Castillo sweeps endorsements

Republican David Castillo has won endorsements from the Seattle Times, the Longview Daily News, the Chronicle of Centralia and the Columbian in his primary campaign for the open 3rd Congressional District seat.

The Columbian endorsed both Castillo and Republican state Rep. Jaime Herrera in the top two primary; the Times and the Daily News endorsed Castillo and Democrat Denny Heck; and the Chronicle, in its Saturday edition, endorsed Castillo.

The Olympian, the other daily newspaper in the 3rd District, does not endorse in primary elections.

As ballots begin to arrive in mailboxes, Castillo’s campaign has been making a full-court press in Clark County, with a fund-raiser at the Heathman Lodge July 28, a series meet-and-greet events Saturday beginning in Vancouver, and an upcoming veterans’ town hall Aug. 4 in Vancouver.

Although Herrera came up short on the endorsement circuit, she is the only candidate in the race who is running cable television ads. She declined to take part in a candidate forum sponsored by two conservative organizations last Wednesday because Heck did not plan to attend. She has also declined to debate Castillo one-on-one.

-Kathie Durbin