Franklin Voters Have Less to Decide, But Still Firm Up Nov Candidates

Although Franklin County voters had fewer items to address on their ballots, one of them is pretty big.

The primary narrowed down the candidates who will seek to replace outgoing Mayor-Manager who held the District 3 seat as well as Mayor for over the last decade, and was considered a strong leader for the progress he made in helping the City grow.

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Saul Martinez was the first Hispanic Mayor elected in the history of Pasco. He indicated he was stepping down, not seeking re-election so he could focus more on his family and other ventures.

Of the four candidates, Leo Perales came in second with 34 percent of the vote, while Nikki Torres grabbed just over 40. They will face off in November.

The other big race matched two conservatively leaning candidates for Pasco School Board. Both ran, motivated in large by the management of the District during the COVID lockdowns. Michelle Andres edged out John Kennedy roughly 31 to 30 percent, while Amy Freeman Phillips won the primary with just over 40 percent of the vote. Andres and Phillips will square off in November.

Franklin County's voter turnout, according to the Auditor's page, was just over 16 percent, those are local Auditor tallies. Now, we get ready for the general election in November. It is hoped voter turnout will increase, as both Benton and Franklin County totals were not very strong.