SEQUIM — G. Michael Gawley and Sean Ryan held strong leads over Alan. W. Slind in the Clallam County Fire District No. 3 commissioner primary after the first ballot count Tuesday.
Gawley received 2,791 votes, or 44.03 percent, while Ryan was a strong second with 2,580 votes, or 40.71 percent.
Slind received 967 votes, or 15.26 percent of the 6,338 total votes cast in both Jefferson and Clallam counties.
The district covers the area east of Deer Park Road to Gardiner in Jefferson County including 23,427 voters in Clallam County and 343 voters in Jefferson County.
The two candidates who get the most votes will move on to the Nov. 3 general election.
On Tuesday night, the Clallam County Auditor’s Office counted 11,457 out of the 43,544 ballots mailed to registered voters for a voter turnout of 26.32 percent.
Auditor Shoona Riggs said the office has about 2,000 on hand that were not counted.
She expects between 1,000 and 2,000 more to arrive this week.
Meanwhile, the Jefferson County Auditor’s Office counted 2,304 out of the 7,542 ballots mailed to registered voters for a voter turnout of 30.52 percent.
Betty Johnson, elections coordinator, said 17 ballots are challenged but that otherwise all on hand were counted Tuesday.
She expects about 250 more to arrive this week; the next vote count will be at about noon Friday.
Gawley and Ryan were not available for comment Tuesday evening.
Both candidates are volunteers with Fire District No. 3, which held a firefighter training session Tuesday evening in Carlsborg.
Gawley, 72, of Sequim is retired from the Federal Aviation Administration.
He has served as commissioner since February 2014, has been a volunteer with the district since 2005.
Ryan, 53, of Port Angeles is a business owner, has been a district volunteer for eight years and ran for the same office unsuccessfully against James Barnfather in 2013.
Slind, 76, of Port Angeles is a retired chief financial officer and has never held office.
“I’m a little disappointed. I had hoped a little better showing,” Slind said Tuesday evening.
Slind said he may run for a seat on the fire commission again when a position becomes available.
District No. 3 commissioner is a six-year term with an maximum annual compensation of $10,944.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
