PORT ANGELES — Clallam County voters will begin receiving ballots today for an Aug. 7 primary election that is long on names and short on county contests.
The ballots contain nine North Olympic Peninsula candidates to choose from in two county races — for county Superior Court Position 1 judge and Port Angeles-area District 2 Clallam County commissioner — as well as two revenue questions.
County Elections Supervisor Shoona Radon said Wednesday that 45,246 ballots were mailed to voters.
Ballots must be postmarked by Aug. 7; returned to the county Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St., by 8 p.m. Aug. 7; or dropped off by that time and date in drop-boxes at the courthouse, at Forks District Court 2 at 502 E. Division St. and at Sequim City Hall, 152 W. Cedar St.
County commission
Incumbent Clallam County Commissioner Mike Chapman, 48, who has no party preference, is vying for a third four-year term against Democrat Dale Holiday, 57; independent Sandy Long, 70; Democrat Patti Morris, 58; and Republican Maggie Roth, 58.
Holiday is a grant manager and prevention specialist for the Clallam County Department of Health and Human Services, Long is a retired psychology professor, Morris is a Realtor and grant writer-administrator, and Roth is the retired operations manager of the Northwest Duty Free Store in Port Angeles.
Only voters in District 2 will vote for the commissioner position in the primary.
The top two vote-getters will advance to the Nov. 6 general election, which is countywide.
Superior Court position
Three candidates are vying for the six-year Superior Court judge position being vacated by Ken Williams, who is retiring.
Port Angeles lawyer Curtis Johnson, 49, is vying for the position along with Clallam County Hearing Examiner Chris Melly, 60, of Port Angeles; state Assistant Attorney General William Payne, 55, of Sequim; and Forks District Court 2 Judge Erik Rohrer, 54.
The Superior Court primary race is countywide.
If one candidate gains a majority of more than 50 percent, that person automatically wins the position.
If there is no majority winner, the top two vote-getters advance to the general election.
Position 1 Superior Court Judge George L. Wood and Position 2 Judge S. Brooke Taylor also are on the ballot but are unopposed.
Bond, sales tax hike
City of Port Angeles voters also will decide on a 20-year $4 million renovation bond for Civic Field, while city of Sequim voters will decide on a sales tax increase of one-tenth of 1 percent for a new law enforcement center.
The Sequim measure requires a simple majority for passage.
It would add 1 cent to every $10 spent on retail items, not including grocery-bought food. The tax hike would apply to deli items and restaurant meals.
The bond measure, which includes $3 million for artificial turf that would allow year-round play on the field, requires a 60 percent supermajority.
It would cost the owner of a $200,000 home an estimated $36 a year or $720 over 20 years.
Over 20 years, the bond would cost an estimated $5.5 million, including interest.
Congressional race
The primary also features a seven-person race that features a North Olympic Peninsula candidate for the two-year 6th Congressional District seat being vacated by 18-term Democratic incumbent Norm Dicks of Belfair, who is retiring. The district’s constituency includes Clallam and Jefferson counties.
Democrat and Port Angeles native Derek Kilmer, 39, of Gig Harbor is vying for the position, along with Republican Stephan Brodhead, 52, of Tacoma; Republican Doug Cloud, 55, of Gig Harbor; Republican Bill Driscoll, 49, of Tacoma; Republican David Eichner, 47, of Tacoma; Republican Jesse Young, 35, of Gig Harbor; and Eric Arentz of Tacoma, an independent.
Kilmer is vice president of the Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County, Brodhead a small-business owner and former Boeing manufacturing engineer, Cloud a lawyer, Driscoll a businessman, Eichner a certified public accountant and Young a business technology consultant.
Arentz did not reply to requests for information about his candidacy for the Peninsula Daily News’ 2012 North Olympic Peninsula Primary Voter Guide, which will be included in Friday’s editions.
Also on the primary ballot are contested races for U.S. Senate, governor, secretary of state, auditor, attorney general, commissioner of public lands, superintendent of public instruction, insurance commissioner, state Supreme Court and the state Court of Appeals.
24th Legislative District
Candidates also are on the ballot for races in which two people filed who will automatically advance to the general election regardless of the primary election results.
They include Larry Carter of Port Ludlow, an independent running against five-term 24th District state Sen. Jim Hargrove of Hoquiam, a Democrat.
The 24th District covers Clallam and Jefferson counties and about half of Grays Harbor County.
They also include Steve Tharinger of Sequim, a one-term 24th District Democrat running against Republican Steve Gale of Sequim.
Three-term 24th District Democrat Kevin Van De Wege is on the ballot, but he is unopposed, as is state Treasurer Jim McIntire.
But as with all races on the primary election ballot, there are spaces for write-in votes.
For election information, visit http://tinyurl.com/86zlhz9.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5060, or at paul.gottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.