PORT ANGELES — Today is the final day to file for elected office in Clallam County.
Candidates can file until 4:30 p.m. in the election center in the basement of the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St., Port Angeles.
No new candidates filed for countywide races or City Council positions Thursday.
However, new contested races emerged for Port Angeles School Board Position 5 and Clallam County Fire District No. 5 Position 1 commissioner.
Arlene Wheeler, 47, filed Thursday to run against incumbent Port Angeles School Board member Steven Baxter.
Wheeler, interim planning director for the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe, said she has “been involved in education pretty much my entire adult life” as an “advocate for eduction.”
Baxter, 55, is the director of information technology services for Peninsula College and a former IT director for Port Angeles schools.
Baxter, who was elected to the four-year post before the economic downtown began, said his experience dealing with state budget cuts gives him “pretty strong chops” to lead the school district in an economic recovery.
“One big goal for the next four years is to work pretty hard going forward with potential bonding and rebuilding of our schools,” Baxter said.
Meanwhile, Bill Drath of Clallam Bay filed Thursday to run against challenger Roy “Spider” Wright of Sekiu for the position of fire district commissioner. Incumbent Crystal Corliss had not filed as of Thursday evening.
Clallam County Fire District No. 5 covers the Clallam Bay area.
Drath and Wright did not return phone calls Thursday.
The other contested races are:
■ Clallam County commissioner District No. 1 — Jim McEntire, R-Sequim and Linda Barnfather, D-Sequim.
■ Port Angeles City Council Position 1 — Brad Collins and Drew Schwab.
■ Port Angeles City Council Position 6 — Don Perry and Sissi Bruch.
■ Sequim City Council Position 2 — Laura Dubois and Ron Fairclough.
■ Sequim School District Position 5 — Walter Johnson, Richard Fleck and Stephen Rosales.
If more than three candidates file for a position, they must vie in the Aug. 16 primary, with the top two advancing to the general election — regardless of party preference in partisan races.
Races with two candidate move straight to the Nov. 8 general election.
Primary ballots will be mailed to voters July 27.
The list of open positions in Clallam County and information for potential candidates is at http://tinyurl.com/25omebk.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com