The perfect candidate doesn’t exist, but there are certain deal breakers Christians should be focused on, all of which can be applied to the elections in Pasco.
Deal breaker #1
Are they pro-abortion? Make no mistake, being pro-choice means being pro-abortion, though just being pro-life does not always make one anti abortion. Proverbs 6:16-19 says God HATES the hands that shed innocent blood. Genesis 1:27 tells us we are made in the image of Yahweh. The Sixth Commandment tells us not to murder. Psalm 139:13-13 tells us Yahweh creates us in the womb. Jeremiah 1:5 explains that God knows us before we are conceived. Christians cannot vote for a pro-abortion candidate or any candidate who associates themselves with pro-abortion factions. Democrats are pro-abortion. If they cannot stand for innocent life, our most basic, God-given right, can they be trusted to stand for anything?
Deal breaker #2
Are they Democrats? Ephesians 5:11 tells us to have no part with the works of the dark, and 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 tells us not to be yoked with unbelievers. The DNC platform is antithetical to a follower of Christ, and not just on abortion. There is no justification for someone to vote Democrat and to be a Christian. Maybe in 1931 or 1961, but certainly not in 2021.
Deal Breaker #3
Did they stand against the covid protcols? If they support the covid jab mandate, the mask mandate, wore a mask in 2021 for something other than keeping their job, or used the phrase “our hands are tied, we have to follow the mandates,” don’t vote for them. They have demonstrated they won’t make the tough decisions. They have demonstrated they are not committed to the Constitution. They have demonstrated that they do not value God’s law over man’s law by holding other branches and levels of government accountable.
Mega-Red Flag #1
Were they or are they members of race-based organizations? If someone is a member of a race-based organization, they send the message that segregation based on skin color is acceptable. They also clearly state that not having white skin make you so inferior, that you need the group to help you. Race based organizations rely on a victim mentality to survive. These groups are neon-signs for Critical Race Theory. This is “mega-red flag” and not a “deal breaker” because there are some groups who espouse conservative ideas and do not restrict all races from joining, but they appear to be rare. If a candidate is supported by groups like BLM or La Raza, or supports BLM or La Raza, do not vote for them.
Pasco City Council
The only race for the council is between Nikki Torres and Leo Perales. There are three races that are unopposed. Though the recent decision to divide the city council up by districts is not immoral, and actually makes sense, gerrymandering the districts based on race is immoral. Since the 2016 decision to change the districts, candidates like Blanche Barajas, Craig Maloney, and Ruben Alvarado won their elections with less than 300 votes for, while David Milne and Saul Martinez, in the same election, garnered more than 1600 votes each in their districts. For further perspective, the winner of the election for “cemetery district” had more votes than these three council members. The ACLU, who sued and won to create the voting districts, furthers the point from above about race-based organizations promoting the idea that a person of one race cannot possibly represent a person of another race, and, if your legislative body is primarily Caucasian, you are racist. What the ACLU and other CRT wielding voices fail to recognize that Hispanic candidates do not win their elections 100% to 0% in overwhelmingly Hispanic voting districts like downtown and East Pasco. The conservative candidates earned a large percentage of the votes.
Pasco City Council-Position #1
Blance Barajas- unopposed incumbent
She rode in as one of the prime beneficiaries of the new voting districts, winning her election 259-195. Hardly a mandate, but she has an equal vote with council members who earned five times the votes. She is a progressive at best, and is endorsed by fusewashington.com who are pro-CRT, climate change activists, and want to tax the “rich” into oblivion, among other communist causes. Even if you can vote, don’t vote in this election, and oppose Barajas at every turn.
Pasco Council-Position #2
Craig Maloney– unopposed incumbent
See above information about Barajas, but add the fact that Maloney is proud of creating the “Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity Commission” in Pasco, responsible for wasting the taxpayers time and money to create worthless get togethers and empty platitudes to solve problem that don’t exist or are not government’s problem. There are no race, gender, or sexual orientation restrictions on any person entering any public building, using a public park, receiving welfare running for office, joining the police force, fire department, a public sector job based on race, religion, or gender. Its a manufactured problem to create a solution that will create other problems. Marxist problem, reaction, solution. Maloney is proud of it. Don’t vote for Maloney, then remind him how small his vote total is at every opportunity.
Pasco Council-Position #3
Leo Perales
Perales has run for office before, in Kennewick in 2016. He’s served on numerous boards and committees. He wants to reduce taxes and is against any new taxes by the state, but that’s where his “conservatism” stops. He is in favor of a tax payer funded money pit, also know as an aquatic center (on a side note, during the League of Women Voter’s Forum last summer, that was the first question asked of all the city council candidates- about an aquatic center. Seem strange that in the middle of the chaos in the world, they were worried about water slides)
Back on topic. Perales wants to work together with the Unions (red flag) and fusewashington.com (bright red flag). He makes conservative statements like “I don’t want to pick winners and losers” in the KVEW candidate forum, then immediately states that the city needs to give more money to another boondoggle named “Downtown Development.” Downtown Pasco has nearly every store front full, many of which are long time, local businesses. On one hand, a downtown business owner should be offended that the City Council thinks they need to be “revitalized.” However, when government handouts are there to be had, why not play the victim for more cash?
Most egregiously, Perales is a member of Consejo Latino, a local race-based group who actively partners with the ACLU and a local Tri-City Community Solutions most famous for blocking George Washington Way during the summer of 2020. Consejo Latino is full CRT backing such causes as “voting rights” and “police reform.” Worth noting the irony of a group like CL that preaches that Hispanics are oppressed, yet was founded by retired Army Colonel Felix Vargas, a 1963 Pasco High graduate. How did a Hispanic man make Colonel with all the systemic racism in the world? It appears he made it on hard work, intelligence, and discipline.
When you partner with the devil like the ACLU, BLM, LGBT groups, you take on their values.
No chance a Believer or Patriot would vote for Perales.
Nikki Torres
Torres appears to be a Republican. She’s endorsed by the Franklin County GOP. They gave her $2000. She’s pro-business, wants to reduce taxes. She is endorsed by Constitutional, covid mandate ignoring Franklin County Sheriff Jim Raymond. Wow! Perfect candidate, right? Fill in the ballot and take it to the box.
Slow down.
Torres is endorsed by former Mayor Matt Watkins. Watkins, among other errors in judgment, presided over the council that brought the Diversity, Inclusivity, and Equity Commission (DIE) and who, most egregiously, voted against the planning commission in 2009 to grant a special permit that allowed Planend Parenthood to set up shop on Court Street in front of an elementary school (which they purchased from the School District). She is also endorsed by current Mayor Saul Martinez who, though also appearing to be a Republican, gave in at every opportunity during the pandemic to wear a mask, get vaccinated, and promote the vaccine. He presided over the council that denied the right to speak to the council during open comment for over a year. She also accepted a $2000 donation from the IBEW Union.
She makes statements about bringing in jobs, building a community center near Road 100, and building an animal shelter. All noble causes, but not government’s job. Pay the police, pave the streets, leave businesses, churches, and your citizens alone.
The biggest head scratcher is her endorsement from the National Women’s Political Caucus, and organization that openly supports abortion among other marxist causes. Why is the Franklin County GOP supporting someone who openly accepts an endorsement and takes money from an organization that is antithetical to the Republican platform? Why would Sheriff Raymond and Clint Didier be supporting Torres?
Torres ignored this writers email question on whether she would support ending planned parenthood’s special license to operate on Court Street.
Recommendation-Don’t vote for either candidate, then hound the winner to make good decisions. Either way, as Believers, we cannot continue to hold our nose and vote for lesser of two evils (of which this writer has been guilty), which is part of the reason we are in the mess we are in as a nation.
Pasco City Council- Position #4
Pete Serrano-unopposed incumbent
Every elected official in all three cities and both counties prostrated themselves before Inslee except Clint Didier, Jim Raymond, Brad Klippert, Will McKay, and Pete Serrano. Serrano not only opposed the mandates, he currently is not attending Pasco Council meetings in person because of the mask requirement. He has spoken boldly and publicly on many occasions against the covid restrictions. Though securing funding for vaccine clinics through the City, he has never advocated any of the mandates and in fact, has quit or is quitting his secure job in the Area to devote his full attention to the Silent Majority Foundation that is actively fighting the mandates in the court system. His legal challenge won the attention of AG Ferguson enough for the AG’s office to fight the local ruling that kept Serrano’s court challenge in Franklin County. Though it has since been over turned and the venue changed to Thurston County, no one has garnered the attention of Ferguson in this way other than Tim Eyman.
We need more Pete Serranos. Vote enthusiatically- make that mark extra thick
Pasco School Board
Position 1
Steve Simmons– unopposed
Simmons has been active politically for more than a year. Check any Pasco City Council Meeting, Franklin County Commissioner’s meeting, or Pasco School Board Meeting videos, and Simmons will be there speaking in the public comment section. He is also active with the Franklin County Republicans. He has also participated in a few Informed Choice Tri-Cities protests and has always been anti-mandate, though always seems to be masked in deference to others. His website is sparse and general.
He will bring a new, conservative perspective to the Pasco School Board in dire need of someone who will pay attention to what is going on in the schools and think for themselves instead of just doing whatever the staff tells them to do.
Position 3
Cynthia Ledesma
Almost no information bout Ledesma. She promotes her experience as a special education teacher and mother. She is pro-CRT and answered the PBS commentator’s loaded question that the school board didn’t “reflect the make up of the community” in the affirmative. Any one who believes that race is the main factor in determining one’s ability to lead and govern effectively shouldn’t be anywhere near a 60-million-dollar budget or making decisions for 14,000 school children.
Steven Christensen– 2 term incumbent
Christensen is a two term incumbent who did not stand up to the mandates, and he doesn’t appear to be running. His facebook hasn’t been updated since May 31st, and if he has a website, it is buried somewhere. He didn’t show up for the PBS candidate forum or the League of Women Voters Forum. Though the Tri-City Herald endorsed him (which is a dubious honor) and the Franklin County Republicans endorsed as well. He breaks deal breaker #3, but his record would indicate that he is anti-CRT. The PSD staff already has plenty of CRT promoting liberals, and to place another CRT loving member on the Board like his opponent would only serve to rubber stamp more of the staff’s recommendations and look the other way as “diversity, equity, and inclusion” are not only promoted to teachers, but also to students.
Recommendation-This is a clear area where, as Christians, we must, as Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us, to trust in the Lord with all our hearts, and lean not on our own understanding.” Though it seems like not voting for Christensen is a vote for Ledesma, voting for Christensen compromises a core belief that lesser magistrates like a school board member must stand for what is right no matter the consequence. God will provide when we are obedient, even if Ledesma wins.
Position 5
Amy Phillips incumbent
Phillips is the returning President of the School Board. Much like Christensen, she failed to stand firm against the unconstitutional and immoral mandates of the governor. Much more concerning, is she is in favor of coercion when it comes to vaccines.”I do not believe in Vaccine mandates,” she said in the in recent forum. “Washington has the strictest mandates in the whole country! This more than crosses the lines to our personal freedoms. Vaccines can be encouraged, even incentive, but not required.” While this addresses her positive stance against vaccine mandates, her support for vaccines in general with statements like: “vaccines save lives and can be encouraged” is very concerning. In the last 20 months, she has allowed mask mandates on children, and covid “vaccination” clinics to be encouraged and held at Chiawana High School, and encouraged (though canceled) at Pasco High. Additionally, while against critical race theory, she is ignorant of its presence in the District where it is obviously being forced on teachers. Using terms like we “embrace diversity,” though likely innocent in her generally conservative view point, they are terms hijacked by marxists and nearly always mean racial diversity.
Andres is a Bible believing Christian. She, like Phillips, is working hard in this closely contested race. She understands the legislative process. She has grown children and offers more personal time to devote to the school board. She is active and present at school board meetings and county commissioner’s meetings, and based on her outspokenness in those forums, she is not afraid to speak up and rock the boat if the truth is being silenced. She is also in favor of using the inexpensive and widely used, time-tested ITBS test for standardized testing
More importantly, she favors local control over the decisions needed for Pasco Schools, which is constitutional. Unfortunately, this will be an uphill battle as Pasco is fully dependent on federal money for a large part of their budget. That local control, however, will serve to eliminate CRT from Pasco, of which, Andres has stood against in every forum. CRT is divisive and racist. It assumes all caucasians are oppressors, and therefore inherently racist, and all non-caucasians are helpless serfs with no chance of success unless the oppressor helps them. Removing CRT and fighting against Inslee’s mandates appears to be large part of what Andres stands for.
Recommendation– Phillips violates Deal breaker #3- she failed to stand against Inslee in the same city where Didier, Serrano, and Raymond publicly defied him. The result, thousands of kids with diapers on their faces being told they are dirty and will kill grandma if they take them down. Andres is a conservative Christian who opposes two of the greatest threats to the already crumbling school district. No matter what you think of public school, it still remains something the vast majority of kids are dependent on for academic education. It stands to reason that the public elect someone who will work to clean it up. Vote for Andres.