PORT TOWNSEND — A recent survey of Jefferson County Bar Association members showed several wide margins in its evaluations of candidates in the District Court judge, prosecuting attorney and sheriff races in the Nov. 4 general election.
The poll, conducted by Gooding O’Hara & Mackey, followed a bar association candidate forum last month for hopefuls in the Jefferson County races.
District Court Judge Jill Landes is being challenged by attorney and real estate investor Cheryl Potebnya, while Prosecuting Attorney Scott Rosekrans faces attorney Michael Haas.
Wendy Davis, a former member of the Bremerton and Poulsbo police departments who is now a human resources officer for Port Ludlow Associates, is vying with David Stanko, a retired lieutenant from the Fullerton, Calif., Police Department, for the sheriff’s post to replace Tony Hernandez, who left to become Milton police chief.
Potebnya, Haas and Stanko came out on top in the poll’s evaluations in four to six categories that differed in each race, though the rankings for Potebnya and Stanko were tempered by fewer respondents being familiar with the candidates.
The survey asked respondents to rank candidates in different categories using five grades: excellent, good, fair, poor or unknown.
The District Court judge poll’s categories were legal ability, judicial demeanor, integrity and relevant legal experience.
The prosecuting attorney categories included legal ability, management ability, integrity, judgment, relevant legal experience and communication skills.
The categories for the sheriff portion of the poll were management ability, integrity, judgment, relevant law enforcement experience and communication skills.
Of the bar association’s 46 members, 27 participated in the poll.
In the District Court judge race, Landes received a total of 17 “excellent” rankings versus 26 for Potebnya, encompassing all categories.
However, Potebnya also received 28 total “unknown” scores against just three for Landes, meaning more entries were in play for the incumbent in other categories.
In between, Landes was ranked “good” 42 times in total compared with 27 for Potebnya; “fair” rankings were used 25 times for Landes and 16 for Potebnya; and Landes received a total of 21 “poor” marks compared with Potebnya’s 11.
“I was pleased with the results, and I was grateful for those who put in a vote of confidence for me,” Potebnya said Friday.
“I am running on changing the demeanor of the court based on an even temperament, and it was reinforcing to me to see so many people in that category give me a good score.”
Efforts to reach Landes for comment Friday were unsuccessful.
In the legal ability category, Landes received two “excellent” marks while Potebnya earned four.
Landes saw one “excellent” mark in judicial demeanor, and Potebnya was given eight, while in the same category Landes got 12 “poor” scores to Potebnya’s one.
Scores were closer in the integrity and relevant legal experience categories, with Landes getting eight “excellent” marks to Potebnya’s nine in integrity and Landes receiving six “excellent” scores to Potebnya’s five in relevant legal experience.
Prosecuting attorney
In the prosecuting attorney portion, Haas received a total of 52 “excellent” votes while Rosekrans saw 30.
Two votes were abstentions, but in other totals, Haas got 53 “good” marks to Rosekrans’ 24; “fair” scores saw 30 for Haas and 47 for Rosekrans; Haas netted 18 “poor” evaluations while Rosekrans saw 55; and nine noted “unknown” for Haas while four did so for Rosekrans.
“I’m very pleased to have the support of so many members of the local bar . . . it’s quite a wide smattering of folks,” Haas said.
“I think there’s often a cynical view of lawyers, and we’re aware of that, but at the end of the day, we want what’s best for people.”
Haas outscored Rosekrans in all six categories, with the greatest disparities coming in the integrity, judgment and communication skills categories.
“I did not expect to rank very highly,” Rosekrans said.
“They want to see a change in the administration because three years ago this month, I had to make the decision to stop plea-bargaining with the court.
“That didn’t sit well with [bar association members].
“They want to go back to plea-bargaining, and that won’t happen as long as I’m in office.”
The sheriff’s race section of the survey saw Davis take in 28 total “excellent” tallies to Stanko’s 45, while 21 marked Davis “unknown” and 38 did so for Stanko.
In other totals, Davis received 27 “good” marks to Stanko’s 33; Davis notched 32 “fair” votes to nine for Stanko; and in the “poor” rank, Davis was given 27 to Stanko’s 10.
“I was pleased by the results and encouraged to keep on keeping on, if you will,” Stanko said.
“I hope the voters will vet all the candidates, including myself.
“I would love to have their vote because the Sheriff’s Office has to serve the whole citizenry of Jefferson County.”
Stanko outscored Davis in all five categories, and the greatest disparities were found in the integrity, judgment and relevant law enforcement experience categories, where the widest margins in “excellent” ranks were found in favor of Stanko and the widest margins of “poor” marks went to Davis.
“The [survey] results, while disappointing, are not based upon relevant questions that would help any person determine rankings for their specified criteria,” Davis said in an email.
“Bar association polls have not had much bearing on outcomes of political races in the past, and I don’t anticipate that they will in the future.”
Ballots for the election will be mailed to registered voters Wednesday.
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News Editor Michael J. Foster can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5064, or at mfoster@peninsuladailynews.com.
