PORT TOWNSEND — Kathleen Kler led the race for Jefferson County commissioner District 3 by a substantial margin after the first count of ballots Tuesday night.
Kler, 64, a Quilcene artist and retired registered nurse, earned 6,869 votes, or 56.93 percent, to the 5.162 votes, or 42.79 percent, garnered by Daniel Toepper, 54, a Port Ludlow retired heavy equipment operator.
Kler will be only the second woman to be elected to the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners and the third to serve.
“I’m grateful for the confidence and support that the numbers have indicated,” Kler said just after the totals were announced.
“I’m grateful to accept the responsibility to serve Jefferson County, also very, very grateful to have run with a fine opponent as Dan Toepper.”
Kler said she had few preconceived notions about he election outcome.
“With voter turnout, with other things that are going on in the country and people’s understanding of the issues and their voting against rather than for I really didn’t know what to expect,” she said.
Kler was present when the vote totals were read at the courthouse, while Toepper was at home, where a reporter informed him of the results.
“It’s a pretty big margin to make up and it looks like Kathleen is going to take it,” Toepper said.
“I knew I was the underdog all along and didn’t have any grandiose expectations.
“I was looking to run an issue based campaign. Win, lose or draw, I wanted to leave the same way I came in, with my self-respect, integrity and dignity intact.
“I hope the voters appreciated what I brought to the table.”
Kler and Toepper were competing to succeed District 3 commissioner John Austin, who did not seek a third term.
While Kler will add gender diversity to the board, it will remain a Democratic body, with Kler, a Democrat, joining two others.
Toepper was running with no party preference.
The Jefferson County Auditor’s Office counted 13,402 ballots Tuesday out of 22,207 issued for a voter turnout of 58.64 percent.
Auditor Donna Eldridge expects about 2,000 more ballots to come in later this week.
The next count has been scheduled for about 2 p.m. Thursday unless staff can process all the ballots that come in Wednesday, in which case, a count will be conducted that day, Eldridge said.
The partisan job has a four-year term and pays $63,296 until 2017, when it will be raised to reflect 47 percent of a Superior Court judge’s salary, which is set by the state.
Kler, a former member of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, declared in March at the same event where Austin announced his retirement.
In the Aug. 5 primary, Kler and Toepper eliminated two other candidates, Alex Borgeson and Joe Baisch.
In recent forums, Kler and Toepper have commented on the civility of their campaign and expressed a mutual respect for each other’s qualifications and positions.
“After Dan won the primary we agreed from the outset we wee going to be on issue and run a good campaign,” Kler said.
“We actually spoke to each other about this.”
Kler, like the previous two women commissioners, represents District 3 which includes Port Ludlow, Brinnon, Quilcene and the western part of the county extending to the Pacific Ocean.
Wendi Wrinkle was elected the Jefferson County commission in 2002 but resigned in 2003.
Judith Mackey was named to replace her by the Democratic Party and served until a special election was held and Pat Rodgers was elected to serve out the unexpired term.
Rodgers declined to seek a full term, and Austin was elected to the seat in 2006.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
