Three Republicans, a Democrat and an independent candidate provide 6th District voters choices in the upcoming primary elections Aug. 2. All five are running to replace outgoing Rep. Kevin Parker, who stepped down from his Position 1 House of Representatives seat May 3.
Lynnette Vehrs is the lone Democrat in the race. She has spent 40 years in the medical profession, having recently retired from her alma mater, Washington State University, where she taught at the College of Nursing in Spokane.
Born and raised in Moses Lake, Wash., Vehrs has nursing experience ranging from Providence Medical Center in Seattle to an intensive care unit in Lillehammer Norway and back to Spokane. She has also been involved in collective bargaining negotiations at Sacred Heart Medical Center (1983 – 1987) and Providence Visiting Nurses (1991 – 1999) as well as serving on several nursing boards, including the Inland Empire Nurses Association board of directors since 2011.
Vehrs' experience in the medical field, especially working with insurance companies on health care coverage, is what has inspired her to run.
"There are people in our community not able to afford their premiums, co-pays and the drugs and procedures insurance does not cover," she said. "This is not a political issue. This is an ethical issue."
Mike Volz, Ian Field and Samuel Canty comprise the Republican portion of the slate. All three advocate a reduced role for government in improving the economy in the region.
Volz is currently Spokane County's Chief Deputy Treasurer. A graduate of Eastern Washington University with a bachelor's degree in business (accounting and finance) and a master's of business administration/management information systems from Gonzaga University, Volz has finance experience in the private sector and as the assistant director of finance for Spokane Transit Authority.
Volz is concerned about the departure of business from Spokane County, failing infrastructure and the loss of job opportunities. The best way to reverse these trends is to focus on reducing taxes and regulations on local businesses to enable growth.
"Expanding the tax base through growth will always trump the easy but errant hikes in taxes and tax rates," he said. "Using the economy to increase tax revenue allows greater investment in our public schools and our failing infrastructure."
Field shares Volz's concerns and approaches to the economy. Born and raised in Eastern Washington, Field graduated from Walla Walla University with a bachelor of arts degree in history.
He worked as a congressional aide for 5th District Congressional Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers for several years, and has worked with Parker to launch "Embrace Washington," an initiative addressing and promoting "awareness of the needs of children in the foster care system." He has also worked with Spokane Mayor David Condon and his wife in raising funds for the Lilac Festival, Global Neighborhood and the Spokane Veterans Memorial.
Field cites good jobs, safe neighborhoods and quality schools as reasons for throwing his hat into the 6th District Position 1 ring. He also wants government to be more accountable and work smarter for its people.
"We can do it by reforming government, not raising taxes," he said. "We want an efficient government that does not waste taxpayer dollars."
The other two candidates, Samuel Canty (Republican) and Barry Pfundt (no party), did not respond.
John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].
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