Lieutenant Governor

Democratic Lieutenant Gov. Brad Owen is seeking a fourth term and is facing Republican challenger Marcia McCraw, a lawyer with experience in the public and private sector.

The lieutenant governor is the presiding officer of the state Senate and serves as chairman of the Economic Development &International Relations Committee in the Legislature. The four-year post pays $93,948 annually.

Owen, a Shelton resident, won his first term in 1996 following a 20-year career as a legislator, six years in the House of Representatives and 14 years in the Senate.

He is running on a record of promoting overseas trade and economic development. In 2008, he received the order of knighthood from the King of Spain for his work with that country.

McCraw, a Seattle resident, is making her first run for statewide office. She served on the Makiki Council in Hawaii and says she speaks Mandarin Chinese and conversational French and Spanish.

She promotes her ability to foster overseas trade and wants to use state resources and technology to assist organizations find needed volunteers.

Treasurer

Republican Allan Martin and Democrat Jim McIntire are vying to succeed state Treasurer Mike Murphy.

The state treasurer provides banking, cash management, investment, and accounting services for state government. The four-year term carries a salary of $116,950 a year.

Martin, of Tumwater, is currently the assistant state treasurer. He has been endorsed by Murphy, who is a Democrat.

Martin, a former funeral director and mortgage banker, was the elected treasurer of Chelan County from 1993-1998. He served as deputy state treasurer for debt management in 1999 before becoming assistant treasurer.

Jim McIntire, of Seattle, is in his 10th year as a state representative. An economist, he is the chairman of the bipartisan Economic and Revenue Forecast Council and a former House Finance Committee chairman.

McIntire was a sponsor of legislation creating the state’s emergency “rainy day” fund.

Auditor

Republican Dick McEntee, a former Nalley’s Fine Foods executive, is attempting to unseat Democrat Brian Sonntag for the state auditor position.

The Office of State Auditor conducts financial audits of cities, counties, special districts, school districts and all state agencies. It carries out fraud and whistleblower investigations and prepares performance audits of state agencies and local governments.

The four-year term pays $116,950 annually.

Sonntag, a Tacoma resident, is a former Pierce County Auditor and was elected to his current position in 1982. He campaigns on his role in turning an obscure bureaucracy into a voice for protecting the interests of taxpayers.

McEntee, a University Place resident, is a former Fircrest City Councilmember and is currently an executive with an Edmonds-based investment advisory firm. This is his second run for the office. He lost to Sonntag in 2000.

Attorney General

Democrat John Ladenburg, the Pierce County executive and former county prosecutor, is trying to unseat Republican Attorney General Rob McKenna.

The attorney general is the state’s chief legal officer and provides legal advice to more than 230 state agencies, boards and commissions. The position also promotes open government and consumer protection.

The four-year term pays $151,718 a year.

McKenna, a Bellevue resident, served three terms on the King County Council before his election as attorney general in 2004.

He’s campaigned on his record of seeking laws for tougher punishment of sex offenders, clamping down on identity thieves and eradicating the making and distribution of methamphetamine.

Ladenburg, who lives in Tacoma, served on the Tacoma City Council and 14 years as the elected prosecuting attorney of Pierce County. He is in second term as county executive.

In his bid, he cites his role in writing the state’s first sex offender monitoring legislation while prosecuting attorney. He’s also pledged to be more aggressive than McKenna in fighting identity theft and prosecuting polluters.

Commissioner of Public Lands

Republican Commissioner of Public Lands Doug Sutherland is attempting to fend off a challenge from Democrat Peter Goldmark.

The position is responsible for protection of natural resources and management of 5.6 million acres of state-owned and trust lands that generate revenue for schools, counties, and state agencies. The four-year term pays $121,618 annually.

Sutherland, a Lacey resident, is seeking a third term. He is a former Tacoma mayor and Pierce County executive.

He cites as one of his top successes creation of a forestry plan that protects old growth forests and expands salmon habitat in thousands of miles of forest streams.

Goldmark, an Okanogan rancher, is a former regent of Washington State University who ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2006.

In his campaign, he says he wants the state to end its overharvesting of forests. He also says he will work to ensure when public lands are offered for sale or trade that organizations interested in conserving the acreage will have a chance to bid.

Secretary of State

Republican Secretary of State Sam Reed is vying with Democrat Jason Osgood for the position, which pays $116,950 a year.

The secretary of state is the state’s chief elections officer, chief corporations officer and supervisor of the State Archives.

Reed, of Olympia, is seeking a third term. He formerly served 22 years as Thurston County Auditor.

In his tenure, he’s overseen creation of a statewide voter database, launch of online voter registration and implementation of the voter-approved “top two” primary.

Osgood, of Seattle, is a professional software engineer who in 2005 co-founded the watchdog group, Washington Citizens for Fair Elections.

He’s campaigned on a series of reforms including audits of each elections and universal voter registration in which every eligible citizen will be registered to vote by default, with the option to opt out.

Insurance Commissioner

Democratic Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler is attempting to hold onto his position against Republican challenger John R. Adams.

This $116,950-a-year position is responsible for overseeing the insurance industry. The agency tests, licenses and monitors individuals and businesses that handle insurance in the state and license and audit the 56 insurance companies based in Washington.

Kreidler, a Lacey resident and former U.S. congressman, is seeking a third four-year term as insurance commissioner.

He’s campaigned on his record, citing successful efforts to cut excessive insurance rate increases, assist consumers recover delayed payments on their insurance policies and push for legislation restoring regulation of individual health insurance policies

Adams, a Bellevue area resident, has owned an insurance brokerage firm, Seattle General Agency Inc., for 20 years.

His campaign Web site says he will seek a performance audit of the agency and to work to “reduce the over-regulation that is stifling business and consumers at all levels of our society.”

From Herald staff reports