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McMorris Rodgers, Bonneau file for Congress

FILE – Republican candidate for Congress Jered Bonneau sets his rifle on a table after sending a few rounds down range during a target shoot meet-and-greet with supporters on Saturday, April. 14, 2018, near Fishtrap, Wash. (Tyler Tjomsland / The Spokesman-Review)
By Jim Camden jimc@spokesman.com(509) 879-7461

Four more Republicans joined Washington’s race for U.S. Senate, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers filed for re-election and other positions on the ballot began to fill out on the second day candidates could file for office.

The number of challengers for the race at the top of the August primary ballot rose to 14, with incumbent Maria Cantwell, a Democrat, and at least one other announced Republican, Joey Gibson, still expected to file for the U.S. Senate.

McMorris Rodgers filed her paperwork, as did another Republican, Jered Bonneau, joining Democrat Lisa Brown on the ballot for Eastern Washington’s 5th Congressional District seat.

A retired Marine officer filed for a legislative seat in central Spokane’s 3rd District, making him the second political newcomer who is a veteran to announce a legislative campaign in Spokane this week.

Republican Dave Lucas, 48, will challenge incumbent Democrat Timm Ormsby for a seat in the state House of Representatives. He said the Legislature needs to do more to fight crime, help veterans and hold the line against the “overwhelming drive for more taxes.”

Lucas said he returned to Spokane after retiring from the Marine Corps as a lieutenant colonel, serves as a neighborhood council chairman and volunteers with Boy Scouts and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. It’s his first run for elective office.

Another first-time candidate, Rion Ametu, filed as a Democrat for the 6th District House seat on Monday. Ametu, 38, is a Navy veteran currently studying electrical engineering at Spokane Falls Community College. He’s also a driver for Uber and Lyft.

The Legislature needs to tackle problems with a greater sense of urgency rather than “when we get around to it,” Ametu said. He’d like to work on issues that would allow people who work full time to not be struggling to survive, supports universal health care and hopes to win in a traditionally Republican district by convincing working families he’ll work for them.

Here’s a list of candidates who filed late Monday or Tuesday for the primary ballot in Spokane:

U.S. Senate: Ron Higgins, RC Smith, GoodSpaceGuy, Matthew Heines

5th Congressional District: Jered Gavin Bonneau, incumbent Cathy McMorris Rodgers

3rd Legislative District, Position 2: Dave Lucas

Spokane County Commissioner, District 3: incumbent Al French

County Assessor: Tom Konis