Incumbent announces reelection campaign

Published 1:30 am Friday, May 1, 2026

PORT ANGELES — A Clallam County commissioner has announced his intention to run for reelection.

Incumbent Mike French, D-Port Angeles, announced April 23 that he plans to run for a second term as the District 3 commissioner for Clallam County.

French is set to face challenger Jake Seegers, who is running as an Independent.

Filing week for candidates to declare their intentions to run for public office begins Monday.

French said he waited until near the end of April to announce his reelection bid for a couple of reasons.

“No. 1, I don’t think the residents of Clallam County want to have a year-round election cycle,” French said.

“I think they expect me to do my job and not be constantly running for my job. I wanted to be focused on the work that I’m doing and that I like doing. That’s the primary reason I waited.”

The other reason, he explained, was partly a joke about the fact that he’s not the most organized person all the time.

“That’s something I have to work on,” he said. “But I think we already have enough politics in our lives. I think having a roughly six-month election cycle is a good opportunity to get out into the community. It’s what’s worked previously.”

Before he won his first four-year term as a commissioner, French was elected twice to the Port Angeles City Council. He served just five years on the council, however, after he was elected to the county commission while in his second term with the city council.

“I grew up in Port Angeles, and when I was a young adult coming back from college, opportunities existed for me that let me and my wife work hard and get ahead, and I want to make that true for others,” French said. “I’m really focused on how we can create economic opportunities for real people so they can work hard and get ahead.”

French graduated from Central Washington University before he returned to Port Angeles to own and operate the First Street Haven Restaurant for more than 15 years. He sold it to two former employees, according to a news release.

French’s history of community service includes serving on the Hamilton Elementary PTO, Port Angeles School District Capital Advisory Committee, Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce, Olympic Peninsula Community Clinic and the Olympic Peninsula Tourism Commission.

In his first term as county commissioner, French said he helped increase economic development by chairing the Recompete Coalition, which brought $25.6 million in federal investment to the North Olympic Peninsula.

“We’re in year two of implementation with Recompete right now, and I’m really interested in continuing that work forward,” French said. “I think this is one of our best chances to really change the story of the North Olympic Peninsula.”

District 3 covers the west side of Port Angeles and west to the Pacific Coast, including Clallam Bay, Sekiu, Forks, Joyce, La Push and Neah Bay.

“What I like most about the job is the opportunity to community build, to go to small towns,” French said. “I really enjoy being able to connect with those small towns, work with the challenges they have and find solutions to bring into play.”

That work includes restarting the Clallam Bay/Sekiu Community Advisory Committee, which hosts monthly meetings that connect county departments, elected officials and other organizations to the area.

“I’m really proud of that work,” French said. “I think a lot of really good conversations have come out of those discussions.”

If he’s elected to a second term, French said he wants to continue to work on economic development, housing affordability, public safety, homelessness and substance abuse, and the environment, natural resources and climate change. His website, electmikefrench.com, includes detailed discussions on each topic.

Another issue which is important is continuing conservative fiscal responsibility at the county level, French said.

“Our citizens spoke loud and clear to us last year that they’re not willing to provide more property tax than what we’re already collecting, so we need to be doing conservative fiscal management for the long term,” he said.

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Reporter Emily Hanson can be reached by email at emily.hanson@peninsuladailynews.com.