Former U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton has endorsed state Rep. Jaime Herrera in her campaign for the soon-to-be vacated 3rd Congressional District seat.
Gorton, a Seattle Republican, served in the Senate from 1981 to 1987 and again from 1989 until 2001. He was narrowly defeated by Democrat Maria Cantwell in 2000 but carried Clark County that year.
In 2002, Gorton was named to the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, commonly known as the 9/11 Commission.
“Jaime Herrera will win this election and be the next member of Congress from the 3rd District,” Gorton said in a statement. “She is well-qualified and will be an effective advocate for Southwest Washington.”
Herrera, a Camas Republican, was appointed to fill a vacancy in the Legislature in late 2007 and was elected to a two-year term in 2008.
Gorton predicted in an interview that Herrera’s experience and the perceived advantage Republicans have in this year’s congressional elections will work in her favor.
“The 3rd Congressional District is certainly highly competitive between the parties, particularly in a year when no incumbent is running,” he said. “I would say a Republican candidate is slightly favored no matter who the candidates are. We have in Jaime someone who has had some experience in a congressional office” as well as in the Legislature, he said. “I find her to be very bright, very attractive and very much up on the issues.”
Herrera is locked in a tight money-raising race with Olympia financial advisor David Castillo for front-runner status among the four Republicans in the race.
Castillo announced his candidacy in June 2009, before incumbent Rep. Brian Baird said he would not seek re-election. He has raised about $104,000 to date. Herrera, who entered the race in late December, raised more than $55,000 in the final weeks of 2009, beating Castillo’s fourth-quarter number of $50,298.
Castillo campaign spokesman Bill Lohr pointed out that Castillo has been endorsed by state Attorney General Rob McKenna and 13 House Republicans who serve with Herrera.
“I think it’s more telling that of her own colleagues in the state Legislature, more of them have endorsed David,” he said.
Herrera has been endorsed by state Sen. Joe Zarelli, R-Ridgefield, and Rep. Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama, who has “co-endorsed” both candidates.
