Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 6, 2000
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Statement by Gov. Gary Locke on demand for closed primary

OLYMPIA - "I strongly disagree with the sudden move to demand an instant change in our current primary procedures. I have a deep respect for the fierce independence of Washington voters. We cannot shut out independent voters from the primary process.

It is a precipitous move. There are a number of ways to approach the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling on open primaries. Primaries in Washington need to be discussed on a legislative level before any decisions can be made."

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