Wilke withdraws from legislative race

Republican Jodi Wilke has withdrawn as an Aug. 4 primary election candidate for the 24th District Position 2 seat held by incumbent Democrat Steve Tharinger, she said Saturday morning in an email to Peninsula Daily News.

Wilke’s name is on ballots mailed Wednesday to more than 132,000 legislative district voters in Clallam and Jefferson counties and part of Grays Harbor County.

“I am withdrawing for personal reasons which prohibit me from putting in the kind of effort this race deserves,” she said, adding she will support the other Republican on the ballot.

“I plan to support Brian Pruiett in his efforts, he is a very fine man and will make an excellent representative for our district,” she said in the email.

Along with Tharinger and Pruiett, also on the ballot is Democrat Darren Corcoran of Elma.

Wilke had not activated a campaign website she listed in the state Auditor’s Office primary election voter guide or responded last week to requests for interviews about her campaign.

She listed a Port Townsend address as her residence in her 2014 voter registration, a Port Hadlock Post Office box number in her Feb. 10 Public Disclosure Commission filing for the Position 2 seat, and a Carlsborg Post Office box number when she registered to run for the position May 15.

She had listed no contributions to her campaign and a $1,401 starting balance, according to Public Disclosure Commission records. Her last campaign expenditure was April 2, a $60 website monthly fee.

Wilke ran unsuccessfully in 2018 for state 24th District state Rep. Mike Chapman’s seat, is vice chair of the Jefferson County Republican Central Committee and a Republican precinct committeewoman.

She chairs Save Our Sequim, formed in opposition to a medication-assisted treatment center planned in Sequim.

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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.