PORT ANGELES — The Clallam County Republican Party will conduct interviews in a county process to appoint a new prosecuting attorney, party Chairman Dick Pilling said Wednesday.
Longtime Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney Deb Kelly announced Friday that she will step down for personal reasons Dec. 31 with one year left on her current term.
Because Kelly is a Republican, the Clallam County Republican Party’s central committee will select three candidates for the three county commissioners to consider for appointment.
Under the state constitution and Clallam County charter, the Board of County Commissioners must appoint one of three candidates that the political party submits.
Pilling said the party will interview Republican lawyers who live in the county.
Commissioners will have 60 days after Kelly’s resignation to appoint a successor from the names provided by the party’s central committee, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Brian Wendt said in a memo.
If two of the three commissioners cannot agree on an appointee within 60 days, Gov. Jay Inslee will appoint a Clallam County prosecuting attorney from the same list of names.
The person appointed to serve the remainder of Kelly’s term will face election in November 2014.
The salary currently is $125,820 annually.
Pilling said the decision to interview candidates was made at the county Republican Party central committee meeting Monday.
Prior to the meeting, County Commissioner Jim McEntire, who also serves as a Republican Party precinct committee officer, announced that he would not participate “in the process of deciding which three names of qualified Republican attorneys to forward to the Board of County Commissioners for their further action.”
“So doing will preserve my ability to vote on that appointment [as a county commissioner], free from any appearance of conflict of interest,” McEntire wrote in a letter to the party.
State law allows commissioners to pick a deputy prosecutor to serve as acting prosecuting attorney to maintain normal operations until an appointment is made.
Kelly has recommended that her chief deputy, Mark Nichols, be the acting prosecuting attorney.
Three days before she announced her resignation, Kelly won a landmark double-murder case against Darold Stenson, a former Sequim man who was found guilty of killing his wife and business partner in 1993.
The high-profile case was tried over seven weeks in Kitsap County Superior Court in Port Orchard.
Kelly, 60, was elected in 2002. She ran unopposed in 2006 and was re-elected in 2010.
“On a personal note, I add my congratulations and best wishes to my friend Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney Deb Kelly’s announcement of her impending resignation, and wish her and her family the very best in their life after public service,” McEntire wrote in a preface to his letter saying he would not participate in the party procedure.
“She has served the people of Clallam County with distinction for many years, and I personally appreciate her service.”
Resumes and contact information can be sent to Clallam County Republican Headquarters, P.O. Box 808, Port Angeles, WA 98362, and be marked to Pilling’s attention.
To contact Pilling, phone 360-460-7652 or rightguy@olypen.com.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.