The Long Run

Election news and commentary by Charlie Bermant

We begin the Long Run at The Beacon, taking readers on the roller coaster ride that is electoral politics. Here, we will provide insight into this year’s local races along with coverage of the state or national campaigns that impact Jefferson County.   Local elections may not represent a battle for the soul of democracy, but these contests have a more direct effect on our everyday lives than the Biden/Trump cluster-dance.  A county commissioner or a city councilor’s decision can change the way you live right now. And you can talk to them directly.  Here’s what’s happening:

• The race to election day begins in earnest during candidate filing week, May 6-10. We’ll report who’s declared for an office, along with regular dispatches about who’s filed. Many candidates wait until the last minute to file, so Friday afternoon can be particularly interesting. In unopposed races, someone usually files at the last minute to provide a choice.
• The August 6 primary narrows the field, advancing the top two vote-getters to the November 5 general election, regardless of their party. It is conceivable that the top two will belong to the same party, as it did in 2020 when Democrats Heidi Eisenhour and Lorna Smith faced off in the general election.

County:

The most consequential local races at this time are for the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners. Two positions are open, seats now held by Democrats Kate Dean and Heidi Eisenhour. Dean, first elected to represent District 1 in 2016, declined to file for a third term after a short, unsuccessful campaign for retiring US Representative Derek Kilmer. After about a month of campaigning, Dean realized that she was unable to raise the necessary funds.  Eisenhour, who represents District 2, has filed for a second term and is the only declared candidate at this time.

In other county races, Superior Court Brandon Mack is running for his first full term after his appointment to the bench in 2023. Judges are usually unopposed unless positions open up. Mack is more likely to attract a challenge than if he was finishing a full term, although no one has yet emerged. Public Utility District Commissioner Dan Toepper is running for a second six-year term and is yet unopposed, although Democrats are looking for someone to run for the seat.

County races are staggered, with two commissioners running in presidential election years and the third during the midterms. The majority of county elected officials run during the off-year; assessor, auditor, clerk, treasurer, sheriff, and district court judge.  State House elections are similarly staggered, with all contests taking place on even-numbered years. Like the US House, state representatives serve two-year terms, while senators serve four years.

Legislature:

All three positions are open in the 24th Legislative District, which includes Jefferson, Clallam, and most of Grays Harbor Counties. Currently, we have four declared candidates for Representative Position 1: Democrats Nate Tyler, Adam Bernbaum, Eric Pickens, and Republican Matthew Roberson.

Position 2 Representative Steve Tharinger is currently unopposed.  This year’s District 24 Senate race reflects a game of legislative dominoes. US Representative Derek Kilmer announced this year that he would not seek a seventh term, causing current Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz to run for the seat (with Kilmer’s endorsement). State Senator Kevin Van De Wege is seeking to replace Franz as Lands Commissioner, creating a vacancy.  Two candidates filed for the senate seat, Democrat Mike Chapman, currently a state representative, and Republican Marcia Kelbon, currently a Quilcene Fire Commissioner.

There seems to be no rumblings about other candidates from either party. Van De Wege isn’t a slam dunk for Lands Commissioner. He faces seven opponents, including King County Council Chair Dave Upthegrove and former US Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler. A Republican, she lost her seat after voting for Donald Trump’s second impeachment.  Buetler, as the highest visibility Republican, would normally have the inside track for the preferred GOP slot, but the fact that  Sue Kuehl Pederson, who Franz defeated in 2020, is running again could complicate things.

What it means:

The period between filing week and the primary will be most compelling. The primary winnows the top two candidates out, regardless of party. There is a chance that the two will be members of the same party, but that hasn’t happened locally. It isn’t likely. Voters have a choice of three Democrats and one Republican for Chapmans’s District 1 representative seat, but Republican Matthew Roberson will likely make the top two along with one of the three Democrats.

As for the County Commissioner races, no one has filed for Kate Dean’s seat, although she said last week, “There is someone really great who isn’t ready to declare yet.” If there are no early announcements, someone will file, as locals aren’t likely to leave the $98,623 salary dangling.

Eisenhour is currently unopposed, and this could stand. Eisenhour probably won’t be challenged within her party, and the Republicans may not bother to go through the motions. One Jefferson County GOP member said, “I’d be OK if we didn’t find someone to run against Heidi. We don’t agree on everything, but she listens.”

There is a lot more to say about this year's elections. We are just getting started. And we invite Beacon readers to climb aboard for this Long Run.

Correction: An earlier version of this article said, "Voters have a choice of three Democrats and one Republican for Kilmer’s District 1 representative seat." It has now been corrected to say Chapman.