Joel Kretz
Party: Republican
Age: 47
Personal: Kretz and his wife, Sara, have a 15-year-old son. They moved to a ranch near Wauconda in 1990, and previously lived in Skagit County, near Sedro Woolley.
Education: Graduated from Mercer Island High School. Attended Green River Community College in Auburn and Olympic Community College in Bremerton.
Professional: Self-employed since 1981, operating his own logging company. Kretz now raises horses, cattle and timber, and still does a little logging.
Political: Is a Republican precinct committee officer. Serves on the Okanogan County Water Resource Inventory Analysis Committee and the Okanogan County Wildlife Services Committee, which monitors cougar issues for public safety. Is past president of the Okanogan County Farm Bureau and has served on Washington Farm Bureau committees.
Key issues: "I think we need to be changing the regulatory climate in the state, reducing the barriers to a strong economy." He wants to eliminate "an adversarial relationship with business" and "too many layers of regulation stifling business." Kretz also wants to improve funding for core government services: "Our rural hospitals are really struggling and we're having a hard time finding money for schools and to keep our roads up to standard." He considers tort reform essential in medical malpractice cases to control health costs. To improve local government finances, he wants to eliminate "unfunded state and federal mandates." Kretz also wants to rein in bureaucrats who, he says, often ignore the Legislature's instructions when making rules. For example, he said bureaucrats proposed ideas for legislation on private road standards, and restored those ideas when writing regulations -- even though the Legislature rejected those ideas.
Money raised/spent: $18,697.06 raised (cash and in-kind)/
Top contributors: Bobby J. Moran, of Usk, Wash.; Washington Association of Realtors PAC; Washington Health Care Association PAC; Washington State Farm Bureau PAC -- each $675.
Quote: "I've seen that the system can work, but it depends on people participating in the process."
Key influence: My father -- an incredibly patient person who likes people ... works real hard to treat them right.
Favorite book: The Bible.
First priority if elected: Improving the economy, creating jobs.
Website: www.joelkretz.com
Email: Joel@joelkretz.com
