A new poll sponsored by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee shows the 3rd Congressional District may be more disposed to a single-payer plan as part of health care reform than anyone suspected.

Voters were asked whether they favored or opposed the reform bill passed by the U.S. Senate in December — a bill that lacked a public option. Just 39 percent of 3rd District residents said they favored the Senate bill, while 54 percent opposed it and 7 percent were undecided.

In a follow-up question, voters were asked whether they would favor or oppose “the national government offering everyone the choice of buying into a government-administered health insurance plan — something like the Medicare coverage that people 65 and older get — that would compete with private health insurance plans.”

A whopping 66 percent favored the idea, 24 percent opposed it, and 10 percent were undecided. Opinions in the 3rd District closely tracked those statewide.

The poll, conducted by the national polling firm Research 2000, sampled the views of 600 likely voters in Washington from Feb. 18 through 20. If anything, the sample was skewed toward independents and “other.” Statewide, they made up 39 percent of the sample, with 35 percent identifying themselves as Democrats and 26 percent as Republicans.

———

Rep. Jaime Herrera was steamed last week after Rep. Deb Wallace accused her of missing House floor votes for “hours on end” and asking seatmates to cast votes for her. Wallace, a Vancouver Democrat, unloaded on Herrera, a Camas Republican, shortly after pulling out of the 3rd Congressional District race and just before Herrera flew to Washington, D.C. for a fund-raising event in her own campaign for the 3rd District seat.

In a letter to campaign supporters, Herrera fumed that Wallace “has withdrawn from the race for Congress in the 3rd District but on the way out wants to throw some mud at me.”

“All of the votes I missed took place before this year, and all were excused absences,” Herrera wrote. “I missed a few votes the day my car broke down on I-5 and the others on the day I attended my grandmother’s funeral.”

Meanwhile, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has taken notice of Wallace’s claim and plans to scrutinize Herrera’s voting record more closely.

———

La Center Republican Ann Rivers said Thursday that she has raised more than $20,000 in her campaign for the 18th District seat being vacated by Herrera and now holds a “commanding lead” in the crowded race.

“With numerous fundraising events scheduled . . . from February to April . . . Ann is poised to have a very strong showing at the primary,” her campaign press release said. Raising more than twice as much as any of her competitors, “Ann has proven to be a formidable candidate in the 18th,” the statement avowed.

That may be news to fellow Republican and Washougal Mayor Pro Tem Jon Russell, who announced last week that he would abandon his congressional campaign in favor of a run at the 18th, as well as Republicans Shannon Barnett, Bob Dean and Brandon Vick, Democrat Dennis Kampe and independent Richard Carson, all of whom covet the seat.

Note to voters and candidates: The August primary is still almost six months away.

Kathie Durbin: 360-735-4523 or kathie.durbin@columbian.com.

Print this article