District 9 residents elected Susan Fagan as the new district representative Tuesday.

Washington state residents also approved Referendum 71 and voted down I-1033.

As of 10 p.m. Tuesday, Fagan beat Pat Hailey with a vote of 11,421 to 9,222, a total of 55.33 percent of the votes.

Fagan will succeed Don Cox, R-Colfax, in the 9th District, which encompasses Whitman, Adams, Garfield, Asotin and parts of Franklin and Spokane counties.

In a phone interview with The Daily Evergreen, Fagan justified her victory and disputed the popular belief of the overwhelming number of similarities between her and Hailey.

“If you compare our experiences, that would be the key difference,” she said. “If you knew each of us, you would say that (myth) is not true. One of the reasons that myth might be perpetuated is because we’re both Republican.” Hailey said one reason Fagan came out victorious is due to her advantageous campaign contribution dollars.

According to the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission Web site, Fagan garnered $105,204 in campaign contributions compared to Hailey’s $66,925 as of Tuesday night.

Though Election Day culminated with a loss for Hailey, she stood firm in her belief of being a superior candidate for the 9th District slot.

“I have the daily experience of agriculture,” she said in a phone interview with The Daily Evergreen. “It’s a $1.2 billion industry in the 9th District, and I am a part of that industry. (Fagan’s) agricultural background is 30 years ago in Idaho and not Washington state.” Fagan said what sets her apart from her opponent is her experience in education, health care and in tax-related issues while operating as a regional director for the U.S. Senate in Idaho under Senator Jim McClure.

As Fagan prepares to take the post, she addressed improvements that need to take shape in Pullman.

“I believe it’s our economic climate that needs improvement,” she said. “We want to have an economic climate where people want to stay here and grow their business.” Washington state approved Referendum 71 with a vote of 506,936 to 484,567. The measure took in 51.13 percent of the “Approve” vote across the state, according to the Secretary of State Web site.

“I see (R-71) as a basic human rights issue, and everyone should have the same economic and social right to care for their loved one,” said Bryan Burke, executive director of Eastern Washington Voters. “The rights we extend to others is an indicator of how advanced we are as a culture.” With a vote of 533,476 to 428,354 in Washington state, I-1033 failed to pass. I-1033 was the Tim Eyman initiative that would have limited growth of certain state, county and city revenue to annual inflation and population growth, with some exceptions.

“I wouldn’t call (I-1033) important,” Burke said. “I would call it dangerous.” He characterized I-1033 as Eyman’s attempt to cut Washington state’s social programs such as higher education, transportation and health care.