PORT ANGELES — A four-way race is in place for the Port Angeles-area District 2 Clallam County commissioner seat being vacated by Democrat Mike Chapman.
State Rep. Steve Tharinger, D-Sequim, also gained a general election opponent for his Position 2 seat — John D. Alger, also of Sequim.
Randy Johnson, former president of the timberland and wood products company Green Crow Corp. of Port Angeles and current chairman of the board, registered Friday for Chapman’s position with no party preference.
Friday was the last day to register for the Nov. 8 general election.
No other new filings
There were no other new filings for open offices in Clallam County, and there will be no Clallam County contests in the Aug. 8 primary except for county commissioner.
Johnson, also board president of the Clallam County Economic Development Corp., joins Democrat Ron Richards and Republicans Gabe Rygaard and Maggie Roth in the primary election for the four-year Clallam commissioner position.
The top two candidates from the primary will advance to the general election regardless of party affiliation.
Johnson, who has never held elective public office, was an unsuccessful applicant for a Port of Port Angeles commissioner vacancy.
Johnson, a founder of Green Crow and a 30-year county resident, cast himself as a business-oriented candidate in an interview Saturday.
“I’ve run companies before, I’ve run large financial entities before and I’ve certainly managed people before, and on and on,” said Johnson, whose wife, Carol Johnson, is executive director of the North Olympic Timber Action Committee.
“Anyone in business has made good decisions and bad decisions, and on average, I think my track record speaks for itself.”
Johnson, saying he is “very fiscally conservative,” said he has supported former longtime 24th District Democratic state Rep. Lynn Kessler and former Republican state Attorney General Rob McKenna, who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2012.
“That would give me two sides of the spectrum, I guess,” Johnson said.
“That’s why I’m an independent.”
24th District
A primary also will pare down candidates for the 24th District Position 1 state representative position being vacated by Kevin Van De Wege, D-Sequim.
Chapman, Democrat Tammy Ramsay of Hoquiam and Republican George Vrable of Port Ludlow will square off in the Aug. 8 balloting.
Vrable was not available for comment Friday.
Alger, who filed as “GOP/Independent Party,” is a car reservation agent in Port Angeles.
He and his wife, Linda, hospital manager for Greywolf Veterinary Hospital, have lived in Sequim for 18 years.
He has never held elective public office.
“[On Friday] afternoon, I was checking the Secretary of State’s Office and saw that nobody had filed to run against Steve Tharinger,” Alger said Saturday.
“We need a choice. That’s pretty much it.”
He filed as “GOP/Independent Party” to caucus with House Republicans but also “to retain a degree of anonymity,” he said.
“I want to say, ‘Gentlemen, I understand your position, I appreciate your argument, but what you are talking about isn’t best for the people of District 24.’ ”
Alger’s party affiliation filing sounds similar to another general election candidate’s designation.
Senate seat
Danille Turissini of Port Ludlow will face off against Van De Wege for the four-year state Senate seat being vacated by Jim Hargrove, who is retiring.
Turissini filed as “Independent GOP Party.”
Alger said he knows Turissini from her time as grass-roots director of the Family Policy Institute of Washington, which he said he also supports.
Congressional seat
U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, now has five challengers for the 6th District congressional seat who will face off in the top-two Aug. 8 primary.
They are Mike Coverdale of Westport, no party preference; Tyler Myles Vega of Port Townsend, Green Party; Todd A. Bloom of Tacoma, Republican; Stephan Andrew Brodhead of Tacoma, Republican; and Paul L. Nuchims of Manchester, Democrat.
Bloom, Brodhead and Nuchims filed Friday.
Other Clallam races
Incumbent Clallam County Superior Court Judges Erik Rohrer, Christopher Melly and Brian Coughenour also filed for their four-year positions.
Port Angeles lawyer Dave Neupert — who had applied for the judgeship when Gov. Jay Inslee appointed Coughenour in 2015 — filed to run against Coughenour.
Rohrer and Melly are unopposed.
Clallam Public Utility District Commissioner Will Purser of Sequim filed for re-election to his six-year, Sequim-area District 1 seat.
Werner Buehler of Sequim also filed for the PUD position.
The seat held by U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Seattle, is up as well as nine statewide executive offices and three Supreme Court seats.
Statewide offices on the ballot will be governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, attorney general, commissioner of public lands, superintendent of public instruction and insurance commissioner.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
