PORT TOWNSEND — Aside from the District 3 county commissioner position now held by John Austin, none of the Jefferson County elected officials had drawn opposition in the upcoming election as of Thursday.
Port Ludlow builder Jim Boyer, a Republican, and Tarboo Bay Democrat Diane Johnson, a psychotherapist, are challenging Austin, a Port Ludlow Democrat who is a retired psychologist.
The three will run in the Aug. 17 primary. The top two vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, will then face off on Election Day, Nov. 2.
No new filings were posted on Thursday for Jefferson County offices.
Today is the final day of the candidate filing period, which began Monday. Candidates have until 4:30 p.m. to file at the county Auditor’s Office on the second floor of Jefferson County Courthouse, 1820 Jefferson St., Port Townsend.
The one certain change in the county offices after the election will be in the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, where Juelie Dalzell is retiring.
Her deputy, Scott Rosekrans, has filed for the position and is so far unopposed.
If no other candidates emerge, all except Austin will run unopposed in November.
This includes those now serving as sheriff, clerk, auditor, assessor and treasurer.
Jefferson County incumbents who filed Monday were county Auditor Donna Eldridge, a Republican who has held the seat since 1995; Democratic county Assessor Jack Westerman III, who is the longest-standing assessor in the state at 31 years; Democratic Sheriff Tony Hernandez, who is finishing an appointed seat to run for his first full four-year term; Superior Court Clerk Ruth Gordon, who seeks a second four-year term; and nonpartisan District Court Judge Jill Landes, who seeks a second four-year term.
County Treasurer Judi Morris filed Tuesday as a Republican for another four-year term. She has held the courthouse office since 1997.
Here are others who have filed as candidates.
Jefferson Public Utility District
Former newspaper reporter Barney Burke of Port Townsend has filed for election to a six-year term.
Burke was appointed by fellow commissioners Ken McMillen and Wayne King to fill the nonpartisan seat vacated in November by the death of Commissioner Dana Roberts.
The position, which is for district 1, is nonpartisan.
State races
On the statewide level, former gubernatorial candidate Republican Dino Rossi of Bellvue made good on a pledge to run for the Senate by filing to challenge incumbent Patty Murray, D-Freeland, on Thursday.
Murray’s challengers nearly doubled to 12 on Thursday.
Here is a list of other candidates who had filed through Thursday for Clallam County, congressional district and statewide elective offices:
24th Legislative District
For Position No. 1, two-term incumbent Democrat Kevin Van De Wege of Sequim, a firefigher and paramedic, is being challenged by Port Ludlow Republican Craig Dorgan, a business owner who supports the tea party movement, and Port Angeles Republican Dan Gase, a real estate broker.
The Position No. 2 seat is a two-year position being vacated by retiring Democratic state Rep. Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam.
Steve Tharinger, Jack Dwyer, Jim McEntire and Larry Carter have filed to fill the seat so far.
Tharinger, a Democratic Clallam County Commissioner from Sequim, has said he will keep his county commissioner seat if elected.
Dwyer, a Montesano Democrat, is chiropractor who serves on the Montesano School Board and has said he will resign his position on the School Board if elected.
McEntire, a Sequim Republican, is a retired Coast Guard captain and first-term Port of Port Angeles commissioner who has said he will resign his Port commissioner position if elected.
Carter, a Port Ludlow Republican who supports the tea party movement, is a retired Navy command master chief petty officer.
The 24th District covers Clallam and Jefferson counties and part of Grays Harbor County.
State Supreme Court
Position No. 1 incumbent State Supreme Court Justice Jim Johnson of Olympia is being challenged by Sam Rumbaugh of Tacoma.
Position No. 5 Chief Justice Barbara Madsen of Seattle remained the lone candidate as of today.
Position No. 6 incumbent Justice Richard B. Sanders of Olympia is being challenged by Charlie Wiggins of Bainbridge Island.
Congress
Incumbent Democrat Norm Dicks of Belfair is being challenged by lawyer Doug Cloud, a Tacoma Republican, and software engineer Jesse Young, also a Tacoma Republican.
U.S. Senate
The field for Murray’s seat now also includes Republicans Norma D. Gruber of Walla Walla, William Edward Chovil of Tacoma, Paul Akers of Bellingham and Clint Didier, a former NFL player.
Other Democrats who filed were Goodspaceguy of Seattle, Mike the Mover of Mill Creek, Charles Allen of Seattle and Bob Burr of Bellingham.
Two candidates who expressed “no party preference” when they filed were Schalk Leonard of Poulsbo and James “Skip” Mercer of Bellevue.
Candidates are required to pay filing fees, which amount to 1 percent of the annual salary of each position.
Countywide candidate filings can be seen at the Washington secretary of state website, http://tinyurl.com/nhow2a.
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Jefferson County reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
