PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles City Council candidates Lindsey Schromen-Wawrin and LaTrisha Suggs, who are sharing some campaign costs, have together generated more than $11,000 in contributions with the primary just four days away.
Schromen-Wawrin, an elected incumbent in Position 3, and Suggs, an appointed office-holder in Position 1, join Sequim-area Clallam County Fire District 3 candidate Jeff Nicholas as the sole candidates on the Clallam County primary election ballot who have reported contributions as non-mini-filers to the state Public Disclosure Commission.
There are 29 candidates on the primary election ballot, which must be postmarked by Tuesday or delivered to drop boxes by 8 p.m. that day. A primary election narrows the field of candidates for each position to two for the general election.
The Port Angeles Council primary election races also include incumbent and appointed mayor Kate Dexter and John Procter, who are running for Position 4. Their third opponent, Jon Bruce, also is on the ballot but has dropped out of the race. Incumbent Mike French is facing Samantha Rodahl and John Madden for Position 2.
Mini-filers to the PDC can raise up to $5,000 and do not report contributions and expenditures to the PDC.
Schromen-Wawrin, who is running against Jason Thompson and Jena Stamper, has already far exceeded that limit.
He has raised $8,707, and Suggs $2,921, according to their PDC filings. Their largest contributions are $1,000 each from the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and $1,000 to Suggs from the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, of which Suggs is a member and an employee.
Nicholas’ largest contribution is $500 from Fire District 3 Lt. Kevin Van De Wege, also a 24th District state senator.
Schromen-Wawrin, a private practice constitutional lawyer, and Suggs, a Jamestown Tribe restoration planner, sent out 15,000 glossy mailers asking voters to cast their ballots for both candidates.
He said Thursday it made sense for them to share the cost of the mailers, more than $4,700 according to PDC records.
“She’s willing to fight for the people of Port Angeles in all the best ways possible,” Schromen-Wawrin said of Suggs.
Running for his second four-year term, Schromen-Wawrin said he sent out a solicitation for contributions to “a pretty robust email list” of names and has conducted a fundraiser.
His next largest expenditure was 100 yard signs. He said he has doorbelled at a few hundred residences.
Suggs, running against John DeBoer and Adam Garcia, was appointed in December 2019 to fill the seat of the late Jim Moran.
She said she met Schromen-Wawrin around 2005, when he coordinated the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe’s science education program.
“He’s been a good mentor with developing me to understand the process and how to make sure that you do things by the book,” she said.
Suggs said they began doorbelling about two weeks ago.
She said that she made presentations to the Lower Elwha Klallam and Jamestown S’Klallam tribal councils for their support.
“They recognize that me being the first Native American to sit on the City Council is probably important for them,” Suggs said.
“It brings diversity to local government.”
Schromen-Wawrin said he could not recall if he asked for the contribution or the tribe offered it.
“I forget who made the offer or who made the ask,” he said.
The mailer was the only campaign-outreach expense on Suggs’ filings.
“I’m juggling many different things,” she said. “Things will probably settle down slightly after the primary.”
Nicholas, a volunteer Fire District 3 firefighter running against Sean Ryan and Duane Chamlee for Position 1, said Van De Wege urged him to run for the position being vacated by Michael Gawley.
Nicholas, who has raised $2,315 in contributions and spent $563 on campaign signs, is a retired Navy Captain and former business development director for FLIR Systems.
His contributors include fire district personnel, and he said he has talked about the duties of the position with Fire Commissioner Bill Miano, with whom he attended the fire academy.
The following contributions of $100 or more and total expenditures were listed at pdc.wa.gov as of noon Thursday:
Jeff Nicholas
Starting balance: $0.
Cash contributions: $2,315.
In-kind contributions: $0. •
Loans: $0.
Total Contributions: $2,315.
Expenditures: $563.
Debt: $0.
Contributions:
• $500: Kevin Van De Wege, Sequim.
• $300: Karen Hawley, Sequim.
• $250: Bryce McGinley, Ivan Hueter, Sequim.
• $200: Namoi Foley, Sequim.
• $105: Tyler Cambell, Sequim.
• $100: Jeff Nicholas, Karen McNerney, Christopher Corbin, Mike Mingee, Jared Romberg, Sequim.
Lindsey Schromen-Wawrin
Starting balance: $491.
Total contributions: $8,216
Cash contributions: $8,086.
In-kind contributions: $130.
Loans: $0
Total: $8,707
Expenditures: $3,614
Debt: $0.
Contributions:
• $1,000: Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, Port Angeles.
• $355: Small contributions.
• $250: Johnson Rutz & Tassie PLLC (law firm), Patricia Schromen, Port Angeles.
• $220: Fundraiser proceeds.
• $200: Susan Steel, Myrna Schaaf, Port Angeles; Therese Stokan, Neah Bay.
• $150: Susan Chadd, Steve Bearman, Port Angeles.
• $125: Nina Richards, Ronald Richards, Barbara Maxwell, Michael Maxwell, Shyla Wilcox, Richard Wilcox, Port Angeles.
• $100: Jeffrey Bohman, Scott Schaffer, Laura Behr, Carolyn Muench, Scot Athair, Elisabeth Hegyi, Eileen Herrling, John Herrling, Cheyenne Tuller, Ed Chadd, Port Angeles; Brough Jones, Pittsburgh, Pa.; Tara Lopez, Espanola, N.M.; Rory Henneck, Garrett Holbrook, Seattle
LaTrisha Suggs
Starting balance: $0.00
Total contributions: $2,921
Cash contributions: $2,850.
In-kind contributions: $71.
Loans: $0
Total: $2,921
Expenditures: $2,451
Debt: $0.
Contributions:
• $1,000: Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, Port Angeles; James S’Klallam Tribe, Port Angeles.
• $500: Lloyd Lehman, Port Angeles.
• $125: Nina Richards, Ronald Richards, Port Angeles.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
