EDITOR’S NOTE: This report has been corrected to reflect that Monday was the last day general election candidates could withdraw their candidacies and that all candidates who file for park and recreation district positions are on the general election ballot no matter how many file.
PORT ANGELES — Three candidates who filed for election last week had second thoughts this week.
On Monday, the last day they were allowed to withdraw, Virginia Johnson, Ann Olson and Kathy Lawley took their names out of races — for the Sequim Aquatic Recreation Center and Quillayute Valley School Board — that they had entered just days earlier.
Johnson withdrew from contest for a Clallam County Park and Recreation District 1 (Sequim Aquatic Recreation Center, or SARC) commission seat.
That leaves incumbent Gill R. Goodman and challenger Bill Jeffers to vie for the position in the Nov. 3 general election.
Olson took herself out of contention for the race for the SARC commission seat held by incumbent Jan L. Richardson, who did file — and is now unopposed.
Lawley withdrew from the Quillayute Valley School Board position held by Starla Daman, who did not file for re-election.
Mike Reaves, who submitted his name for the position Friday, will now be unopposed on the Nov. 3 ballot.
Additional filing periods have been scheduled next week for three School Board positions on the West End that had no takers.
No candidates filed for open seats on the Crescent School Board for positions 1 and 5 or for the Quillayute Valley School Board District 1 seat.
A three-day filing period has been set for 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. May 26-28 for those races in the Elections Center in the basement of the county courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St., Port Angeles.
If no one files for a position, the incumbent must remain in office or resign.
If the incumbent resigns, the school district’s rules apply to filling a vacancy.
A five-day filing period also is set for a metropolitan park district commission, set for the Aug. 4 ballot in tandem with a proposal to form the park district.
That filing period for candidates will be from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. May 26-29 and June 1.
The person receiving the greatest number of votes for the position wins the seat — and no candidate who files may withdraw.
If the district is voted down, the election of commissioners will be null and void, Clallam County Auditor Shoona Riggs said.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5060, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
