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Democratic and Republican candidates and elected officials in the 15th Legislative District said theyre optimistic about their parties futures in the wake of this years election results.

The districts boundaries were redrawn in 2011, creating the states first majority Latino district. It covers the eastern part of Yakima County, taking in part of Selah and Yakima and winding into the Lower Valley, including Toppenish, Sunnyside, Grandview and part of Wapato.

Election results lately have shown a pretty consistent conservative-liberal split, with about 60% of votes cast for Republican candidates compared to about 40% for Democrats.

About 12,000 more people voted in the District 15 House races in 2020 compared with 2018. The vote splits for Republicans and Democrats were nearly identical.

Republican Jeremie Dufault of Selah, recently re-elected to his second term for the districts Position 2 House seat, said his values, and the values of the larger Republican Party, resonate with the districts Latino voters.

I am a family-oriented, pro-life, Catholic entrepreneur who believes in smaller and smarter government, Dufault said. I believe strongly in the value of education and the need to work hard and to take personal responsibility for your actions. Those values put me squarely in line with most of my constituents, including Latinos.

Dufault defeated Democratic challenger A.J. Cooper with 59% of votes to Coopers 41%. In 2018, Dufault received 60% of votes to Coopers 39%. About 45,890 people voted for the two candidates this year in the race, compared with 33,545 total votes in 2018.

This year was an outlier year in many races, but Republican candidates continued to do well in the 15th District, Dufault said. I am grateful to my constituents for giving me more votes than any other state legislative candidate has ever received in the current 15th District.

Cooper said the 15th Districts Democrats are a resilient group, ready to bounce back.

Cooper also noted that the Yakama Nation is split into two different legislative districts, as is the city of Yakima. Selah also is split, with part of the community falling into the 13th District with Ellensburg and Moses Lake.

Position 1

Longtime Republican state Rep. Bruce Chandler of Granger, recently re-elected to Position 1, also faced off against the same challenger, Jack McEntire of Selah, from 2018. Chandler received 58% of votes this year compared to about 60% in the previous election cycle.

McEntire said he believes the majority of District 15 residents are Democrats, but that lower percentages register and vote. He sees the Democratic foothold growing as more people realize the importance of voting and turn out to elections.

The working person is the majority, he said, and the Democratic Party is poised to serve the working person. People are gravitating toward candidates that show respect to others, respect the norms and traditions of governance, and health care, and this is an issue Democrats are prepared to handle.

McEntire also predicted Republicans will remain a minority of representation in Olympia, and anticipated people who want Central Washington concerns heard in the state Capitol will see a need for a Democratic representative.

More and more people are feeling empowered to get out there and vote, believing that their voices matter, he said.

Chandler agreed with Dufault, saying the majority of Yakima voters still staunchly support Republican values.

Historically the Yakima Valley was an area where people came to start a new life or redeem their lives, he said. There are still high expectations for families, opportunities, and the Valley being a good place to live, and a lot of interest in the conservative values and the priorities of Republicans.

Issues

District 15 candidates had different takeaways as well from this years election results about voter values.

Cooper noted Democratic candidates pushed for keeping communities safe and healthy during the pandemic, while supporting small businesses and those who had lost their jobs or health care. The party also focused on other important issues, such as water conservation and clean water, education, livable wages, accessible health care and ensuring that everyone, including communities of color and LGBTQ individuals, were included and kept safe, she added.

Dufault said a major takeaway was that Yakima County voters showed they wont stand for new taxes. While Democrats in Seattle have started conversations about higher property, business and gas taxes as well as an income tax, Dufault said election results from Yakima County show where voters priorities lie.

When given the chance to vote directly on taxes, local and even statewide voters consistently point out that Olympia has a spending problem, not a revenue problem, he said.

For McEntire, who has a degree in microbiology and immunology from the University of Washington, debates locally and nationwide about COVID-19 and climate change highlighted that the Democratic Party stands behind science, a value he said is resonating with increasing numbers of voters.

Chandler said agriculture will remain a cornerstone and economic driver, as will the Yakima airport and employment through Hanford.

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Democrats, Republicans both see bright future for their parties in District 15 - Yakima Herald-Republic