Michael Delavar

DENVER -Taking a moment to switch gears from the hoopla of the national convention to the nuts and bolts of state politics, Rep. Brian Baird (D-Vancouver) predicted that Southwest Washington would pick up a few seats for Democrats in the state House and Senate this November.

"I think we have a real shot at picking up a seat in the 17th," Baird said. "I think Tim Probst is going to win that seat. I think we have a great shot in the 18th. I like our candidate there VaNessa Duplessie, running against [Rep. Jaime] Herrera who has never been elected herself, really has hardly been in the district the last ten years. Vanessa is hard working, sharp, articulate, a real go getter."

Baird was also pleasantly surprised to see David Carrier running relatively close to Sen. Don Benton in the 17th District, and Jon Haugen within ten points of Sen. Joe Zarelli in LD 18.

The voters of the 3rd Congressional District, where incumbent Rep. Brian Baird (D-Vancouver) has drawn three challengers heading into next week's "top two" primary, will have their chance to vote a mixture of political ideology and war on both sides of the aisle. The reason being, each of the two major parties has two candidates with varying viewpoints on Iraq. Adam Wilson in The Olympian has a story about it today.

Within the Democratic Party, Baird has drawn a challenge from peace activist Cheryl Crist (D-Olympia) who also ran in 2004 and garnered 15 percent of the primary vote.

The Republicans meanwhile, have Michael Delavar (R-Washougal) who opposes the occupation squaring off against the pro-war and pro-surge Christine Webb (R-Tumwater).

NAPAVINE -

According to banners hanging from every streetlight in town, Napavine is Tiger Country. But Saturday afternoon the local high school gymnasium, where the Tigers play basketball Delegates seek support at Napavine High School/Politicker Photoevery winter, was also home to the 3rd Congressional District Democratic caucus. At the caucus, five delegates, two males and three females, would be elected to the Democratic National Convention in Denver this summer to elect the party's nominee.

But he delegate contest was not the day's only vote. With the advent of the state's "top two" primary that effectively ends the Party primary system, the Democrats' official nominee for Congress was also decided at the caucus. Rep. Brian Baird, the five term congressman from Vancouver, won his party's nomination by a vote of 59 to 24 over fellow Democrat Cheryl Crist.