LONGVIEW — The Association of Washington Businesses last week issued automatic endorsements for 44 incumbent members of the Legislature, including three of the Southwest Washington lawmakers running for reelection.
Sen. John Braun (R-Centralia) and Reps. Jim Walsh (R-Aberdeen) and Ed Orcutt (R-Kalama) earned support of the AWB based on their voting record, according to a news release. The two other regional incumbents, Longview Democrat Sen. Dean Takko and Aberdeen Democrat Rep. Brian Blake, did not quality for an automatic endorsement.
The AWB gives automatic endorsements to incumbent candidates with an 80 percent or higher voting record on issues of significance to employers, the release said. Additional endorsements of candidates who did not quality for an automatic endorsement and nonincumbent candidates will be made later, according to the AWB.
“Washington will be facing enormous challenges as we attempt to rebound from this pandemic and rebuild our economy,” AWB President Kris Johnson said in a statement Friday. “We need lawmakers who understand what employers are facing and are committed to taking action that will help employers get back on their feet. The candidates we are endorsing now have consistently supported a strong private sector for urban and rural Washington.”
