Amboy resident Thomas Schenk offers his views on the challenge Republicans face in the Third Congressional District race.

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and do not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com

Regarding a recent Opinion written by Mark Moore, I would like to offer an additional point for Republican Precinct Committee Officers (PCOs) and Republican voters to carefully and honestly consider.

Sadly, today we are saddled with what is typically called a “jungle primary”. No longer can we, as Republican voters, select our candidates for office, in this case the 3rd Congressional District, through the former Republican Primary process.

The Primary provided individuals interested in being a Republican candidate for office a process to put their names in front of Republican voters and, ultimately, one candidate would be selected to move on to the General Election to vie with a Democrat candidate and maybe several other minor party candidates, for, in this case the 3rd Congressional District.

We Republicans are now relegated, in my opinion, to using the “recognition and endorsement” process of the Clark County Republican Party (CCRP) as a de facto Republican Primary.
PCOs who vote to recognize or not recognize candidates have a similar effect as the former Republican Primary…a slate of candidates is winnowed down to one candidate to run as the Republican.

Unfortunately, this de facto Primary does not prevent an “unrecognized” candidate from continuing to run as a Republican thereby diluting our Republican votes and likely giving the elective office to the Democrat.

Republican PCOs and the potential Republican candidates need to accept this de facto Primary process; and when debate and discussion have concluded…and the votes of the PCOs have been counted, recognizing and endorsing one candidate to move forward to the “jungle primary” and to the General Election, we, as Republican voters, can unify behind that one candidate and take back the 3rd Congressional District.

Acceptance of this de facto Primary process by Republican PCOs, candidates and, ultimately, Republican voters, is necessary for success in retaking the 3rd Congressional District and the same holds true for any Republican seeking elective office.

Until the “Jungle Primary” is done away with in the State of Washington, we have no choice, in my opinion, but to “primary” our candidates via the recognition and endorsement process by the CCRP body.

Thomas Schenk
Amboy

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