Washington state GOP party chair says Inslee should pay for special election
Apr 9, 2012, 7:25 AM | Updated: Apr 10, 2012, 7:17 am
Republicans who criticize Jay Inslee for resigning from Congress now want him to pay for a special election to fill his former office. (AP Photo/file)
(AP Photo/file)
Jay Inslee’s campaign disputes that it will cost the state
$1 million for an election to replace him in Congress.
Critics say he should be responsible for the cost of
filling his vacated seat.
Campaign spokesman Sterling Clifford said Monday that he
questions the accuracy of the figure. The state Democratic
Party notes that the estimate comes from Republican
Secretary of State Sam Reed, who is a supporter of Inslee
rival Rob McKenna. The party said it was a clear conflict
of interest.
Reed’s office relied on estimates from county auditors to
say the state will pay $770,000 to cover both the primary
and general election. His office also wants to spend
$225,000 on voter education.
The election may be confusing for voters because the
November ballot will include two 1st District races _ one
to finish out the final month of his term and one for the
term starting in January.
State Republican party chairman Kirby Wilbur says Inslee
created the need for the special election by leaving
Congress before his term was up and he said that Inslee
should pay.
Wilbur and other critics of Inslee plan to deliver
thousands of signatures on invoices to Inslee’s campaign
office on Monday, in essence a bill for the cost of the
election.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
