal government voter information.

"So, there's already an incredible amount of voter information available publicly through the Secretary of State's Office," Sanborn said. "As far as releasing additional information, I'd rely on direction from the Washington Secretary of State unless the request is submitted directly and within the boundaries of a public information request. If there was a legal discrepancy around an information request, I'd rely on the county legal counsel as well as our county commissioners on how to proceed with that request."

Park said she would take guidance from the Secretary of State.

"I am committed to continuing to foster a good relationship with the Secretary of State and to follow all of the directives that they handed down to us," she said.

Reeves said he would stand up to the federal government and follow state law.

"A request for voter information that's not authorized by the Secretary of State's office must be refused and reported," he said. "In some parts of the country, local officials have succumbed to pressure to share data or interfere with the voting process. We cannot let that happen here. Uncertainty and doubt reduce voter turnout. Democracy depends on the participation."

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