Rep. Linda Smith, the Republican nominee for Washington's U.S. Senate seat, will face Sen. Patty Murray (D) this fall. (Reuters)

By David Ammons
Associated Press Writer
Wednesday, September 16, 1998; 2:07 a.m. EDT

SEATTLE (AP) — Conservative Rep. Linda Smith defeated a moderate millionaire Tuesday for the Republican nomination to face Sen. Patty Murray.

The populist Smith – who used "Linda's Army," her 34,000 grass-roots contributors, as her mom 'n' pop campaign force – beat Chris Bayley, who relied on a steady barrage of hard-hitting television ads to pull up from obscurity.

With 71 percent of precincts reporting in the open primary, Smith had 182,415 votes, or 30 percent, while Bayley, a Harvard-educated former Seattle prosecutor and investment banker, had 91,934 votes, or 15 percent.

Murray beat four little-known challengers for the nomination.

Smith, 48, is a scrappy two-term congresswoman and author of the state's campaign-finance and spending-limit laws. Her main theme was overhauling the nature of campaigns, particularly the way they are financed.

She declined all political action committee contributions, did not hold fund-raising events in Washington, D.C., and said she would not accept money funneled through GOP organizations.

Bayley, 60, said his temperament and his position on issues like trade would make him the better nominee to go against Murray.

In the race for the House seat Smith is leaving, state Sen. Don Benton won the Republican primary and will face Democrat Brian Baird.

In a northwest Washington district, retired Army Col. Grethe Cammermeyer, one of four lesbians running for the House this year, beat businessman and environmentalist Fran Einterz for the Democratic nomination. The incumbent is Republican Rep. Jack Metcalf.

Cammermeyer, 56, is a decorated Vietnam veteran who successfully resisted being ousted from the National Guard for her homosexuality. Her story was told in a television movie starring Glenn Close.