All of the declared candidates for Jefferson County elected offices filed their candidacies Monday.
About 20 people, candidates and their supporters, gathered at the auditor’s office at 8:30 a.m.
First in line were District 1 Jefferson County commissioner candidates Cynthia Koan and Kate Dean — both Democrats, who filed for the seat being vacated by Phil Johnson, who decided not to seek a fourth term — public utility district commissioner incumbent Barney Burke and challenger Jeff Randall, and Jefferson County Superior Court Judge Keith Harper, who currently has no declared opposition.
Tim Thomas, who is running for the District 1 county commission seat, filed his candidacy papers later in the day. He is running as a Democrat.
Incumbent District 2 Commissioner David Sullivan, who is as yet unopposed, also filed his candidacy.
In Clallam County, the first day of general election filing week Monday produced aspirants for all five county positions up for grabs Nov. 8.
Clallam County candidates who filed Monday included Werner Buehler, running for the Sequim-area District 1 Clallam County Public Utility District commissioner position held by incumbent board President Will Purser.
Candidates have from today through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day, to file for open positions online at www.clallam.net/elections or at the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St., Port Angeles.
Filing fees must be paid in person by cash or check by 4:30 p.m. Friday at the courthouse.
The District 1 candidates will appear on the Aug. 2 primary ballot.
The top two vote-getters will advance to the Nov. 8 election regardless of party affiliation.
U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer, a Port Angeles native whose 6th District includes Jefferson and Clallam counties, also filed for re-election to the two-year position he has held since 2012.
24th District
Three candidates also filed for the following 24th District state legislative seats that cover Clallam and Jefferson counties and the northern third of Grays Harbor County:
■ Mike Chapman, a Port Angeles Democrat, filed for the two-year Position 1 state representative seat being vacated by Sequim Democrat Kevin Van De Wege.
■ Van De Wege filed for the four-year state Senate seat being vacated by longtime Democrat Jim Hargrove of Hoquiam, who is retiring.
■ Incumbent state Rep. Steve Tharinger, a Sequim Democrat, also filed for re-election to a two-year term in the Position 2 district seat he has held for three terms.
Commission seats
Dean, 41, who is the manager of the North Olympic Peninsula Resource Conservation & Development Council, said her priority is to get people to work together.
“I would like to create an identity in the county that recognizes the importance of all ages,” she said.
“We need working families to support retirees and retirees to support working families and stop creating all of these polarities between the environment and the economy.”
Koan, 53, chair of the Jefferson County Planning Commission, wants citizens to understand community development.
“I want to make sure the comprehensive plan process results in a full rewrite,” she said.
“I want it to be accessible and readable to everyone and become a document of leadership and innovation for our county.”
Thomas, 45, is running for the commission for a second time. He challenged Sullivan as a Republican in 2014 for the District 2 seat.
“I would like to bring more business into our county,” Thomas said.
“One way to do that would be to get the sewer built in Hadlock, which would really bolster businesses in the county. Port Townsend has infrastructure; we need to bring that to the rest of the county.”
All those who filed Monday live in Port Townsend, expect for Sullivan, who lives in Cape George.
Sullivan, 64, said he wants to “continue providing sustainable county government and services.
“We need to reach out and support all of the county’s residents with affordable housing and the homeless situation,” he said.
Jefferson County Republican Party Chair Steve Crosby said last week he was not aware of any member of his party who intended to run for commissioner.
Public utility district race
In the PUD race, Burke, 60, is seeking another six-year term.
“We need to work on our long-term business strategy,” he said.
“People everywhere are going to choose more solar and more conservation, so we need a business model that will work.”
Randall, 49, has worked in the solar industry for many years.
“The PUD needs to get its fiscal house in order,” he said.
“We need to have a fiscally responsible PUD that charges fair rates and maintains system reliability.”
Judge
Harper, 62, is seeking a second four-year term on the bench.
Both the PUD and Superior Court positions are nonpartisan.
Candidates can file in person from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. any day this week at the Jefferson County Auditor’s Office at the county courthouse, 1820 Jefferson St., Port Townsend.
The seat held by U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Seattle, will be up as well as nine statewide executive offices and three Supreme Court seats.
Statewide offices on the ballot will be governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, attorney general, commissioner of public lands, superintendent of public instruction and insurance commissioner.
For a full list of filings, including state races, see http://tinyurl.com/PDN-jeffersoncandidates.
Clallam PUD
Buehler, who has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and worked as a lineman in college, has been a general manager for utilities and public utility districts for about 30 years, he said Monday.
That stretch includes his current stint as general manager of the Oregon Trail Electric Co-op in Baker City, Ore., a position he has held for about the past nine years and plans to leave by the end of 2016, he said.
The Los Angeles native said Monday he is retiring to Clallam County after he and his wife, Nancy, bought a home in Sequim two years ago.
“I think my experience could bring something to the office,” Buehler said.
Purser, a PUD commissioner since 2001, also filed Monday for re-election to the six-year position.
Purser, appointed in 2001, won election to the position without opposition in 2002, 2004 and 2010.
“I think it’s healthy to have a discussion in front of the public,” he said of having a challenger.
Commission, judges
Also filing Monday for four-year terms were Democrat Ron Richards, running for the Port Angeles-area District 2 Clallam County commissioner position being vacated by Mike Chapman, and incumbent Clallam County Superior Court Judges Christopher Melly, Erik Rohrer and Brian Coughenour.
Republicans Maggie Roth and Gabe Rygaard, who have announced their intentions to run for District 1 Clallam County commissioner, did not file Monday with the county elections office.
But they have registered as candidates with the state Public Disclosure Commission to raise campaign funds, according to the agency’s website at www.pdc.wa.gov.
Rygaard, whose family-owned Rygaard Logging Inc. has been featured on History Channel’s “Ax Men” reality show, has loaned his campaign $3,000.
Roth, a civil process server and a former owner of Northwest Duty Free and Currency Exchange in Port Angeles, has raised $600, according to the PDC — $400 from former state Rep. Jim Buck of Joyce and $200 from Claudia Cookson of Port Angeles.
Purser and Richards, a former Clallam County commissioner, have registered with the PDC but have not filed fundraising totals, according to the agency’s website.
Thirty-six candidates — including Roth — also filed Monday for precinct committee officer positions.
The seat held by U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Seattle, will be up as well as nine statewide executive offices and three Supreme Court seats.
Statewide offices on the ballot will be governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, attorney general, commissioner of public lands, superintendent of public instruction and insurance commissioner.
A complete list of candidates who filed for election in Clallam County, regionally and statewide is at www.clallam.net.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
