ABERDEEN — Clallam County Commissioner Steve Tharinger, again saying that he has no plans to resign as commissioner should he win a hotly contested election for 24th District legislator, stirred a testy exchange with a Democratic opponent during a weekend party convention.
Tharinger and Jack Dwyer, a chiropractor from Montesano, exchanged words during the endorsement meeting of the Grays Harbor Democratic Endorsement Convention in Aberdeen on Saturday.
With nearly half of the 60-member audience wearing or holding stickers that read “Just Say NO to Double Dipping,” Tharinger lost out on the endorsement to Dwyer.
Along with Republicans Larry Carter of Port Ludlow and Jim McEntire of Sequim, Tharinger and Dwyer are seeking the state House of Representatives seat being vacated by Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam, who is retiring.
The 24th District includes all of Jefferson and Clallam counties plus a third of Grays Harbor County, including the county seat of Montesano and Hoquiam.
“My full-time job is being a commissioner,” Tharinger told the Democratic assembly on Saturday.
“Until my opponent gives up his full-time job of being a chiropractor to run for the Legislature, I don’t think he has the validity or the credentials to keep bringing this issue up. So I think it’s a red herring.
“Until he gives up being a chiropractor, then maybe I’ll think about giving up being a commissioner. And I would argue being a chiropractor is a special interest and being a commissioner is representing all the people. It’s of public interest.”
“The red herring stinks,” Dwyer was quick to respond.
“It is a public issue. My friends, it’s double dipping at the taxpayers’ trough — paying someone twice to do some of the similar jobs. It’s not acceptable.
“That’s what voters are telling us out there, and I agree.”
Also running as Republicans for the open seat are McEntire, a commissioner for the Port of Port Angeles and retired Coast Guard officer, and Carter, also a military retiree who has affiliated himself with the tea party movement.
Tharinger said he’s been endorsed by the 24th District Democrats along with Clallam County and Jefferson County Democratic parties.
Even without the Grays Harbor endorsement, he said he’ll continue to campaign hard in Grays Harbor.
Dwyer says his strategy is to work particularly hard in Grays Harbor and Jefferson counties, hoping the more populous Clallam County will split between the three other candidates and he’ll carry forward to the November election.
The Aug. 17 primary will whittle the field of four down to the top two vote-getters, who will advance to the general election regardless of party affiliation.
So it’s conceivable that Tharinger and Dwyer could face each other as Democrats in the November runoff election.
Ballots in the all-mail primary will be distributed starting July 28.
At Saturday’s party session in Aberdeen, Judy Carter, who is married to Grays Harbor County Commissioner Al Carter, pointed out to Tharinger that being a county commissioner is “much more than a full-time job.”
“I’m trying to figure how you’re going to balance holding a position that, as far as I can tell, when you’re in session is more than a full-time job?” she asked.
“I have an obligation to honor the voters of the citizens in Clallam County who elected me to my third term of county commissioner,” Tharinger said, noting he’ll be able to vote on issues in Clallam County by phone.
Tharinger said when he first took office in 2000, “I was spending 60-70 hours as a commissioner.”
But now, with two other experienced commissioners, “I’m down to 30 to 40 hours a week.”
He said he’s been using the extra time on boards and commissions around the state.
“The Legislature is part-time,” Tharinger said. “It’s a citizen Legislature.”
“I am committed to serving not as a part-time legislator but as a full-time legislator during the session,” Dwyer countered.
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Steven Friederich of The Daily World of Aberdeen contributed to this report.