PORT ANGELES — Three days into filing week for the primary election, 40 people have announced their intent to run for office in Clallam County and 38 people have filed in Jefferson County.
There are 48 open positions in Clallam County and 42 open positions in Jefferson County.
Candidates hoping to run for public office must file with their county by end of business Friday.
Anyone wishing to withdraw from the race must file by end of business day on May 12, or their names will appear on the ballot.
Clallam County
As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, nine offices were contested in Clallam County; 20 offices had one candidate file and 19 were open.
Corey Pearson and Armistead Coleman II will face off for position 5 on the Forks City Council, a two-year unexpired term.
Pearson, who has worked as a consultant and now offers nutritional guidance and counsel to individuals, said she decided to run to help Forks with some “pretty significant challenges” it is facing.
Problems she has noticed include poverty, inflated prices during tourist season, homelessness and immigration concerns.
“I’m looking for how we can strengthen the heartbeat of our community,” she said. “How are we going to balance the inequities in our community now that we’re moving towards more of a tourism-based revenue source?”
Coleman could not be reached for comment.
Incumbent LaTrisha Suggs and challenger Gilbert Hall will run for position 1 on the Port Angeles City Council, a four-year term.
During the campaign, Suggs said she plans to highlight the successes of the city since she joined the council — things like increased diversity of housing stock and the waiving of permit fees.
She also said she plans to build a strong relationship with state Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove in an effort to continue to advocate for protection of the Elwha watershed, which contains the city’s sole source of water.
Hall, a general contractor and military retiree, said his 30-plus years of military service would bring a unique understanding to the council.
“I would like to bring non-partisan back to the city council and focus on making Port Angeles better for everyone,” he said.
Incumbent Drew Schwab and challenger Tyler Slater will run for position 2 on the Port Angeles City Council, a four-year term.
Schwab, who ran uncontested in his last race, said he is glad the race is contested. He has lobbied the state to increase competition for local offices by removing specific positions — meaning all candidates would run for every seat that is open, and the top candidates would win those seats.
If re-elected this year, Schwab said he would focus on affordable housing, homelessness and decreasing economic dependence on the public sector.
Slater is a systems administrator for 7 Cedars Casino and Resort in Blyn. He said he decided to run because he feels “it is my civic duty to help make the community I live in a better place.”
Incumbent Mary Hebert and challenger Nancy Hamilton will run for Port Angeles School District director, position 2, a four-year term.
Hamilton, who has served in the army and currently works as the community liaison for the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, said, “As a parent, I live the impact of school decisions every day.”
The school board does not have any members at the moment who are parents of current students, and that is something Hamilton wants to change.
“I want to make sure parents are truly heard when policies are made,” she said.
Incumbent Steve Burke and challenger Allen Sawyer will run for Port of Port Angeles commissioner, district 2, a four-year term.
Burke, who has been a commissioner since 2016, said this will be his first contested race.
“I think it’s great that there’s people interested and willing to participate in local government,” Burke said.
In his campaign, Burke said he plans to focus on what the port has achieved during the past nine years.
Sawyer, a self-employed housing provider, said having two candidates on the ballot “might alleviate many voters’ concerns that, oftentimes, there is only once choice presented for some elected positions on our ballots.”
The reasons why he chose to run are “a bit complex,” he said, noting that his statement on the voters’ pamphlet will explain in more depth.
Incumbent Ann Marie Henninger and challenger Gerald Stephanz, Jr., are running for Hospital District 2 commissioner, position 1, a six-year term.
Meanwhile, Tara Coffin, Laurie Force and Carleen Bensen will vie for position 4 commissioner in Hospital District 2, a six-year term.
Force is a retired nurse practitioner who volunteers at the Olympic Peninsula Community Clinic. She said she is running for commissioner out of concern for the “severe financial strain” that Olympic Medical Center is facing.
“These challenges threaten access to care for our entire community,” she said in a candidate statement. “Particularly our most vulnerable neighbors.”
Coffin and Bensen could not be reached for comment.
Incumbent Penney Sanders and challenger Corlene Eberle will run for Hospital District 2 commissioner, position 7, a two-year unexpired term.
Incumbent Bill Miano and challenger Mike Taggart will run for Fire District 3 commissioner, position 3, a six-year term.
Taggart, who is retired, has served as a fire commissioner in Clark County and in California. He also served as a volunteer ranger for the U.S. Forest Service for 25 years.
“I can bring a lot of experience,” he said.
Miano was unable to provide comment.
The offices that only had one candidate by Wednesday afternoon include:
• Incumbent Tim Fletcher for Forks City Council Mayor, a four-year term.
• Vilkesh Patel for position 1 on the Forks City Council, a two-year unexpired term.
• Incumbent Joe Soha for position 3 on the Forks City Council, a four-year term.
• Mark Hodgson for position 3 on the Port Angeles City Council, a four-year term.
• Incumbent Kate Dexter for position 4 on the Port Angeles City Council, a four-year term.
• Incumbent Kelly Burger for position 1 on the Sequim City Council, a two-year unexpired term.
• Incumbent Rachel Anderson for position 4 on the Sequim City Council, a four-year term.
• Incumbent Brandon Janisse for position 5 on the Sequim City Council, a four-year term.
• Incumbent Colleen McAleer for Port of Port Angeles commissioner, district 1, a four-year term.
• Incumbent Sarah Methner for Port Angeles School District director, position 1, a four-year term.
• Incumbent Sandy Middleton for Crescent School District director position 1, a four-year term.
• Incumbent Patrice Johnston for Sequim School District director for district 2, a four-year term.
• Incumbent Maren Halvorsen for Sequim School District director at large, position 4, a four-year term
• Incumbent William Henderson for Fire District 1 commissioner, position 1, a four-year unexpired term.
• Incumbent Steve Hopf for Fire District 2 commissioner, position 3, a six-year term.
• Incumbent Lynne Kastner for Fire District 4 commissioner, position 5, a six-year term.
• Incumbent Chip Keen for Fire District 6 commissioner, position 2, a six-year term.
• Incumbent Frank Pickering for Park and Recreation Clallam County District 1 commissioner, position 2, a four-year term.
• Incumbent Donald Grafstrom for Park and Recreation Quillayute commissioner position 1, a four-year term.
• Gary Jubien for Water District Sunland commissioner, position 1, a six-year term.
The following positions had no candidates registered as of Wednesday afternoon:
Forks City Council position 2; Sequim City Council positions 3 and 7; Hospital District 1 commissioner, position 1; Crescent School District directors positions 2 and 3; Cape Flattery School District directors for districts 1 and 3; Quillayute Valley School District directors for district 2 and 4; Fire District 1 commissioners positions 3 and 4; Fire District 4 commissioner position 3; Fire District 5 commissioner position 3; Park and Recreation Clallam County District 1 commissioner, position 1; Park and Recreation Quillayute commissioners, positions 2 and 4; Water District Black Diamond commissioners, positions 1 and 3.
Jefferson County
As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, six offices were contested in Jefferson County; 21 offices had one candidate and 15 were open.
Incumbent Carol Hasse will face challenger Clayborn Burleson for district 2 commissioner for the Port of Port Townsend, a four-year term.
Incumbent Matt Ready and challenger Stu Kerber will run for East Jefferson County Hospital District commissioner, position 3, a six-year term.
“I respect anyone that steps up and runs for office,” Ready said of his opponent. “I’m happy to participate in the democratic process, and ready to discuss my record and have a healthy campaign and election experience.”
In his campaign, Ready said he plans to focus on transparency, accountability and honest leadership with integrity – noting he has been fighting for more transparency on a potential partnership with Olympic Medical Center.
Kerber is a partner in a small financial services firm and provides strategic guidance in healthcare finance. While raising his two young boys, he said he realized the importance of community infrastructure and decided to run for public office so he can offer his experience to the community and “ensure critical resources that our community needs continue to flourish.”
Incumbent Jill Buhler-Rienstra and challenger Patty Rhoden will run for East Jefferson County Hospital District commissioner, position 5, a six-year term.
“I think that voters should have a choice,” Buhler-Rienstra said. “My opponent is highly qualified, so I’m happy about that.”
Buhler-Rienstra has 30 years of experience supporting rural healthcare at the local, state and national levels. She sits on the Washington State Hospital Association board and serves on its executive and policy committees.
“I firmly believe that a great healthcare system is the foundation of a thriving community,” Buhler-Rienstra said.
Rhoden, who is running for office for the first time, is a retired hospital executive and current board chair and treasurer of the Jefferson Healthcare Foundation. She said her background will help the hospital continue growing and offering services to the community.
Incumbent Roxanne Hudson and challenger Donna Pall will run for Chimacum School District director, district 1, a four-year term.
Incumbent David Seabrook and challenger David Codier are running for a six-year term as East Jefferson Fire District district 2 commissioner.
Codier has worked in emergency healthcare, disaster planning and paramedic and EMT training and currently works in Jefferson County’s Department of Emergency Management.
If elected, Codier said he would work to help the fire district continue to offer high-quality emergency care to a community with a statistically high population of elderly individuals.
Seabrook could not be reached for comment.
Art Frank and Ken McEdwards are running for Quilcene Fire District position 1 commissioner, a six-year term.
McEdwards, who served as a fire commissioner with the Brinnon Fire Department for about 20 years, said he wants to focus on the basics: making sure there are people answering calls and keeping the budget on track.
Frank could not be reached for comment.
The following offices had one candidate each:
• Andy Pernsteiner, who was appointed to the position this spring, for sheriff, a one-year term.
• Incumbent Peter Hanke for district 3 commissioner for Port of Port Townsend, a four-year term.
• Fred Obee for position 1 on the Port Townsend City Council, a four-year term.
• Incumbent Neil Nelson for position 2 on the Port Townsend City Council, a four-year term.
• Incumbent Libby Wennstrom for position 5 on the Port Townsend City Council, a four-year term.
• Incumbent Mike Reynolds for Brinnon School District director at large, position 2, a two-year unexpired term.
• Incumbent Summer Ventura for Brinnon School District director at large, position 5, a four-year term.
• Naomi Stern for Quilcene School District director, district 2, a four-year position.
• Richard Fitzgerald for Quilcene School District director at large, position 5, a four-year term.
• Alyssa Haddenham for Chimacum School District director, district 2, a four-year term.
• Incumbent Kathryn Lamka for Chimacum School District director, district 5, a four-year term.
• Incumbent John Nowak for Port Townsend School District director, district 1, a four-year term.
• Amanda Grace for Port Townsend School District director at large, position 4, a four-year term.
• Jeannie Price for East Jefferson Fire District commissioner, district 1, a six-year term.
• Incumbent Dan Ventura for Brinnon Fire District commissioner, position 1, a four-year unexpired term.
• Incumbent Justin Matheson for Brinnon Fire District commissioner, position 3, a six-year term.
• Incumbent Barb Knoepfle for Discovery Bay Fire District commissioner, position 3, a six-year term.
• Incumbent Jeff Blakley for Paradise Bay Water District commissioner, position 2, a four-year unexpired term.
• Incumbent Alicia Simmons for Brinnon Cemetery District commissioner, position 2, a six-year term.
• Incumbent Dennis Schmitt for Coyle-Thorndyke Park and Recreation commissioner, position 2, a four-year term.
• Incumbent Thane Grooms for Coyle-Thorndyke Park and Recreation commissioner, position 3, a four-year term.
No candidates had registered for the following positions as of Wednesday afternoon:
West Jefferson County Hospital District 1 commissioners positions 2 and 3; Queets/Clearwater School District directors at large, positions 1, 2 and 5; Brinnon School District director at large, position 1; Discovery Bay Fire District commissioner, position 3; Clearwater Fire District commissioner, positions 1, 2 and 3; Paradise Bay Water District commissioner, position 3; Brinnon Water District commissioner, positions 1 and 2; Quilcene Cemetery District commissioner, position 3; Gardiner Cemetery District commissioner, position 1.
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Reporter Emma Maple can be reached by email at emma.maple@peninsuladailynews.com.
