Water, Power, and the Fight for Local Control in the 13th District
As the November 3 deadline for ballots approaches, voters in Central Washington’s 13th Legislative District are weighing two distinct visions for the future of their region. The race for the Position 2 seat pits Republican candidate Deanna Martinez, a former city council member, against Joshua Thompson, a current Ellensburg city council member. Their contest, detailed in a recent report by the Columbia Basin Herald, centers on a fundamental tension: how much influence should the state capital in Olympia hold over the agricultural and economic heart of Washington?
The 13th District is a landscape defined by its diversity, encompassing sprawling agricultural basins, small towns, and burgeoning population centers. For voters, the stakes are tangible. The candidates’ responses highlight a divide over whether the state government is an essential partner in regional development or a source of burdensome, one-size-fits-all regulation that ignores the distinct realities of Central Washington.
The Water Security Crisis
Water stands as the primary issue for both candidates, reflecting the ongoing struggle against multi-year droughts and the pressure of competing demands from farms and growing urban areas. Thompson, who brings a background in business and technology consulting to the race, points to the threat of early water shutoffs and the economic fallout of fallowing farmland. He advocates for the acceleration of the Odessa Groundwater Replacement Project and the protection of senior water rights, emphasizing that energy and water policy must account for the specific needs of the Yakima and Columbia basins.
Martinez shares this focus on the essential nature of water, describing it as the region's "life source." She centers her platform on a commitment to coordinate with state and federal agencies to ensure funding for the Columbia Basin Project and the Odessa Groundwater Replacement Project continues, positioning herself as a candidate who will use her existing relationships within the Republican caucus to advocate for the district’s interests.
State Law Threatens Local Electricity Reliability and Costs
The conversation shifts significantly when discussing the role of state law in local affairs. Thompson argues that the Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA) represents a major policy failure for the region. Because CETA mandates a transition to non-emitting electricity by 2045, Thompson contends it fails to recognize the importance of the region’s hydropower resources, creating reliability risks for local utilities and increasing costs for the agriculture and data center sectors.
In his response to the Columbia Basin Herald, Thompson argued that rural communities should not pay the price for one-size-fits-all mandates that ignore their economy and geography.
Martinez takes a similar stance against state-level intervention, specifically calling for the repeal of the natural gas ban. She argues that the agricultural sector serves as the region’s economic engine and that reducing the tax burden on businesses is the most effective way to stimulate job growth. For Martinez, the core of the conflict is a lack of local representation, asserting that legislators from the west side of the state often lack the necessary understanding of the 13th District’s specific challenges.
The Fiscal Debate
When it comes to the state budget, the candidates emphasize fiscal restraint. Thompson highlights that state spending has increased by 114% over the last decade, reaching $80.2 billion with the April 2026 supplemental bill. He argues that the state’s reliance on its rainy-day fund to balance the budget indicates a need for rigorous auditing of existing programs rather than new tax increases. Martinez echoes this sentiment, framing current tax policies as a direct impediment to job creation.
The candidates' differing approaches to housing highlight the theme of local governance. Both argue that the state should defer to local authorities on zoning and land-use decisions. Thompson specifically advocates for removing barriers such as the Growth Management Act’s land limits and high regulatory fees, suggesting that these obstacles do more to stifle housing availability than state-mandated density rules.
For voters in Grant County and beyond, the choice on November 3 represents a decision on the scope of state government. Whether through the lens of energy policy, water rights, or fiscal management, the 13th District is signaling a desire for a greater say in the decisions that shape its economic survival. Information regarding voter registration and ballot drop-off locations is available through the official state portal at VoteWA.gov.
