PORT ANGELES — Clallam County Commissioner Randy Johnson announced Friday he plans to run for a third term this year for his District 2 seat.
“After deliberating many hours, listening to the advice of my family and countless friends, I have decided to run for Clallam County commissioner for a third time, said Johnson, who is running as an Independent.
“There are priorities that remain unfinished in this county, and I intend to continue advocating for things that matter to all of us,” he said in a press release.
“These issues include affordable, adequate and accessible housing, the need for more accessible, affordable child care, veterans’ needs, conservation of farmland and a new safe Emergency Operations Center to be ready for our next crisis, whether an earthquake, severe weather or another pandemic,” he added.
Candidate filing week is May 6-10. The primary election is Aug. 6 and the general election is Nov. 5
Johnson, 81, was first elected to the seat in 2016, when he replaced Mike Chapman who went on to serve as a state representative for Legislative District 24. Johnson ran without opposition in 2020.
He said he has strong relationships with the other two county commissioners, city governments and tribal leader and state agencies and state legislators.
Johnson serves on a wide variety of boards including, but not limited to, the Board of Health, the Clallam County Finance Committee, the Economic Development Council, the Homelessness Task Force, the Housing Solutions Committee, the Law and Justice Council, the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee, the Washington Timber Counties Caucus, the William Shore Memorial Pool District.
It was his proposal that started the Housing Solutions Committee, which was formed last year and which, he said, is just getting started.
“We needed to have a group of people which included private builders, the real estate industry, nonprofits, as well as all the other cities and everyone else all come together,” Johnson said.
Another of Johnson’s proposals resulted in the Revenue Advisory Committee, which brings together leaders of junior taxing districts to discuss timber funds.
In addition, Johnson is the chair of the Olympic Peninsula YMCA. “Child care is a priority,” he said.
“I’m proud of new changes I’ve helped make to the county’s financial structure that create greater accountability,” Johnson said in the release.
“We now have a chief financial officer, adequate reserves and a firm footing for our juvenile justice system.”
Johnson said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, “I made sure financial support was there for local businesses, Black Ball Ferry and the critical nonprofit community.”
He added that none of these priorities “can be achieved without help and input from our community. I am deeply appreciative of the support I’ve received from our residents and stakeholders, and I look forward to continuing to serve as District 2 county commissioner.”
Johnson is the former president and former chairman of the board of the timberland and wood products company Green Crow Corp. of Port Angeles.
He served as captain in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and is a Vietnam veteran. He received a bachelor’s from the University of the South and a master of business administration degree from Harvard.
He and his wife, Carol, have two children and two grandchildren.
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Executive Editor Leah Leach can be reached at 360-417-3530 or at leah.leach@peninsuladailynews.com.