By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
With the primary election just two days away, already almost $40,000 has been spent in the race for Lewis County prosecutor; about half of what’s been spent on all local campaigns in Lewis County.
The challenger, Centralia defense attorney Jonathan Meyer, has raised about $28,000, compared with sitting Lewis County Prosecutor Michael Golden who has secured $19,000 plus some.
Jonathan Meyer
Golden expects his opponent to spend a lot more, he said.
“Partly, it’s easier for a challenger to stand outside and throw stones,” Golden said in an interview last month. “Anyone who’s unhappy can get behind a challenger.”
With the top two candidates advancing to the Nov. 2 general election, there’s still plenty of time for the cost of the campaigning for prosecutor to reach or surpass the more than $78,000 spent when it was also contested four years ago.
In 2006, attorney Don Blair spent almost twice as much as Golden.
Michael Golden
Yesterday’s numbers from the state Public Disclosure Commission include reports filed by both candidates last week.
Created in the early 1970s, the commission collects and distributes information about the financing of political activities in the state of Washington among its other responsibilities related to the Open Government Act.
According to the PDC reports available yesterday, Meyer has a balance of about $5,000 while the rural Chehalis incumbent had less than $16.
Both men, both Republicans, have spent some of their own money, although Golden has spent more, adding about $3,000 to $4,000 to his own coffers.
“I put in quite a bit of my own money and I’ll probably put in more, because I believe in what I do,” Golden said.
Meyer, who announced his intention to run late last year and kicked off his campaign in late April, last month said he was pleasantly surprised by the generosity of people.
“It’s a humbling experience,” Meyer said. “It’s the only way to describe it; people willing to put their money on the line for me.”
Against the advice of campaign professionals, the 38-year-old is sending handwritten thank you notes to every donor.
His biggest contributor is $5,000 from his partner Don McConnell at McConnell, Meyer and Associates. The PDC shows a hand full of $1,000 donations and another handful of $500 contributors.
Golden’s reports show $1,000 from Gail Wallace of Toledo and $1,000 from Don Wallace. The largest number of Golden contributors have given between $50 and $100.
Golden, 45, began his campaign later, and he said he was very appreciative of those who supported his kickoff.
A lot of businesses donated items and services, he said. “I know it’s hard for them, and that means a lot to me.”
In the past two weeks or so, supporters of both men have offered their thoughts on their preferred candidate.
Attorney David Brown is one of Meyer’s supporters.
He represents criminal defendants in his private practice in Centralia, a place where he has worked as a lawyer for almost 20 years.
Brown sees Meyer as a friend, a good attorney who understands the law and someone who capably handles a number different types of cases. He feels Meyer’s leadership style and delegation skills would be a welcome change from his current dealings with the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office.
“I’m finding chaos,” Brown said. “It’s been the worst three and a half years.”
He said it’s hard for him to be critical of Golden, because he doesn’t know him, but the office isn’t working, in Brown’s view.
“And it’s too bad, because I think he’s got some pretty good deputies,” he added.
Meyer counts among his supporters some former Lewis County deputy prosecutors, other lawyers and he is endorsed by the sheriff’s deputies and corrections officers who work for Lewis County. But he also has a variety of others such as elected Lewis County treasurer Rose Bowman and Chehalis city council member Chad Taylor.
Longtime former Centralia city council member Dan Keahey is one of them. He’s known Meyer about three years.
The realtor for Coldwell Banker Kline and Associates appreciates Meyer as a person of integrity, a hard worker and someone who is active in his church, the Centralia Christian School and the community.
“It’s important to have good role models and he is that,” Keahey said. “Jonathan is just an amazing guy.”
Keahey was once also president of the private school, and sits on boards for Lewis County Economic Council and the Port of Centralia. He’s not so involved in the legal community but he and Meyer are lately racquetball partners. He praises what he knows of Meyer’s record as a lawyer.
“He’s doing a great job for his clients, if he’s winning,” Keahey said.
Golden has the support of individuals such as state Representative Gary Alexander, Napavine Mayor Nick Bozarth and Chehalis dentist Dr. John Henricksen. Two attorneys from the Chehalis firm of Vander Stoep, Remund, Blinks and Jones spoke about Golden on Friday.
“I’m definitely a supporter,” J. Vander Stoep said of Golden.
Vander Stoep has been active in the past in Republican campaigns, in particular he was the general consultant for Dino Rossi’s two runs for governor.
“As a father of three daughters living here, I want a prosecutor aggressively working to put bad people behind bars, and he does that,” Vander Stoep said.
While the Chehalis attorney doesn’t do criminal law, he has worked with the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office on what he calls the vital issues of land use and flood control. He said he’s never seen in his 17 years as a civil matters lawyer, an elected prosecutor in Lewis County so focused on that side of the job.
“His office has been working every day on the side of property owners, flood victims and tax payers and doing an outstanding job,” Vander Stoep said.
One of his partners Rene Remund speaks of the importance of the civil issues the county government faces even more vividly.
The west end of the county, its heart, is facing economic destruction if the flooding issue isn’t solved, Remund said. No matter how well intentioned Meyer may be, these are complex issues Golden has been been dealing with the past three years, Remund said.
“I suspect he’d have to start from scratch and time is what we don’t have,” Remund said.
Remund said he has watched prosecutors come and go during his 26 years of practicing law in Lewis County. He’s not keen on someone leading the criminal side of the office who leans too heavily towards defense or towards law enforcement. The prosecutor holds enormous power, he said.
“The prosecuting attorney is the gatekeeper of justice in Lewis County,” he said. “The gatekeeper needs to be fair and independent.”
Ballots for the primary election must be postmarked by Tuesday or may be dropped off at the Lewis County Auditors Office before 8 p.m. that night.
The primary will determine two Court of Appeals positions, one of which represents Lewis and surrounding counties. For information about judicial races, check Voting for Judges.org.
Lewis County Fire District 5 is asking for a levy lid lift to support the department which protects the greater Napavine area.
Preliminary election results should be available online shortly after 8 p.m. at the Auditors Office website.
Quick details on the prosecutor candidates
Who: Jonathan Meyer
Political party: Republican
How old: 38
Home: Born Granite City, Ill. and raised in New Lennox, Ill. until eighth grade then family moved to Aberdeen. Moved to Olympia during college and then to Centralia where he bought a home in 1999.
Profession: Lawyer
Education: A.A. Grays Harbor Community College; B.A. St. Martin’s University 1995, major of political science; law school, Seattle University (Tacoma campus) 1998, juris doctorate
Previous political experience: none unless you count student body representative in eighth grade and then selected by secret ballot to become president of Lewis County Bar, until the end of this year
Campaign manager: Brittany Voie, of Voie Media Development
Campaign treasurer: wife Michelle Meyer
Money raised for campaign: $28,544
Family: Married wife Michelle in 1991, two daughters; Payton, 10, and Emily, 8. Has several older half and step siblings, but raised like an only child
Websites: on Facebook at “jonathan meyer for lewis county prosecutor” and www.meyerforprosecutor.com/
Who: L. Michael Golden
Political party: Republican
How old: 45
Home: Born in Mississippi and grew up in Pullman. As an adult moved to Tacoma. Moved to Lewis County in 2003, briefly back to Tacoma, and then to rural Chehalis in 2005.
Profession: Lawyer
Education: B.A. Washington State University 1993, major of political science, graduated summa cum laude; law school Seattle University (Tacoma campus) 1996, juris doctorate
Previous political experience: won a contested race in 2006 to become Lewis County prosecutor
Campaign manager: wife Lisa Golden
Campaign treasurer: wife Lisa Golden
Money raised for campaign: $19,182
Family: Married wife Lisa in 1990, divorced and remarried Lisa in May 2008; two sons, Conor, 11, and Ryan, 9.
Websites: on Facebook at “re-elect Michael Golden” and www.goldenforprosecutor.com
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Full disclosure: Jonathan Meyer’s campaign manager Brittany Voie is signed up as the individual who handles advertising for Lewis County Sirens.
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Coming on another day: More about the two men running for Lewis County prosecutor; what they say makes them best qualified for the office.
Also coming later: Who are those two men who want to be Lewis County coroner?
To read about Sheriff Steve Mansfield’s seat as Lewis County sheriff being challenged by deputy Sgt. Ken Cheeseman, click here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter