PORT ANGELES — Two days into filing week for the primary election, 31 people have announced their intent to run for office in Clallam County and 28 people have filed in Jefferson County.
There are 48 open positions in Clallam County and 42 open positions in Jefferson County.
Clallam County
As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, six offices were contested in Clallam County. There are 24 open offices and 31 total candidates filed.
Incumbent LaTrisha Suggs and challenger Gilbert Hall will run for position 1 on the Port Angeles City Council, a four-year term.
Hall, a general contractor and military retiree, said his 30-plus years of military service would bring a unique understanding to the council.
“I would like to bring non-partisan back to the city council and focus on making Port Angeles better for everyone,” he said.
Suggs could not be reached for comment.
Incumbent Drew Schwab and challenger Tyler Slater will run for position 2 on the Port Angeles City Council, a four-year term.
Schwab, who ran uncontested in his last race, said he is glad the race is contested. He has lobbied the state to increase competition for local offices by removing specific positions — meaning all candidates would run for every seat that is open, and the top candidates would win those seats.
If re-elected this year, Schwab said he would focus on affordable housing, homelessness and decreasing economic dependence on the public sector.
Slater could not be reached for comment.
Incumbent Mary Hebert and challenger Nancy Hamilton will run for Port Angeles School District director, position 2, a four-year term.
Incumbent Steve Burke and challenger Allen Sawyer will run for Port of Port Angeles commissioner, district 2, a four-year term.
Burke, who has been a commissioner since 2016, said this will be his first contested race.
“I think it’s great that there’s people interested and willing to participate in local government,” Burke said.
In his campaign, he plans to focus on what the port has achieved during the past nine years.
Sawyer, a self-employed housing provider, said having two candidates on the ballot “might alleviate many voters’ concerns that, oftentimes, there is only once choice presented for some elected positions on our ballots.”
The reasons why he chose to run are “a bit complex,” he said, noting that his statement on the voters’ pamphlet will explain in more depth.
Meanwhile, Tara Coffin, Laurie Force and Bertha Cooper will vie for position 4 commissioner in Hospital District 2, a six-year term.
Force is a retired nurse practitioner who volunteers at the Olympic Peninsula Community Clinic. She said she is running for commissioner out of concern for the “severe financial strain” that Olympic Medical Center is facing.
“These challenges threaten access to care for our entire community,” she said in a candidate statement. “Particularly our most vulnerable neighbors.”
Coffin and Cooper could not be reached for comment.
Incumbent Bill Miano and challenger Mike Taggart will run for Fire District 3 commissioner, position 3, a six-year term.
Eighteen offices had one candidate each by Tuesday afternoon. They include:
• Vilkesh Patel for position 1 on the Forks City Council, a two-year unexpired term.
• Armistead Coleman II for position 5 on the Forks City Council, a two-year unexpired term.
• Mark Hodgson for position 3 on the Port Angeles City Council, a four-year term.
• Incumbent Kate Dexter for position 4 on the Port Angeles City Council, a four-year term.
• Incumbent Kelly Burger for position 1 on the Sequim City Council, a two-year unexpired term.
• Incumbent Rachel Anderson for position 4 on the Sequim City Council, a four-year term.
• Incumbent Brandon Janisse for position 5 on the Sequim City Council, a four-year term.
• Incumbent Colleen McAleer for Port of Port Angeles commissioner, district 1, a four-year term.
• Gerald Stephanz, Jr., for Hospital District 2 commissioner, position 1, a six-year term.
• Corlene Eberle for Hospital District 2 commissioner, position 7, a two-year unexpired term.
• Incumbent Sarah Methner for Port Angeles School District director, position 1, a four-year term.
• Incumbent Patrice Johnston for Sequim School District director for district 2, a four-year term.
• Incumbent Maren Halvorsen for Sequim School District director at large, position 4, a four-year term
• Incumbent William Henderson for Fire District 1 commissioner, position 1, a four-year unexpired term.
• Incumbent Steve Hopf for Fire District 2 commissioner, position 3, a six-year term.
• Incumbent Lynne Kastner for Fire District 4 commissioner, position 5, a six-year term.
• Incumbent Chip Keen for Fire District 6 commissioner, position 2, a six-year term.
• Gary Jubien for Water District Sunland commissioner, position 1, a six-year term.
The following positions had no candidates registered as of Tuesday afternoon:
Forks mayor; Forks City Council positions 2 and 3; Sequim City Council positions 3 and 7; Hospital District 1 commissioner, position 1; Crescent School District directors positions 1, 2 and 3; Cape Flattery School District directors for districts 1 and 3; Quillayute Valley School District directors for district 2 and 4; Fire District 1 commissioners positions 3 and 4; Fire District 4 commissioner position 3; Fire District 5 commissioner position 3; Parks and Recreation Clallam County District 1 commissioners positions 1 and 2; Park and Recreation Quillayute commissioners positions 1, 2 and 4; Water District Black Diamond commissioners positions 1 and 3.
Jefferson County
As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, three offices were contested in Jefferson County. There are 24 offices and 28 candidates had filed.
Incumbent Matt Ready and challenger Stu Kerber will run for East Jefferson County Hospital District commissioner, position 3, a six-year term.
“I respect anyone that steps up and runs for office,” Ready said of his opponent. “I’m happy to participate in the democratic process, and ready to discuss my record and have a healthy campaign and election experience.”
In his campaign, Ready said he plans to focus on transparency, accountability and honest leadership with integrity – noting he has been fighting for more transparency on a potential partnership with Olympic Medical Center.
Kerber is a partner in a small financial services firm and provides strategic guidance in healthcare finance. While raising his two young boys, he said he realized the importance of community infrastructure and decided to run for public office so he can offer his experience to the community and “ensure critical resources that our community needs continue to flourish.”
Incumbent Jill Buhler-Rienstra and challenger Patty Rhoden will run for East Jefferson County Hospital District commissioner, position 5, a six-year term.
“I think that voters should have a choice,” Buhler-Rienstra said. “My opponent is highly qualified, so I’m happy about that.”
Buhler-Rienstra has 30 years of experience supporting rural healthcare at the local, state and national levels. She sits on the Washington State Hospital Association board and serves on its executive and policy committees.
“I firmly believe that a great healthcare system is the foundation of a thriving community,” Buhler-Rienstra said.
Rhoden, who has never run for public office, is a retired hospital executive and current board chair and treasurer of the Jefferson Healthcare Foundation. She said her background will help the hospital continue growing and offering services to the community.
Incumbent David Seabrook and challenger David Codier are running for a six-year term as East Jefferson Fire District district 2 commissioner.
Codier has worked in emergency healthcare, disaster planning and paramedic and EMT training and currently works in Jefferson County’s Department of Emergency Management.
If elected, Codier said he would work to help the fire district continue to offer high-quality emergency care to a community with a statistically high population of elderly individuals.
Seabrook could not be reached for comment.
Seventeen offices had one candidate each:
• Andy Pernsteiner, who was appointed to the position this spring, for sheriff, a one-year term.
• Incumbent Carol Hasse for district 2 commissioner for the Port of Port Townsend, a four-year term.
• Incumbent Peter Hanke for district 3 commissioner for Port of Port Townsend, a four-year term.
• Fred Obee for position 1 on the Port Townsend City Council, a four-year term.
• Incumbent Neil Nelson for position 2 on the Port Townsend City Council, a four-year term.
• Incumbent Libby Wennstrom for position 5 on the Port Townsend City Council, a four-year term.
• Incumbent Mike Reynolds for Brinnon School District director at large, position 2, a two-year unexpired term.
• Incumbent Summer Ventura for Brinnon School District director at large, position 5, a four-year term.
• Incumbent Roxanne Hudsoh for Chimacum School District district 1 director, a four-year term.
• Incumbent John Nowak for Port Townsend School District director, district 1, a four-year term.
• Jeannie Price for East Jefferson Fire District district 1 commissioner, a six-year term.
• Art Frank for Quilcene Fire District position 1 commissioner, a six-year term.
• Incumbent Dan Ventura for Brinnon Fire District commissioner, position 1, a four-year unexpired term.
• Incumbent Justin Matheson for Brinnon Fire District commissioner, position 3, a six-year term.
• Incumbent Alicia Simmons for Brinnon Cemetery District commissioner, position 2, a six-year term.
• Incumbent Dennis Schmitt for Coyle-Thorndyke Park and Recreation commissioner, position 2, a four-year term.
• Incumbent Thane Grooms for Coyle-Thorndyke Park and Recreation commissioner, position 3, a four-year term.
No candidates had registered for the following positions as of Tuesday afternoon:
West Jefferson County Hospital District 1 commissioners positions 2 and 3; Queets/Clearwater School District directors at large positions 1, 2 and 5; Brinnon School District director at large, position 1; Quilcene School District director, district 2; Quilcene School District director at large, position 5; Chimacum School District directors for districts 2 and 5; Port Townsend School District director at large, position 4; Discovery Bay Fire District commissioner, position 3; Clearwater Fire District commissioners positions 1, 2 and 3; Paradise Bay Water District commissioners positions 2 and 3; Brinnon Water District commissioners positions 1 and 2; Quilcene Cemetery District commissioner, position 3; Gardiner Cemetery District commissioner, position 1.
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Reporter Emma Maple can be reached by email at emma.maple@peninsuladailynews.com.
