By MATTHEW WEAVER

Capital Press

A Washington congresswoman says it's too early to speculate whether she would be a possible contender for vice president.

Republican strategist Kellyanne Conway named Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., as a possible contender for a spot on the ticket in an article in the Daily Caller, a news website. Conway declined to comment further.

In the article, Conway pointed to McMorris Rodgers' efforts with women, her family life and her position as a leader in the key Western region as assets that would support the Republican presidential nominee.

McMorris Rodgers' communications director, Todd Winer, said it's too early to speculate on whether she would accept. She is "100 percent" focused on representing her constituents in Eastern Washington and being a "conservative reformer," Winer said.

"It's never a bad thing to have people include her in the discussion," Winer said. "It really validates her work and growing influence in national politics."

Randy Suess, chairman of U.S. Wheat Associates and a member of the Washington Grain Commission, said it would be an asset to have someone from the Pacific Northwest in the next administration.

"For agriculture that'd be huge," Suess said. "It's kind of nice having an ear to the president when you've got concerns about anything in agriculture, way more than just going to the secretary of agriculture."

Suess said McMorris Rodgers has been a good advocate.

"She's got a pretty good open door policy as far as being able to contact her and air our grievances," he said. "She doesn't always agree with what we've got to say, but she at least listens to us."