PORT TOWNSEND — A four-way race has developed for the District 3 seat on the Jefferson County commission.
Craig Durgan, 61, of Port Ludlow filed Friday afternoon on the final day of the candidate filing period as a candidate for the position, which covers Port Ludlow, Quilcene, Brinnon, Shine and Gardiner in East Jefferson County as well as West Jefferson County.
Durgan, who filed as a Democrat according to the Jefferson County Auditor’s Office, will face Republican Jon Cooke and Democrats Gregory Brotherton and Ryan McAllister, all of whom are from Quilcene, for the seat held by Democrat Kathleen Kler who is not seeking reelection. The position is a partisan office with a four-year term.
All four names will appear on the Aug. 7 primary ballot. The top two vote-getters will move on to the general election Nov. 6 regardless of party affiliation.
Durgan ran for the state Legislature in 2010 as a Republican and was described as being affiliated with the tea party movement.
The incumbent in the Jefferson County Public Utility District District 3 seat has decided against running for reelection.
Wayne King, who has held the PUD Commission District 3 seat for 18 years, has opted to retire from elected public office. This paves the way for the non-partisan race between Independent Daniel Toepper of Port Ludlow and Democrat Tom Brotherton of Quilcene.
Incumbent District Court Judge Jill Landes is not seeking reelection. Attorneys Noah Harrison and Mindy Walker, both Port Townsend residents, have filed for Landes’ seat. The race is non-partisan.
Current County Prosecuting Attorney and Coroner Michael Haas of Port Townsend is running for re-election and is being challenged by fellow Democrat attorney James M. Kennedy of Port Ludlow.
Incumbent Sheriff David Stanko of Port Townsend, no party preference, is being challenged by Joe Nole, a Democrat, of Chimacum. Nole is a detective in the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department.
Only incumbents filed in four county races. All are Democrats. They are Auditor Rose Ann Carroll, 68, Port Townsend; Assessor Jeff Chapman, 66, Port Townsend; Treasurer Stacie Prada, 47, Port Townsend; and County Clerk Ruth Gordon, 64, Port Townsend.
Candidates also include Mike Chapman, currently the 24th District state representative, and Port Hadlock Republican Jodi Wilke, a licensed practical nurse who filed for Chapman’s state House Position 1 seat.
McEntire, also a Port of Port Angeles commissioner, is trying again to unseat four-term Democrat Steve Tharinger of Sequim, a 24th District Position 2 state representative who defeated McEntire in 2010 for the two-year position.
The 24th District covers Clallam and Jefferson counties and the northern half of Grays Harbor County.
Another primary emerged Friday in the race for U.S. Congress.
Tyler Myles Vega of Tacoma filed to run against incumbent U.S. Rep Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, and challenger Douglas Dightman, R-Shelton.
Vega, who filed with the Progressive Party, also challenged Kilmer in 2016.
The top-two vote-getters in the Aug. 7 primary will square off in the Nov. 6 general election.
Supreme Court Justice position 2 incumbent Susan Owens is running for another six-year term. She is being challenged by (Zamboni) John Scannell of Bremerton.
Justice Position 8 incumbent Steve Gonzales will run against Nathan Choi of Bellevue.
Position 9 incumbent Sheryl Gordon McCloud is running for re-election, challenged by Stanley I. Lippmann of Shoreline.
Court of Appeals Division 2, District 2 Judge Position 2 Rebecca Glasgow also has filed.
The last day candidates may withdraw their names is May 21.
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Jefferson County Editor/Reporter Jeannie McMacken can be reached at 360-385-2335 or atjmcmacken@peninsuladailynews.com.
