King County Republican Party officials and Republicans statewide plan to hold caucuses March 3. Interest in the caucuses is high, party officials said, amid a spirited nomination battle.

In King County, GOP leaders plan to group multiple precincts at central caucus locations. (Downtown Issaquah residents, for instance, should gather at Issaquah Valley Elementary School.) The consolidation is meant to reduce confusion among potential caucusgoers.

Officials organized caucus sites at locations throughout the 5th Legislative District — schools and a community hall. The district stretches from Issaquah to the Snoqualmie Pass, and from Sammamish to Maple Valley.

The rough-and-tumble contest for the GOP nomination means Washington could offer a crucial boost to a candidate. In 2008, Democrats still faced a nomination clash between Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton, but John McCain emerged as the presumptive Republican nominee long before the Evergreen State caucuses.

“Washington is generally out of the loop,” Issaquah political consultant Terry LaBrue said. “The northwest corner of the U.S. is considered deep blue country. We’re not a player.”

But the potential for a long road to the nomination — and a chance to put a stamp on the state-by-state campaign — boosted voter interest.

“Fortunately or unfortunately, it seems as though everything for politics has kicked into gear six months early,” said Bob Brunjes, 5th District GOP chairman and a Snoqualmie resident. “We’re getting unprecedented calls. People are calling and wanting to know where to go and wanting to know what the process is.”

State legislators suspended the 2012 presidential primary in order to save the cash-strapped state about $10 million, although the primary generated more interest among voters.

In 2008, fewer than 100,000 people participated in caucuses statewide, but 1.4 million voters cast ballots in the primary.

(Local Democrats plan to hold caucuses April 15, but Obama does not face a challenge for the nomination.)

Come caucus Saturday, participants select a candidate in a straw poll and then elect candidate delegates to the county convention. The straw poll is meant as a snapshot of candidates’ support. The delegates elected to the convention determine actual support.

State GOP leaders use results from caucuses and party conventions to gauge support for candidates, and then — at the state convention — elect delegates to the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla.

The local party is planning for the caucus crowd to double from 2008. Organizers also expect to see a shift in caucusgoers.

“The demographic is a lot younger now,” Brunjes said. “It truly is the moms and dads in their late 30s and early 40s. They’re much more involved than they ever have been.”

The local affair differs from the most-celebrated caucus: Iowa, a quadrennial kickoff for presidential nomination clashes.

“We don’t have the candidates out here. We don’t have $6 million in television advertising. We don’t have the satellite TV dishes or the candidates’ buses,” LaBrue said. “It’s really low-key.”

How voters choose candidates is universal. Organizers said most caucusgoers conduct research beforehand and arrive prepared to discuss a chosen candidate.

“There are some people that philosophically support certain things. Some people support personalities. Some people decide on the spot — or change their mind,” LaBrue said. “I mean, it’s all possible.”

Warren Kagarise: 392-6434, ext. 234, or wkagarise@isspress.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.

King County Elections mailed 186,500 ballots for a half dozen special districts late last month, and officials expect voters to return almost 71,000 ballots in the Feb. 14 election.

In the Issaquah area, Fire District 10 officials asked citizens to decide on a $5.5 million bond to fund a fire station replacement and other capital projects. The district — a partner in Eastside Fire & Rescue — includes Klahanie, May Valley, Preston and Tiger Mountain in the Issaquah area, plus Carnation in rural King County.

Fire District 10 officials said a fire station built in May Valley could improve response times for rural residents and alleviate the workload for Fire Station 71 along East Sunset Way in downtown Issaquah — a station responsible for serving many neighborhoods inside city limits.

The district joins a handful of school districts elsewhere in placing a measure before the electorate in the special election.

Combined, “we project a turnout of 38 percent for this election,” Elections Director Sherril Huff said in a statement. “Special elections typically have a smaller turnout, however, the decisions being made address important issues in communities. We encourage voters to take the time to vote.”

Officials said about 18,000 voters returned ballots during the initial week of voting.

Issaquah City Hall, 130 E. Sunset Way, is a ballot drop box location. The deadline to return a ballot to a drop box is 8 p.m. Feb. 14. If a voter decides to submit a ballot by mail instead, the ballot must be postmarked by the same day.

If a voter has lost or misplaced a ballot, he or she should contact the elections office ASAP for information about voting options. Call the voter hotline at 206-296-8683.

Officials also opened a polling location for disabled voters — or accessible voting center — at the elections office, 919 S.W. Grady Way, Renton.

The deadline for people to register in person to vote in the Feb. 14 special election is Monday.

Many Issaquah-area residents received ballots late last month as Fire District 10 asks voters to approve a bond for a replacement fire station meant to improve response times.

Officials said a fire station built in May Valley could improve response times for rural residents and alleviate the workload for Fire Station 71 along East Sunset Way in downtown Issaquah — a station responsible for serving many neighborhoods inside city limits.

The district is asking voters to approve a $5.5 million bond to fund a rebuilt Station 78 and improvements to other fire stations throughout the sprawling district. The price tag for the rebuilt station alone is expected to reach $4.5 million.

Fire District 10 is the Eastside Fire & Rescue partner serving residents in Klahanie, May Valley, Preston and Tiger Mountain in the Issaquah area, plus Carnation in rural King County. The district encompasses about 130 square miles and about 28,000 people.

State law requires the Fire District 10 bond measure to receive a 60 percent yes vote from at least 4,418 voters.

“Register to vote so you can participate in the Feb. 14 Special Election,” Elections Director Sherril Huff said in a statement. “Once you’re registered, you’ll have the opportunity to vote in upcoming elections and help shape the future of your community.”

People can also register in person at King County Elections from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 919 S.W. Grady Way, Renton. Or register in person at the Voter Registration Annex in the King County Administration Building, 500 Fourth Ave., Room 311, Seattle. The annex is open from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2-4:30 p.m.

In order to register as a Washington voter, a person must be a U.S. citizen, a Washington resident, at least 18 by Election Day and not under the authority of the state Department of Corrections.

In Washington, voters do not register by political party or declare political party membership to vote.

Learn more about the process at the King County Elections registration website, www.kingcounty.gov/elections/registration.

On Jan. 25, King County Elections mailed ballots and voters’ pamphlets to Fire District 10 voters. The district, plus a handful of school districts elsewhere in King County, is placing a measure before the electorate.

Fire District 10 serves residents in Klahanie, May Valley, Preston and Tiger Mountain in the Issaquah area, plus Carnation in rural King County.

The ballot measure asks voters to approve a 20-year, $5.5 million bond to fund a rebuilt Eastside Fire & Rescue Station 78 and improvements to other fire stations throughout the sprawling district. The price tag for the rebuilt station alone is expected to reach $4.5 million.

Though initial information from EFR and earlier reports listed the cost of the bond to property owners as 9 cents per $100,000 in assessed value, the bond instead calls for them to pay 9 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value — or about $3 per month for a home assessed at $400,000.

The existing Station 78 is located at the district’s western edge, just outside Renton. (Fire District 10 is a partner in EFR, a regional emergency response agency.)

Because Fire District 10 officials requested a voters’ pamphlet for the special election, voters should receive the guide in the same envelope as ballots. King County Elections also posted the measure information in a digital guide available online.

Voting starts as soon as residents receive ballots. The elections office is opening a ballot drop box at Issaquah City Hall for the special election.

Ballots must be postmarked by Feb. 14, or slipped into a ballot drop box by 8 p.m. the same day.

“Make sure to return your ballot before the deadline — the earlier, the better,” Elections Director Sherril Huff said in a statement. “Ballot drop boxes are available to return a ballot without postage, or you can return your ballot by mail. First-class stamp prices just went up, so please be sure to use sufficient postage.”

Warren Kagarise: 392-6434, ext. 234, or wkagarise@isspress.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.

The independent candidate eschewed a party label for the latest run, but said voters seek a candidate unattached to the political establishment in either party.

“The reasons I ran in 2006 are the same reasons I am running today, bitter partisan politics have destroyed Congress’s ability to accomplish anything for the American people,” he said in a statement. “The only way to break the cycle of pain is to elect more independents that are willing to represent their constituents in Congress and not their political party or special interest groups.”

Ishmael faltered in the contests against the incumbent Democrat, garnering 32 percent against Inslee in 2006 and 2008 — both strong years for Democrats in Washington and nationwide. Inslee is running for governor against Republican state Attorney General Rob McKenna.

The former Issaquah Chamber of Commerce chairman opted not to run against Inslee in 2010, and instead focused on doctoral studies in economics at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa.

In 2010, GOP candidate James Watkins received 42 percent against Inslee.

Ishmael served on the school board in 2003, and served as board president in 2004 and 2005. Then, he resigned in August 2006 amid a run for Congress. (Brian Deagle, a Sammamish resident and attorney, succeeded Ishmael.)

In the latest run for Congress, Ishmael faces a crowded field in the race for the seat, as candidates clamor to run for the open seat on a reshaped political map. The redrawn district stretches northward from Redmond through King, Snohomish, Skagit and Whatcom counties.

The field includes the challengers to U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert in 2006, 2008 and 2010 — Democrats Darcy Burner and Suzan DelBene — plus John Koster, the GOP challenger to incumbent Democrat Rick Larsen in a close 2010 contest.

Redistricting shifted Koster from Larsen’s 2nd Congressional District. The change also bounced Burner and DelBene from Reichert’s 8th Congressional District into the 1st District. (Issaquah remains in a more rural 8th District under the redrawn map.)

Other Democrats in the 1st District race include former state Rep. Laura Ruderman, state Rep. Roger Goodman, state Sen. Steve Hobbs and businessman Darshan Rauniyar.

Warren Kagarise: 392-6434, ext. 234, or wkagarise@isspress.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.

The measure is meant to generate dollars to rebuild Clark and Sunny Hills elementary schools and Issaquah Middle School, modernize Liberty High School and relocate Tiger Mountain Community High School.

Officials also plan to use bond funds to improve districtwide heating and ventilation, space and security; and improve athletic fields and stadiums. (Clark Elementary School, Issaquah Middle School and Tiger Mountain Community High School sit inside Issaquah city limits.)

The bond measure is due to appear on the April 17 ballot.

In the meantime, council members agreed Jan. 26 to hold a public hearing Feb. 21 to discuss possible support for the bond. Citizens can comment on the bond at the 7:30 p.m. council meeting in the Council Chambers at City Hall South, 135 E. Sunset Way.

Larry Ishmael, a former Issaquah School Board member and Republican challenger to U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee in 2006 and 2008, is running for Congress in the redrawn 1st Congressional District.

The independent candidate eschewed a party label for the latest run, but said voters seek a candidate unattached to the political establishment in either party.

“The reasons I ran in 2006 are the same reasons I am running today, bitter partisan politics have destroyed Congress’s ability to accomplish anything for the American people,” he said in a statement. “The only way to break the cycle of pain is to elect more independents that are willing to represent their constituents in Congress and not their political party or special interest groups.”

Ishmael faltered in the contests against the incumbent Democrat, garnering 32 percent against Inslee in 2006 and 2008 — both strong years for Democrats in Washington and nationwide. Inslee is running for governor against Republican state Attorney General Rob McKenna.

The former Issaquah Chamber of Commerce chairman opted not to run against Inslee in 2010, and instead focused on doctoral studies in economics at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa.

In 2010, GOP candidate James Watkins received 42 percent against Inslee.

Ishmael served on the school board from 2003, and served as board president in 2004 and 2005. Then, he resigned in August 2006 amid a run for Congress. (Brian Deagle, a Sammamish resident and attorney, succeeded Ishmael.)

In the latest run for Congress, Ishmael faces a crowded field in the race for the seat, as candidates clamor to run for the open seat on a reshaped political map. The redrawn district stretches northward from Redmond through King, Snohomish, Skagit and Whatcom counties.

The field includes the challengers to U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert in 2006, 2008 and 2010 — Democrats Darcy Burner and Suzan DelBene — plus John Koster, the GOP challenger to incumbent Democrat Rick Larsen in a close 2010 contest.

Redistricting shifted Koster from Larsen’s 2nd Congressional District. The change also bounced Burner and DelBene from Reichert’s 8th Congressional District into the 1st District. (Issaquah remains in a more rural 8th District under the redrawn map.)

Other Democrats in the 1st District race include former state Rep. Laura Ruderman, state Rep. Roger Goodman, state Sen. Steve Hobbs and businessman Darshan Rauniyar.

Voters in communities just outside Issaquah — Klahanie, Mirrormont, Preston and more — should receive ballots soon for a Feb. 14 special election.

On Wednesday, King County Elections mailed ballots and voters’ pamphlets Fire District 10 voters. The district, plus a handful of school districts elsewhere in King County, is placing a measure before the electorate.

Fire District 10 serves residents in Klahanie, May Valley, Preston and Tiger Mountain in the Issaquah area, plus Carnation in rural King County.

The ballot measure in Fire District 10 asks voters to consider a $5.5 million bond meant to build a fire station in May Valley, closer to more district residents.

The existing facility for the area, Eastside Fire & Rescue Station 78, is located at the district’s western edge, just outside Renton. (Fire District 10 is a partner in EFR, a regional emergency response agency.)

Because Fire District 10 officials requested a voters’ pamphlet for the special election, voters should receive the guide in the same envelope as ballots. King County Elections also posted the measure information in a digital guide.

Voting starts as soon as residents return ballots. The elections office is opening a ballot drop box at Issaquah City Hall, 130 E. Sunset Way, Thursday for the special election.

Ballots must be postmarked by Feb. 14, or slipped into a ballot drop box by 8 p.m. the same day.

“Make sure to return your ballot before the deadline — the earlier, the better,” Elections Director Sherril Huff said in a statement. “Ballot drop boxes are available to return a ballot without postage, or you can return your ballot by mail. First class stamp prices just went up, so please be sure to use sufficient postage.”

By Dona Mokin

Officials said a fire station built in May Valley could improve response times for rural residents and alleviate the workload for Fire Station 71 along East Sunset Way in downtown Issaquah — a station responsible for serving many neighborhoods inside city limits.

In a measure put before voters in a Feb. 14 special election, the district is asking voters to approve a $5.5 million bond to fund a rebuilt Station 78 and improvements to other fire stations throughout the sprawling district. The price tag for the rebuilt station alone is expected to reach $4.5 million.

Ballots should start to reach residents in unincorporated King County near Issaquah after Jan. 25.

Fire District 10 is the Eastside Fire & Rescue partner serving residents in Klahanie, May Valley, Preston and Tiger Mountain in the Issaquah area, plus Carnation in rural King County. The district encompasses about 130 square miles and about 28,000 people.

Officials plan to use bond dollars to relocate crews from Fire Station 78 from 16135 S.E. 113th Place near Renton to a modern facility at a more central location at Southeast May Valley Road and 207th Avenue Southeast.

“We’re looking particularly at the ability to serve a greater number of people,” EFR Chief Lee Soptich said. “It’s a one-time investment — that’s how we look at it.”

Rick Gaines, Fire District 10 Commission chairman, said a fire station just outside Renton city limits means longer response times for residents deeper inside the rural district.

“It doesn’t serve our citizens well because the response times are skewed to the far western part of our response area,” he said.

No organized opposition to the bond materialized by late January. The local voters’ guide for District 10 residents does not include a statement against the proposal.

“This is a difficult time to go to the voters,” Soptich said. “What we’re hoping is that the voters will look at us as we’ve been pretty good stewards of the dollars and we believe the service level is well-received and appreciated. We don’t go to the voters very darn often, and when we do, we try to make sure that it’s for the least amount.”

If voters approve the 20-year bond, homeowners should pay about 9 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value — or about $3 per month for a home assessed at $400,000. The district last asked voters to approve a bond in the mid-1990s.

“The district historically doesn’t very often ask for bond money,” Gaines said. “We’ve only done it when we have a need.”

Changes in boundaries

The area served by Station 78 shrank in recent years as Renton annexed unincorporated King County land and population growth occurred elsewhere in Fire District 10. Renton Fire Station 16 is about a mile south of the existing Station 78.

“It used to be a larger area to the west that that station protected, but Renton has annexed much of that area,” EFR Deputy Chief Bud Backer said.

Officials said a relocated Station 78 should mean faster response times for residents in the May Valley and Tiger Mountain areas. Under the existing arrangement, units from Station 71 in downtown Issaquah serve calls in the unincorporated area.

“This relocation of the station, what it does for District 10 is improve response times for people,” Soptich said. “For the city of Issaquah, it provides them an opportunity to keep a resource in their city more often, where the likelihood of it being used is great.”

Funding from the bond is also meant to shore up existing facilities throughout Fire District 10. The to-do includes upgrades to the cramped volunteer Fire Station 76 on Tiger Mountain, plus improvements to volunteer Fire Station 74 in Preston. Officials could also use bond dollars to cover earlier upgrades to Fire Station 86 near Carnation.

“We are asking for a little bit more than just the station costs,” Gaines said.

The bond proposal does not include annual operating costs for firefighting equipment.

Construction should start on Station 78 in May Valley next year, although improvements to other Fire District 10 facilities could start in the months ahead.

The district intends to “to take advantage of lower construction costs in order to provide that as an optimum location to provide shorter response times to a larger number of people,” Backer said.

If the bond measure passes and the district builds a fire station in May Valley, officials could list the facility for sale. In June 2011, the district had the facility appraised at $250,000.

The independent Washington Surveying & Rating Bureau, a nonprofit organization responsible for providing property underwriting and rating information for the insurance industry, puts homes within five road miles of a fire station in a different category than more distant dwellings.

Officials said the decision to build a replacement fire station, rather than add a station and maintain the existing Station 78, is a smarter fiscal decision.

“Rather than build another fire station and staff another fire station, it’s just far more prudent to build a fire station and move the staff so that we can avoid additional annual expenses,” Soptich said.

Warren Kagarise: 392-6434, ext. 234, or wkagarise@isspress.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.

Rep. Glenn Anderson

The formal announcement had been expected for days, after the Fall City Republican said he did not intend to run for another term in November.

Anderson joins a crowded field angling to fill the state’s No. 2 job. Incumbent Lt. Gov. Brad Owen, a Democrat, also faces challenges from former GOP State Sen. Bill Finkbeiner and independent candidate Mark Greene, a Newcastle resident.

“We all know that our nation and state face exceptionally challenging circumstances. This situation requires very hard work and creativity to recapture the American dream in Washington,” Anderson said in a statement. “Olympia must step out of its comfort zone of bending to organized special interests — of both the left and the right — to empower the greater, common good.”

Anderson outlined a campaign focused on education, economic development and spending issues.

The longtime lawmaker said he plans to start campaigning for the post after the legislative session concludes in March, although special sessions to address the state budget gap could shift the schedule. (Legislators returned to Olympia on Jan. 9 for the 2012 regular session.)

State law prohibits campaign fundraising for lawmakers and other elected state officials 30 days before a regular legislative session, and during the session.

Chad Magendanz, a Republican and the Issaquah School Board president, entered the race Jan. 5 to succeed Anderson in the House of Representatives.