PORT ANGELES — Colleen McAleer, who emerged as the top vote-getter in Tuesday’s primary election, will quit her job as the Port of Port Angeles director of business development whether or not she wins a port commission seat in the general election, she said Wednesday.
McAleer is one of two candidates who emerged as winners in the primary race and are beginning their push to the Nov. 5 general election.
Incumbent Paul McHugh is not the other candidate.
Instead, McAleer and BaRay Event Services Inc. co-owner Del DelaBarre both bested McHugh, the appointed incumbent in the top-two primary.
The primary was confined to Sequim-area District 1, while the general election race will be countywide.
McAleer and DelaBarre said they will concentrate on expanding their efforts to other areas of Clallam County.
Incumbent Port Angeles School Board member Sarah Methner and former School Board candidate Debby Fuson also emerged in the primary as contenders for the general election over David M. Tietz.
And incumbent Fire District No. 3 Commissioner James Barnfather and challenger Sean Ryan, a 2010 candidate for Clallam County community development director, were leading over Charles Perdomo.
McAleer, whose whistle-blower complaint was central to the June 24 resignation of Port Executive Director Jeff Robb and an internal report highly critical of his administration, had 3,498 votes, or 59.76 percent, Tuesday.
DelaBarre had 1,449 votes, or 24.76 percent.
McHugh, who took office in January 2012 as an appointee to fill out the term of new Clallam County Commissioner Jim McEntire, had 906 votes, or 15.48 percent.
He did not return calls for comment Tuesday night and Wednesday.
McAleer said Wednesday she has told port staff she will resign in January regardless of the November election’s outcome.
“If I win, I obviously cannot remain, and if I lose, I don’t think that would be in the best interest of the port,” McAleer said.
“It would be a distraction and not something that would support the overall efforts of the port.”
With the general election in her sights, McAleer said the primary election results will push her more outside the Sequim area into other, more populated areas of the county such as Port Angeles, Forks and Joyce.
“I will do a lot more door-belling in areas where there are smaller lots,” she quipped.
McAleer also has “lots more yard signs” to distribute, she said.
DelaBarre said he will begin concentrating on fundraising, an area in which McAleer holds a more than 3-1 advantage.
McAleer had reported $16,540 in campaign contributions to the state Public Disclosure Commission as of Tuesday.
“I want to be out there talking to people. That’s going to be more my focus,” she said Wednesday.
DelaBarre had raised $4,524.
“You can’t compete without funds,” DelaBarre said.
“My local contact with voters directly also has to be improved.”
In the other two races, those already in office took charge with more than 60 percent of the vote.
Methner was guaranteed a spot in the general election with 2,332 votes, or 61.87 percent.
Fuson had 779 votes, or 20.67 percent, and Tietz had 658 votes, or 17.46 percent.
In 2009, Methner, running for her first term on the School Board, defeated Fuson 4,960 votes, or 64 percent, to Fuson’s 2,792 votes, or 36 percent.
“We’re just going to stay focused on the issues and focus on [school] funding,” Fuson said Wednesday.
“I’m trying to bring a new set of eyes on how we are funding our education and what is actually being taught in class,” Fuson added.
Methner will “stay on message,” she said Wednesday.
“I won’t be really putting a lot of money into it,” she added.
“I’m really going to be putting myself out there more, probably, than any sort of literature.”
Barnfather gained a spot on the general election ballots in Clallam and Jefferson counties with 4,029 votes, or 62.37 percent.
Ryan, a 2010 candidate for county Department of Community Development director, had 1,382 votes, or 21.39 percent, after Tuesday night’s count.
Perdomo had 1,052 votes, or 16.24 percent.
The fire district is largely within Clallam County but extends into Gardiner.
A second count of ballots will be Friday. The count is expected at about noon in Jefferson County and by the end of the business day in Clallam County.
Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5060, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
