Clallam: Race forming for District 24 legislative seat; third candidate files for county commission

PORT TOWNSEND — A three-way race formed Thursday for the two-year Position 1 state representative position being vacated by Kevin Van De Wege.

Tammy Ramsay, a Hoquiam Democrat, and George Vrable, a Port Ludlow Republican, filed for the 24th District legislative seat, joining Mike Chapman, a Port Angeles Democrat now serving on the Clallam County commission, who filed for the seat Monday.

Other races

In other 24th District legislative races, Van De Wege, D-Sequim, is pitted against Danille Turissini of Port Ludlow, who filed with the preference of “Independent GOP Party,” for the 24th Legislative District Senate seat now occupied by retiring Sen. Jim Hargrove, D-Hoquiam.

Incumbent state Rep. Steve Tharinger, a Sequim Democrat, also has filed for re-election to a two-year term in the Position 2 district seat that he has held for three terms without challengers.

Congressional race

Also filing Thursday were two challengers of U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, who represents the 6th Congressional District, which includes the North Olympic Peninsula.

Mike Coverdale of Westport, a real estate broker, filed with no party preference, while Tyler Myles Vega of Port Townsend filed as a Green Party candidate for the two-year seat.

Today is the last day for candidate filings for county, regional and statewide offices.

County commissioner

A primary election emerged Thursday for the position of Clallam County commissioner with the entry of a third candidate into the race.

Republican Maggie Roth of Port Angeles, a civil process server, filed Thursday for the four-year Port Angeles-area District 2 position being vacated by Chapman, who defeated her for the position in 2012.

She joins Republican candidate Gabe Rygaard of Sequim and Democrat Ron Richards of Port Angeles, guaranteeing an Aug. 2 primary that will send the top two vote-getters to the Nov. 8 general election.

Roth, elected in 2014 to the county Charter Review Commission, said she has attended county commissioner meetings for six years.

“I feel like I have a great deal invested in the county, to attend meetings as to learning the issues,” said Roth, who had filed Monday to be a Republican precinct committee officer.

Other races

Incumbent Clallam County Superior Court Judges Erik Rohrer, Christopher Melly and Brian Coughenour also filed for their four-year positions.

Port Angeles lawyer Dave Neupert filed to run against Coughenour.

Neupert had applied for the judgeship when Gov. Jay Inslee appointed Coughenour in 2015.

Clallam Public Utility District Commissioner Will Purser has filed for re-election to his six-year, Sequim-area District 1 seat.

Werner Buehler also has filed for the PUD position.

The seat held by U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Seattle, is up as well as nine statewide executive offices and three Supreme Court seats.

Statewide offices on the ballot will be governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, attorney general, commissioner of public lands, superintendent of public instruction and insurance commissioner.

A complete list of candidates who filed for election in Clallam County, regionally and statewide is at www.clallam.net.

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

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