PORT ANGELES — Incumbent Navarra Carr and challenger Mark Karjalainen will face off for a seat on the Port Angeles City Council, according to initial results of Tuesday’s primary election.
The state’s top-two primary election decides which candidates in races with three or more go on to the general election on Nov. 7. Carr, who has served on the Port Angeles City Council since 2020, earned 55.92 percent of the vote with 2,333 votes after a second count of ballots on Wednesday.
“I’m obviously really excited,” Carr said Wednesday. “I think the results demonstrate that the people of Port Angeles are supporting policies of good governance that have been helping residents here over the last four years.”
Among policies she said she has had a hand in creating are those concerning affordable housing, public safety, economic revitalization after the pandemic and improvement in city infrastructure.
“It’s really exciting to see that folks have responded positively to those policies and are continuing to support that kind of leadership in Port Angeles,” Carr said.
Karjalainen won 33.68 percent, or 1,405 votes.
He has previously worked for the City of Port Angeles as a firefighter/paramedic and currently works in the same capacity for Clallam County Fire District 3.
Karjalainen has described himself as a fiscal conservative.
“I have seen this council over the last 20 years make a move from fiscally conservative choices,” he said during a candidate forum in July. “I know this is a non-partisan race, but I am a conservative voice that I feel that is probably missing from the city council.”
He also described homeless people during the forum as “addicted to drugs and alcohol and have psychological issues.”
Karjalainen could not be reached for comment on the results of the primary race on Wednesday.
Nick Merrigan, who has taught media classes at Peninsula College and is now a project manager for Jamestown Excavation, won 9.92 percent with 414 votes.
“It was fun to run and I was happy to see that there was some interest in the city council position,” Merrigan said Wednesday.
Merrigan said he spoke with Carr on Tuesday night as the primary results came in and said that Carr encouraged him to seek a position on the city planning commission.
“I wouldn’t mind serving on that,” Merrigan said. “I still want to be active in the city … I will look for another way in and be active.”
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Reporter Ken Park can be reached at kpark@peninsuladailynews.com.
