PORT TOWNSEND — Jefferson County voters will start receiving ballots today for an Aug. 7 primary election that is long on names and short on county contests.
County Elections Coordinator Karen Cartmel said 21,601 ballots were mailed to voters Wednesday.
Ballots must be postmarked by Aug. 7 or returned to the County Courthouse, 1820 Jefferson St., by 8 p.m. Aug. 7, or dropped off by that time and date in drop-boxes at the courthouse or the county library, 620 Cedar Ave., Port Hadlock.
The ballots include six Jefferson County candidates to choose from in just two county races — three for Jefferson County Superior Court judge and three for Port Hadlock-area District 2 county commissioner.
County commission
Incumbent Democratic two-term county Commissioner David Sullivan, 60, of Port Townsend is running for re-election against Republicans Tim N. Thomas, 41, of Port Hadlock and Dan Youra, 67, of Port Hadlock.
Thomas is president of Bernt Ericsen Excavating Inc. of Port Townsend, and Youra is president of Youra Media, a publishing company.
Only voters in District 2 will vote for the commissioner position in the primary.
The top two vote-getters will advance to the Nov. 6 general election, which is countywide.
Superior Court
Three candidates are vying for the six-year Superior Court judge position being vacated by Craddock Verser, who is retiring.
Quilcene lawyer Peggy Ann Bierbaum, 54, is vying for the position along with Port Townsend lawyer Michael Haas, 50, and Port Townsend lawyer and part-time Superior Court Commissioner Keith Harper, 58, of Port Townsend.
The Superior Court primary race is countywide.
If one Superior Court candidate gains more than a majority — or 50 percent plus 1 — that person automatically wins the position.
If there is no majority winner, the top two vote-getters advance to the general election.
Congressional race
The primary also features a seven-person race that features a North Olympic Peninsula candidate for the two-year 6th Congressional District seat being vacated by 18-term Democratic incumbent Norm Dicks of Belfair, who is retiring. The district’s constituency includes Clallam and Jefferson counties.
Democrat and Port Angeles native Derek Kilmer, 39, of Gig Harbor is vying for the position, along with Republican Stephan Brodhead, 52, of Tacoma; Republican Doug Cloud, 55, of Gig Harbor; Republican Bill Driscoll, 49, of Tacoma; Republican David Eichner, 47, of Tacoma; Republican Jesse Young, 35, of Gig Harbor; and Eric Arentz of Tacoma, an independent.
Kilmer is vice president of the Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County, Brodhead a small-business owner and former Boeing manufacturing engineer, Cloud a lawyer, Driscoll a businessman, Eichner a certified public accountant and Young a business technology consultant.
Arentz did not reply to requests for information about his candidacy for the Peninsula Daily News’ 2012 North Olympic Peninsula Primary Voter Guide, which will be included in Friday’s editions.
Also on the primary ballot are contested races for U.S. Senate, governor, secretary of state, auditor, attorney general, commissioner of public lands, superintendent of public instruction, insurance commissioner, state Supreme Court and the state Court of Appeals.
Automatically advance
Candidates also are on the ballot for races in which two people filed who will automatically advance to the general election regardless of the primary election results.
They include Republican Geoff Masci, 64, a former mayor of Port Townsend who is running for the District 1 county commissioner seat held by Phil Johnson, 66, of Port Townsend.
They also include Larry Carter of Port Ludlow, an independent running against five-term 24th District state Sen. Jim Hargrove of Hoquiam, a Democrat.
The 24th District covers Clallam and Jefferson counties and about half of Grays Harbor County.
They also include Steve Tharinger of Sequim, a one-term 24th District Democrat running against Republican Steve Gale of Sequim.
Three-term 24th District Democrat Kevin Van De Wege is on the ballot, but he is unopposed, as is state Treasurer Jim McIntire.
But as with all races on the primary election ballot, there are spaces for write-in votes.
For election information, visit http://tinyurl.com/86zlhz9.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5060, or at paul.gottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
