Vaughn Outpolls Incumbent With Attack Campaign -- Snohomish County Pud

After a barrage of criticism from his opponents and their supporters, 12-year incumbent Matt Dillon finished second in his primary race for the Snohomish County Public Utility District commission.

Kathleen "Kathy" Vaughn, a Lynnwood mortgage-loan broker who never before ran for office, won the primary and will face Dillon, 45, in the November general election.

Vaughn, 44, was among three challengers who waged similar, negative campaigns focused on Dillon's recent years in office, especially his role in dismantling the PUD's conservation department and the PUD's recent 17 percent increase in residential electricity rates.

With all precincts reporting but some absentee ballots still uncounted, Vaughn won about 37 percent of the vote; Dillon received about 31 percent; former PUD conservation manager Greg Moore had about 24 percent; and Mukilteo School Board member Charles Auchterlonie received about 7 percent.

Although the primary was determined solely by residents of Dillon's PUD district, which comprises the county's southwest corner, the November election will be open to all voters of Snohomish County and Camano Island.

Dillon, a Boeing electrician, last night lashed out at his critics, accusing them of "running a secret campaign to maliciously destroy my reputation and seize control of the utility."

However, a small newspaper published by a fired PUD Commission employee, David Aldrich of Marysville, was mailed several days ago to every member of Dillon's district who voted in the past two elections. That edition of The Observer devoted all four pages to criticizing Dillon.

Reading from a prepared statement, Dillon last night predicted the state Public Disclosure Commission will "expose the people who are financing the campaign to discredit the PUD and its accomplishments."

Vaughn, in turn, said that's ridiculous.

"There wouldn't be three of us running (against Dillon) if there was a conspiracy. Why would all three of us file?" she said.

"I'm excited. I'm ahead because of my issues; I have nothing to do with any `secret plan' to attack Matt Dillon," Vaughn said. "I'm only running against Matt (because) he's made some bad decisions lately."

Moore, too, called Dillon's accusation "far-fetched."

Dillon and Commissioner Peter Newland - who is not up for election this year - form a two-man majority on the PUD board. Both were elected with the help of a citizen group angry about rapidly rising power costs and the utility's involvement with the Washington Public Power Supply System's doomed nuclear-power program.

Although the PUD successfully extricated itself from WPPSS, and kept power rates steady for a decade, many of the pair's former supporters have abandoned them.