Candidates appear for legislative seats

With the resignation of Brian Hatfield from his seat in the Washington State Senate, political figures are starting to maneuver to fill the positions.

Representative Dean Takko has announced he will be a candidate for appointment to fill the Hatfield vacancy. That would leave a vacancy in one of District 19's two representatives to the House of Representatives.

Precinct committee officers from Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, Pacific and Grays Harbor counties will meet later this month to nominate names to fill the position. Those nominations will go to a joint meeting of the boards of commissioners from the counties who will make the appointment. The positions will appear on the 2016 election ballots.

Wahkiakum County Commissioner Blair Brady, who is also a Democrat precinct committee officer, said they'll nominate three people for each of the two positions. Assuming Takko is appointed to the Senate, the commissioners will ready nominations to fill Takko's House seat.

Two people have contacted The Eagle to say they would be candidates to fill the potential House vacancy.

One is J.D. Rossetti of Longview. Rosetti owns a website design firm and has provided campaign management for candidates including Hatfield, Takko and Rep. Brian Blake. Rosetti also serves as a legislative assistant for Blake. He has been a member of the boards of directors of the Longview School District and Cowlitz/Wahkiakum United Way.

A second is Long Beach Peninsula resident Jim Sayce. He is a member of the board of directors, and has been active in, the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, directing projects and fund raising. He is also a former community development director for the City of Long Beach, a former member of the Ocean Beach School District board of directors, and he was executive director of the Pacific Council of Governments.