Tom Pasma of Bow won a decisive majority (75 percent) of votes cast at 40th District Precinct Officers Nominating Convention Saturday in Anacortes.
Pasma is now the official Democratic Party nominee for state House Position 1. Current state Rep. Dave Quall is retiring.
The Democratic precinct officers (PCOs) met to determine which of three Democratic candidates would become the official party nominee for state House Position 1; and to officially nominate incumbent Jeff Morris for state House Position 2.
The Nominating Convention was held at the Anacortes Library. House Position 1 candidates Pasma, Thomas Boucher and Kris Lytton each addressed the gathering of PCOs to make the case that he or she should be the state party nominee.
Morris also addressed the convention to formally request official party nominee status.
All three House Position 1 candidates had previously met with the 40th District’s Candidates Committee. Each had also participated in one or more candidate forums open to all Democrats in the 40th District.
Convention rules require a majority of the weighted votes of PCOs in attendance to earn party nominee status, whether this occurs on the first or subsequent ballots.
Morris, speaker pro tem, received Democratic Party nominee status by unanimous acclamation.
A quorum of 10 percent of elected and appointed PCOs is required to conduct business of the nominating convention. In this case, the event was attended by 50 percent of eligible PCOs, suggesting high interest in this race.
The 40th District will conduct an endorsement meeting on June 19 in Whatcom County to consider endorsing one or more candidates prior to the primary election. Democrats who reside in the 40th Legislative District who would like to vote at the endorsement meeting must join the 40th District Democrats by June 12. Applications for membership are available at wa40dems.net.
Primary election Aug. 17, general election Nov. 2
The primary election is Aug. 17, the general election is Nov. 2. The top two vote-getters in the primary advance to the general election.
San Juan County residents will vote on 14 legislative and local positions this year: County assessor, auditor, clerk, prosecutor, sheriff, treasurer; County Council District 2, District 5, and District 6; District Court judge, Superior Court judge; U.S. House of Representatives 2nd District, 40th District state House Position 1, and 40th District state House Position 2.
