PORT ANGELES — Today marks the end of a weeklong filing period for the Nov. 2 election that was dominated by Port Angeles aspirants for Clallam County public office.
The deadline is 4:30 p.m. today in the elections office in the basement of the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St. in Port Angeles. The office opens at 8:30 a.m.
Two candidates vying for county government seats filed papers for the election Thursday, leading to today’s closing act.
Filing Thursday for the nonpartisan office of Department of Community Development Director were John Miller of Port Angeles and Sheila Roark Miller of Carlsborg, a code compliance officer who is a DCD employee.
Alan Barnard of Port Angeles, an associate real estate broker, filed for the DCD post earlier this week.
The three will face off in the Aug. 17 primary, with the top two vote-getters moving on to the November election.
Also filing Thursday for District Court 1 judge was Port Angeles lawyer Pam Lundquist, who is challenging incumbent Rick Porter of Port Angeles for the position.
All elected county government positions, except for two of three county commissioner seats, are up for re-election to four-year terms.
All county positions are nonpartisan except for those of county commissioner and prosecuting attorney.
Other incumbents who have filed for re-election to county offices and face no opposition as of Thursday are Sheriff Bill Benedict of Sequim, Auditor Patty Rosand of Port Angeles, Incumbent Assessor Pam Rushton of Port Angeles and West End District Court 2 Judge Erik Rohrer of Forks.
All registered voters countywide will be able cast ballots for all elected county government positions and a six-year Clallam Public Utility District Position No. 1 seat held by Will Purser, who has filed for re-election.
Purser was the lone candidate as of 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
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:
Incumbent county Treasurer Judy Scott of Port Angeles is being challenged by DCD Senior Planner Selinda Barkhuis of Port Angeles.
Incumbent Democratic District 3 County Commissioner Mike Doherty of Port Angeles is being challenged by Republican Robin V. Poole, a Beaver UPS driver.
Incumbent Republican county Prosecuting Attorney Deb Kelly of Port Angeles is being challenged by lawyer and developer Larry Freedman, a Sequim Democrat, and lawyer and administrative law judge Lauren Erickson, a Port Angeles Democrat.
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.
As with the Clallam County race for department of community development director, in all races in which there are more than two candidates, the top two winners — regardless of party affiliation or incumbency — who survive the Aug. 17 primary advance to the Nov. 2 general election.
Candidate filings are posted online through the state Secretary of State’s Office at www.clallam.net.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-417-3536 or at paul.gottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
