EPHRATA — Voters in Washington's 13th Legislative District will choose between an experienced incumbent and a first-time challenger as they decide who will represent them in the state House of Representatives.

Republican Tom Dent, who has represented the district since 2015, is seeking another term against Democrat Juan "Jerry" Garcia. The 13th Legislative District spans all or portions of Grant, Adams, Kittitas, Yakima and Lincoln counties, covering a large section of rural Central Washington.

As voters prepare to cast their ballots in the Nov. 3 general election, the Columbia Basin Herald asked both candidates a series of questions about the issues facing the district and the state Legislature. Their responses will be published as part of a two-part Q&A series leading up to Election Day.

In this first installment, Dent and Garcia discuss what motivated them to seek the office and explain how their personal backgrounds and experiences have shaped their approach to representing the residents of Central Washington.

Ballots must be postmarked or returned to an official ballot drop box by Nov. 3. Voters can verify their registration status and access election information through VoteWA.gov. Grant County voters may also contact the Grant County Elections Office at 509-754-2011 ext. 2704 with election-related questions.

Question: Voters in this race are being asked to choose between continuity and change. What is the strongest argument for keeping the current direction of representation in the 13th District, and what is the strongest argument for taking a different path? Why do you believe your candidacy offers the better choice?

Dent: It is very important that the district is represented by an individual that knows and understands the district and needs of the constituents, and aligned with their values. We are in challenging times politically and now is not the time to change to a radically new direction. This district is relatively conservative, and having someone represent the district that shares the people's values must be a priority. My life's work has been centered around agriculture and water, the two major issues that will have the greatest impact on this district.  

Garcia: The strongest argument for keeping the current direction in our 13th District is minor quality of life changes, with, dare I say, “faux fixes." The strongest argument for change is what I would describe as fundamental fixes. It is fundamental to fix our regressive tax system. How? Remove the influence of Corporate PAC money in politics, and pushing for ranked choice voting, even if I risk losing the next election. It opens doors for much more legislation, like amending RCW 84.36.070, specifically to exempt stocks and bonds from property tax. The cutoff I’d support is around stocks/bonds of wealth over $100 million. The goal is to protect 401(k)s, your pensions, your checking and your savings accounts. Everybody knows politicians are “dirty," and out to protect themselves, friends and families. I'm pushing to end that. Only then can we get true legislators to actually do their job. There's so much more laws that need to be changed, but they won't even look at them. It's honestly heartbreaking how local communities have to run on "ready to make the hard decisions,” which is usually just defunding local necessities. 

Question: Every legislator has limited time, influence, and political capital. If elected, what is the one issue you would be willing to spend that capital on, even if it meant disappointing some supporters or putting other priorities on hold?

Garcia: Going to push back and say I refuse to stop in one area, I'm going to give two, because in politics all it takes is one person to make your legislation die. I want to finish the Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program. The aquifers in our towns are drying up. I intend to finish the work that my predecessors have started. They recently started working on this, after decades of procrastination. My second would be championing Universal Healthcare. For example, local dialysis patients are sent to a clinic far from their nearby ones because that's what their coverage allows. And the ride service stops at contracted boundaries, or worse may run low on funding (e.g. Mattawa to Othello. Ritzville to Moses Lake. Royal City to Othello. Spokane to Wenatchee). We definitely need to expand Non-Emergency Medical Transportation for our elders, disabled, or worst case scenario both: who may be veterans. These are tough decisions because to one person, they want their city to grow, so they support data centers, but another person may support electrical infrastructure to get more development. But right now, I would push for these two, fearing one to fail. 

Dent: The biggest issue we are facing in the 13th district is water. Completing the Odessa Ground Water Replacement Program (OGWRP) is absolutely critical. Removing the irrigators from the deep wells and getting them on surface water will be a major step to preserving the aquifer, which our communities depend on for their domestic water needs. We are blessed to live here, but this is an artificially created environment which was created as a result of the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam and the Columbia Basin Project. Work must continue on the Columbia River Treaty and preserving the success of this project. Other areas of the 13th district are facing water shortages due to the extended drought and the need for more water storage, ie; reservoir's is also critical. Water is life and none of us can live without it.

Question: What is a challenge facing the 13th District that cannot realistically be solved by passing a new law alone? How would you work to address it?

Dent: Water solutions will be found by collaboration, hard work, and new ideas. Bringing people to the table and looking for these much-needed solutions is one of my strong suits. I continue to have ongoing meetings with stakeholders and agency staff to look for solutions within our current framework, whether it is water, wildfire, foster care, childcare or any of the many other topics that affect us here in the 13th district. I believe we can work together to find needed solutions that will benefit us all.

Garcia: The biggest challenge may just be participation. I can help get big money out of politics, something I consistently emphasize. In this election alone we had three people run for one new spot. No law can make people walk through a door that is opened. Perhaps next time we'll have four, maybe six candidates! Not to talk down my legislation, but I want to emphasize that people will brandish the term seniority and experience, but at the end of the day, if they win, does their roll call show they’ll genuinely represent you? To address this, all I can genuinely emphasize is my efforts that will be documented, including not invoking legislative privilege. Efforts such as PFAS (“forever chemicals” in our water), housing’s regulatory and permitting reforms that don't move towards removing environmental protections nor deregulating safety standards, but more so towards operational bottlenecks. These fixes take funding, years with Federal partners, but most of all public input.