Grays Harbor Democrats don't endorse Dicks

Rep. Norm DicksThe Grays Harbor County Democrats met last week as usual, but when the meeting ended something stood out quite glaringly. The Aberdeen Daily World is reporting that the group decided not to endorse their sitting Democratic U.S. Representative, Belfair's Norm Dicks.

Dicks has consistently won elections by wide margins in his thirty-one year electoral career. Many Democrats at the meeting cited Dicks' support for funding the war in Iraq as a reason not to officially endorse him. Dicks voted for authorization of the war, but has since voiced the need to bring it to an end. Still, as with most Democrats, he votes to fund it.

"I've got three words for you," Grays Harbor Democratic Chairwoman Dolores Cobb told the Daily World. "The Iraq War. They feel Congressman Dicks is supporting Bush and every time he votes for additional funding, the hairs on their neck go up. And that's basically it."

Despite the lack of endorsement from the county party, where 11 of the 25 yea votes fell short of the necessary two-thirds majority, and two challengers from the left this cycle including Port Townsend Democrat Paul Richmond, Dicks feels he has the support of the people.

"If there's one county I have faith in, it's the people of Grays Harbor, who, two years ago, gave me a 73.1 percent majority to win," Dicks said. "We work really hard there. ... I get stronger support in Grays Harbor than Bremerton and Tacoma."