Smith on Politics: Ronald Wastewater District incumbents faring poorly in primary

By Evan Smith

The primary election results have not been kind to incumbents in the Ronald Wastewater District.

Longtime incumbent board member Arthur Wadekamper apparently has been eliminated as results posted through Thursday evening showed him trailing two challengers, and appointed incumbent Richard Matthews apparently will head for the November general election in second place behind engineer George Webster.

Challenger Craig Degginger announced Thursday that he would endorse Webster.

Thursday returns showed Wadekamper trailing challengers Gretchen Atkinson and Ginny Scantlebury for a six-year term for the position that Wadekamper won without opposition in 2001 and 2007, and Matthews headed for a November runoff with Webster for a six-year term that begins at the end of the year and the last month of the term that Matthews holds by appointment.

Matthews won appointment to one of two new positions that the board created when it expanded from three members to five after former Commissioner Arne Lind lost to former Shoreline City Councilman Bob Ransom in the 2011 election.

Issues in both 2011 and 2013 have centered on whether the City of Shoreline should absorb the Wastewater District.

Here are primary results posted Thursday:

Ronald Wastewater District Commissioner, Pos. 2

Candidate Votes Percentage

Gretchen Atkinson 2,829 35.73%

Ginny Scantlebury 2,738 34.58%

Arthur Wadekamper 2,301 29.06%

Write In 49 0.62%

Ronald Wastewater District Commissioner Pos. 4

Candidate Votes Percentage

George Webster 3,066 39.26%

Richard Matthews 2,876 36.83%

Craig Degginger 1,820 23.31%

Write In 47 0.60%