League of Women Voters plans two more candidate forums before election

Published 12:01 am Monday, October 6, 2014

PORT ANGELES — The League of Women Voters will conduct two more candidate forums before ballots for the Nov. 4 general eleciton are mailed to county registered voters on Oct. 15.

The first will be from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Elwha Klallam Heritage Center, 401 E. First St., Port Angeles, which is cosponsoring the gathering.

Candidates for the 6th Congressional District and county auditor races will be featured, and candidates for District 3 of the Clallam County Charter Review Commission will be introduced.

U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer, a Gig Harbor Democrat and native of Port Angeles, is seeking a second term representing the district that includes the North Olympic Peninsula.

He is challenged by Gig Harbor Republican Marty McClendon.

Shoona Riggs, county elections supervisor, and Kim Yacklin, county Health and Human Services administrative coordinator, seek to fill the county auditor seat. Auditor Patty Rosand did not seek re-election.

Candidates for District 3 seats on the Charter Review Commission will give two-minute presentations on their qualifications and intended accomplishments.

In the general election, five charter review commissioners will be elected from each of the three county commissioner districts.

Those 15 people will review the county’s charter, which is its “constitution.”

They will serve for one year in the unpaid positions to review the charter, propose amendments or review public initiatives for amendments.

Proposed amendments will go before voters in November 2015.

Clallam County is one of six counties in the state that operate under a home-rule charter, unlike most Washington counties where procedures are dictated by the Legislature.

District 3, which covers the West End beginning at Valley Creek in Port Angeles, has 11 candidates.

The 17 candidates in District 2, the area between Boyce Road and Valley Creek in Port Angeles, introduced themselves at a league forum on Sept. 25, while the 13 candidates for District 1, which extends from the eastern county line to Boyce Road in Carlsborg, were invited to an August league forum.

The last league forum will be from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Oct. 13 in the Port Angeles City Council chambers, 321 E Fifth St.

Candidates for county commissioner, prosecuting attorney and community development director will debate.

Port Angeles City Councilwoman Sissi Bruch, a Democrat, and Bill Peach, a Forks Republican, are vying for the District 3 seat vacated by Mike Doherty, who did not run for re-election.

District 3 covers the West End from west Port Angeles to the Pacific.

Bruch is a senior planner with the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe.

Peach is a retired Rayonier Inc. regional manager for Clallam County.

Two Republicans are in a race for prosecuting attorney: appointed Prosecuting Attorney Will Payne and former Chief Deputy Prosecutor Mark Nichols.

Payne was appointed prosecutor to fill the spot vacated by Republican Deb Kelly’s retirement in January.

Nichols resigned from the prosecutor’s office after Payne took office and was appointed as the county’s hearing examiner.

Sheila Roark Miller, community development director, is challenged by Port Angeles architect Mary Ellen Winborn for her seat.

For more information, visit www.lwvcla.org.