PORT TOWNSEND — Jefferson County Republicans didn’t apply for partisan county elected offices.
Of the 14 candidates for partisan offices, 10 filed as Democrats while four — three for county commissioner and one for sheriff — filed with no party preference during the candidate filing period that ended Friday.
Of the nine county races, three have two or more candidates.
Those with more than two hopefuls will have one eliminated in the Aug. 5 primary, with the top two vote-getters advancing to the Nov. 4 general election.
Only one candidate, a Democrat, declared for the treasurer’s post, which will be filled by a Republican to fill out Judi Morris’ unexpired term.
There will be two opportunities for write-in candidates to pose a challenge, but Jefferson County Department of Community Development Planning Director Stacie Hoskins, 43, is likely to become the next elected treasurer.
If elected, she would succeed Judi Morris, who has held the office since 1997 and is scheduled to retire June 30.
As Morris is a Republican, the party was charged with selecting the names of three potential candidates to fill the unexpired term. The county commissioners will select one to serve.
The Democrats followed a similar path in late 2013 in light of the retirement of Jack Westerman III; criteria for selection included the intention to run for a full elected term.
The Republicans selected three people: Quilcene businesswoman Dena Jones, retired Port Ludlow accountant Lyle Newlin and former Jefferson County Republican Party Chair Ron Gregory.
Gregory and Newlin said they had no intention of running for a full term.
Jones at first said she would file for a full term but reversed her position. In a Friday email to the Peninsula Daily News, she wrote, “Due to family obligations this summer I will not be running at this time.”
Hoskins plans to attend candidate forums even though she is unopposed.
“I’ll continue to meet with people and get to know them and answer their questions about me,” she said.
Hoskins said there will be a “long transition time” at DCD to fill her current position, and “I will always be a phone call away” if there are any questions.
The contest to succeed Jefferson County Sheriff Tony Hernandez, who decided to not seek a second elected term, has drawn three candidates.
Retired State Patrol Sgt. Ken Przygocki, 63, (pronounced sheh-GUSS-key) said he was running to make customer service improvements in the sheriff’s office.
“It has always been my goal after I retired to serve in a position like this,” said Przygocki, a Chimacum resident.
Dave Stanko, a retired California police lieutenant who was named Jefferson County Citizen of the Year in 2011, also spoke of customer service.
“It is imperative that our deputies have a prompt response to calls for service, a visible presence in our community and a caring attitude when dealing with the public,” said Stanko, 66.
Former Bremerton and Poulsbo Police Officer Wendy Davis, 46, a Port Ludlow resident, said she didn’t think a lot of changes were needed in the Sheriff’s Office.
“I think someone with energy and enthusiasm and progressive law enforcement skills can step in and continue to carry this department forward,” she said.
Przygocki said he planned to challenge Hernandez and was surprised by the decision to step down. Stanko and Davis said they would not have run if Hernandez were in the race.
Stanko and Davis are Democrats. Przygocki has no party preference.
Przygocki was under investigation by the State Patrol’s Office of Professional Standards when he retired March 30, 2012.
He has denied any wrongdoing.
The race to succeed District 3 commissioner John Austin drew four candidates, the most of any county contest.
Kathleen Kler, 64, of Quilcene was the first to declare for the open seat March 18.
Following this, Joe Baisch, 66, of Quilcene; Dan Toepper, 53; and Alex Borgeson, 44, both of Port Ludlow, entered the race.
All three have no party preference, although Toepper was previously affiliated with the Republican Party.
The two judicial contests, for prosecuting attorney and District Court judge, have each drawn two candidates.
For prosecutor, Port Townsend attorney Michael Haas, 53, has challenged incumbent Scott Rosekrans, 64, who filed for a second term.
Rosekrans was first elected in 2010, besting attorney Paul Richmond for the seat left open by Juelie Dalzell, who retired.
Haas, a defense attorney with a background as a prosecutor, ran unsuccessfully in 2012 for the open Superior Court judge position, coming in third in the primary.
In the District Court judge’s race, incumbent Jill Landes is seeking a third term. Former Jefferson County Deputy Prosecutor Cheryl Potebnya is challenging her.
In 2010, Landes bested Port Townsend attorney John Wood.
Potebnya resigned from the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office in late 2013, where she had held every position in the office aside from the elected position.
There is a two-candidate race for auditor, with Rose Ann Carroll, 63, running against Judy Maves-Klatt, 52, to succeed Donna Eldridge, who is retiring.
Maves-Klatt is a former attorney who applied for the open assessor position in late 2013 to fill the unexpired term of Jack Westerman, who retired.
Maves-Klatt has her own appraisal business and said her legal background will help her stay apprised of all the latest regulations.
Carroll has held positions in the Department of Community Development and the Treasurer’s Office, and has been the chief accountant in the Auditor’s Office for the past two years.
Carroll has received Eldridge’s endorsement.
Aside from the treasurer, unopposed candidates are Superior Court Clerk Ruth Gordon, 60, seeking a third term and Assessor Jeff Chapman, 62, who was appointed to fill Westerman’s unexpired term and is facing the voters for the first time.
For the Jefferson County Public Utility District, incumbent commissioner Ken McMillen, 81, faces challenges from Kenneth Collins, 67, and Tony DeLeo, 65, for the nonpartisan race.
Republican Thomas Greisamer of Moclips in Grays Harbor County is challenging incumbent 24th District state Rep. Steve Tharinger’s bid for a third term.
Fellow Sequim Democrat Kevin Van De Wege also has filed for re-election in the 24th District, which covers Clallam and Jefferson counties and part of Grays Harbor County.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
