Hard Work Pays Off for Whitman County Commissioner

Whitman County Commissioner Pat O’Neill pulls up to the courthouse in a glossy pickup truck. He burls toward the front door wearing a camouflage shirt and blue jeans.
The 61 year old commissioner is serving his first term. He is the third Democratic commissioner elected in the last fifty years in Whitman County.
“I ain’t got a college degree. What I’ve got is the seat of my pants,” O’Neill said.
During election season O’Neill spent his time riding on his four-wheeler from farm to farm. His campaign strategy consisted of knocking on doors and personally asking for people’s vote.
“If you want to win an election you’ve got to walk, pedal, and hit just about every damn house in the district,” O’Neill said.
Tom Forbes, editor of the conservative blog Red County Whitman County, thinks O’Neill’s opponent Jerry Finch lost the election due to a lack of campaigning and a history of politically incorrect remarks. He had served as county commissioner the previous eight years.
“My suspicion is that a lot of people in Whitman County voted straight Republican until they reached Jerry Finch,” Forbes said.
O’Neill has lived in the Pullman area for about two years. He moved to Pullman to be near his daughter. Prior to the move he had lived in Stanwood, Wash., on the west side of the state.
He worked as a mechanic for American Airlines for 35 years but always had a knack for politics and public affairs.
As a mechanic O’Neill was put on special assignment to organize labor in the state of Wash. and Ore. He was in charge of gaining support to protect American Airline’s route from Seattle to Tokyo. While on special assignment he collected 175,000 signatures. In 1988 O’Neill was awarded the Public Relations Award by American Airlines.
“It was unheard of for a mechanic to get the Public Relations Award. American Airlines sent me to Washington D.C. for the hearing about the route. Seeing Congress was the start of my love for politics,” O’Neill said.
Jane Guido, a member of Whitman County Democrats, said she was skeptical when she first heard O’Neill was running for commissioner.
“His grammar is terrible, but then you start talking to him and you realize he is naturally intelligent and he truly likes everyone,” Guido said.
O’Neill based his campaign on the slogan “Accountability, Transparency, and Cooperation.”
He has been in office approximately 60 days now. O’Neill is currently working on getting commission meetings broadcast. During his campaign O’Neill promised to make county business more accessible to the public.
“O’Neill is a colorful figure and so far the other two Republican commissioners are actually getting along with him,” Forbes said.
O’Neill said he plans on running for another term.
“I love the hell out of this job. I wish I had done it 20 years ago” he said.

Sources:
Pat O’Neill
509-397-5240

Tom Forbes
509-432-3142

Jane Guido
509-432-3565