> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.jeffcobeacon.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Welcome to the Beacon’s Official 2026 General Voters’ Guide - URL: https://www.jeffcobeacon.com/welcome-to-the-beacons-official-2026-general-voters-guide/ - Published: 2026-10-13T21:08:14.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-13T23:49:56.000Z - Description: An in-depth analysis of local candidates, propositions and measures. - Author: Rachael Nutting - Tags: Voter's Guide, Elections We started by taking your feedback on the issues you care about and putting them to candidates running for local office. We created this guide as a tool to read alongside your ballot, in an order that matches. On the day of the election, we'll be reporting live on local results, with help covering races from our friends at the Associated Press. You won't find any endorsements here; as a nonprofit, we've worked hard to fairly represent each candidate's point of view, not the opinions of our editor or reporters. We highly recommend that readers check out the contribution links to help them make informed decisions. Ballot drop boxes are located at Jefferson County Courthouse, the Jefferson County Library, Nordland Fire Station, Olympic Peninsula Gateway Center, Port Ludlow Village Store, the Quilcene and Brinnon Community Centers, the Hoh Indian Nation in front of the tribal police center and the Quinault Indian Nation (Queets) in front of the tribal office. ![Jefferson County ballot drop box locations.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c6/a2/c6a241c6-69f5-450c-9fd7-6b170730e448/content/images/2026/10/ballot-locations.jpg) **Jefferson County ballot drop box locations. Photo from Jefferson County’s website* # Initiative to the People *Prepared by Rachael Nutting* ### **Initiative Measure No. IP26-645 is a Washington state ballot measure seeking to repeal a newly enacted state income tax on high earners.** **What happens if I vote “Yes”** Repeal the 9.9% Income Tax: Eliminate the tax on individual income over $1,000,000 that was set to take effect in 2028. Prohibit Future Income Taxes: Ban state and local governments from imposing taxes on individual income or taxes measured by an individual's income. **What happens if I vote “No”** Keep the Income Tax in Place: Allow the 9.9% tax on income over $1 million to proceed as scheduled, with collections beginning in 2029. Maintain Current Tax Structure: Leave the state's existing tax system unchanged, including the capital gains excise tax, which is separate and not affected by this measure. **Who Supports and Opposes It** **Supporters (Vote Yes)** [Let's Go Washington](https://www.transparencyusa.org/wa/committee/lets-go-washington-sponsored-by-brian-heywood-30644?ref=jeffcobeacon.com): The political committee led by hedge fund manager Brian Heywood that sponsored all three of the initiatives on this ballot. Washington State Republican Party: Formally supports enactment of IP26-645 and opposes the income tax. Various Individuals & Groups: Including business owners and technology executives who argue the tax is unconstitutional and will harm the state's economy. **Opponents (Vote No)** No on 645 Committee: A newly launched campaign committee opposing the measure. Washington Education Association (WEA): The state's largest teachers' union, which has funded opposition efforts. Millionaire's Tax Washington: A union-backed campaign committee including the WEA, Washington Federation of State Employees and SEIU. Washington State PTA: The statewide parent-teacher association has announced its opposition. Key Arguments Against: Opponents argue the repeal would create a massive fiscal hole, leading to cuts in K-12 education, higher education and healthcare, and forcing tax increases on working families. # Initiative to the Legislature *Prepared by Rachael Nutting* ### Initiative Measure No. IL26-001 is a state initiative concerning parental rights in public schools. It seeks to repeal the 2025 legislative amendments ([HB 1296](https://housedemocrats.wa.gov/stonier/2025/05/27/new-law-strengthens-student-rights-and-parental-involvement-in-public-schools/?ref=jeffcobeacon.com)) and restore the original "Parents' Bill of Rights" as passed in 2024 (Initiative 2081). **What happens if I vote “Yes”** Restore the Original Parents' Bill of Rights: Re-enact Initiative 2081 (passed in 2024) and repeal all changes made by HB 1296. Expand Parental Access: Require schools to let parents inspect instructional materials and student records (including health, counseling and discipline records) within 10 days of a request. Mandate Notifications: Require schools to notify parents before offering medical or mental health services (except emergencies), and immediately notify them of criminal acts against their child or if law enforcement questions their child at school (services that schools provide if a child is sexually assaulted or abused, for example). Allow Opt-Outs: Give parents the right to opt their child out of discussions on topics like sexual experiences, family mental health or religious/political beliefs. **What happens if I vote “No”** Keep HB 1296 in Place: Maintain the current law, which opponents argue provides stronger privacy protections for students. Limit Parental Access: Keep in place restrictions on parental access to certain student records, particularly those related to sensitive health or mental health information. **Who Supports and Opposes It** Supporters (Vote Yes) Washington State House Republicans: Formally support the measure, arguing it restores the "bipartisan, voter-supported" Parents' Bill of Rights. Let's Go Washington: The political committee sponsored by hedge fund manager Brian Heywood that backed the original Initiative 2081. Key Arguments: Supporters contend that HB 1296 dismantled protections and hindered communication between parents, teachers and students. They argue parents, not government agencies, should have primary authority over decisions affecting their children's health and well-being. Opponents (Vote No) Washington Families for Freedom: A coalition of education, civil rights and child-advocacy organizations opposing the measure. Washington Education Association (WEA): The state's largest teachers' union, which belongs to the opposition coalition. Washington State PTA (WSPTA): The statewide parent-teacher association voted unanimously to oppose the initiative and is actively involved. Tacoma City Council: Unanimously passed Resolution 41972 expressing opposition to IL26-001 and a related measure. Key Arguments: Opponents warn the measure could force schools to "out" LGBTQ+ students, discourage students from seeking mental health support or reporting abuse and put vulnerable children at risk by mandating disclosure of sensitive information to potentially unsafe parents. ### Initiative Measure No. IL26-638 is a state measure concerning participation in K-12 school athletics. It would restrict transgender girls from competing on female sports teams and require medical verification of biological sex for all girls who want to play. **What happens if I vote “Yes”** Restrict Girls' Sports to Biological Females: Prohibit students defined as "biologically male" from competing on athletic teams intended for female students only. Require Medical Verification: Mandate that all girls wishing to participate on a girls' team provide a signed statement from a healthcare provider verifying their "biological sex" based on reproductive anatomy, genetic makeup or testosterone levels. Require Alternative Documentation: Prohibit parents from using a birth certificate as a substitute for the required medical certification. **What happens if I vote “No”** Maintain Current Policy: Keep Washington's existing law, which since 2007 has allowed transgender student athletes to compete on teams consistent with their gender identity. Avoid New Medical Requirements: Prevent the imposition of additional medical testing or certification requirements specifically for female student-athletes. It would prevent approximately 80,000 to 90,000 Washington girls from mandated examinations and testing, just to target the 5-10 transgender youth in sports reported by state officials. **Supporter (Vote Yes)** [Let's Go Washington](https://ballotpedia.org/Let%27s%5FGo%5FWashington%5FPAC?ref=jeffcobeacon.com) contributed about $2.23 million to support this measure. **Who Opposes It (Vote No)** No Hate in WA State: The primary campaign committee opposing the measure, backed by unions and civil rights groups. Washington Education Association (WEA): The state's largest teachers' union opposes the initiative. Washington State PTA (WSPTA): The statewide parent-teacher association has formally opposed the measure. ACLU of Washington: A major donor and coalition member opposing the initiative. SEIU 775: The caregivers' union has contributed significant funding to the opposition campaign. Gender Justice League: A trans advocacy organization and coalition member. Tacoma City Council: Unanimously passed Resolution 41972 opposing the measure. Shoreline City Council: Adopted Resolution 567 opposing the initiative. 45th District Democrats: Voted to oppose the measure. **Key Arguments Against:** Privacy Violations: Opponents argue the measure could force tens of thousands of girls to undergo invasive genital exams or expensive genetic testing just to play sports. Targeting a Vulnerable Few: Critics note the initiative subjects all female athletes to additional scrutiny to single out a very small number of transgender youth. Safety and Outing Risks: The coalition warns the measure could "out" transgender students and put vulnerable youth at greater risk of abuse. # FEDERAL - PARTISAN OFFICE ## Congressional District 6 U.S. Representative *Prepared by Rachael Nutting from the candidates' campaign online resources.* U.S. congressional representatives make federal laws, represent the residents of their specific congressional district and oversee the executive branch. ### **Emily Randall (Democrat)** *Randall directed the Beacon to her campaign site.* **The candidate's educational and professional background** Randall was born and raised in Washington’s 6th Congressional District and is the proud product of a union, working-class family in the 6th District. She previously served in the Washington State Senate from 2019 to 2024, and has served as the U.S. representative for Washington's 6th congressional district since 2025\. As a senator, Randall focused on expanding access to behavioral and reproductive health care, affordable housing and public safety. Randall is the first LGBTQ+ Latina elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. **Climate change and environmental protection** “We must make a just and fair transition away from fossil fuels and invest in clean energy jobs and infrastructure. The United States has a responsibility to be a leader and innovate new ways for countries to accelerate their transitions to a more green and clean economy. I will work closely with labor and industry to find ways for workers to gain new skills and transition to the jobs that our changing economy and environment needs. I am committed to building an economy that is sustainable and that protects those among us most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. We must focus on renewable energy and climate-neutral industry that protects not only today’s economy, but the ability for our grandchildren to live and work as well. We know that the communities that will be most impacted by climate change are the ones with the least means to survive it. This is why I have been a leader in ensuring a just transition to a greener transportation system and adapting our electrical grid to the needs of a greener economy.” **On the housing crisis** Randall advocates for building more affordable housing options to support seniors downsizing, young adults moving out and growing families, highlighting projects like the Mason Street Neighborhood in Port Hadlock/East Jefferson County in partnership with Habitat for Humanity. Randall supports congressional efforts like bipartisan housing legislation and the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act to lower housing costs, cut federal red tape, and restrict single-family home purchases by private equity firms. Randall also co-introduced a bipartisan bill with Rep. Jen Kiggans and others to tackle housing shortages and costs for the skilled civilian workforce at America's public naval shipyards. Randall has been endorsed by Jefferson County Democrats, Clallam County Democrats, Kitsap County Democratic Women, Kitsap County Democrats, National Education Association, LGBTQ Victory Fund, Senator Patty Murray, Women of Color in Politics, Washington State Labor Council and others. [Randall’s Top Contributors](https://www.fec.gov/data/candidate/H4WA06117/?ref=jeffcobeacon.com) include Medicare for All, SEIU, Multiple Tribes and multiple unions. ### **Teresa Fox (Republican)** *Fox did not respond to the Beacon; the below is compiled from her campaign website.* **Educational and professional background** Fox has no prior political experience. She has worked for the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries; Kitsap County Fire Marshal's Office; Naval Inactive Ships Maintenance Office in Bremerton and was an Environmental, Health, Safety and Emergency Manager for a large Alaskan fishing vessel. Her campaign site speaks of her family’s history with vehicle mechanics. **On climate change and environmental protection** Fox focuses on maritime environmental issues. From her campaign page: “Federal mandates that prioritize unproven "Green" maritime technologies over the immediate maintenance needs of the existing fleet put both national security and local jobs at risk. Rapid electrification of support vessels threatens job stability. Forcing ‘experimental’ tech onto the shipyard before the infrastructure is ready is dangerous. ‘We need ships that can fight today, not social experiments that might float tomorrow.’" **On the housing crisis** Fox’s online resources provide no information specifically about housing. Fox’s missions include lowering taxes; supporting Law Enforcement and Immigration Control Enforcement; establishing term limits; supporting naval workers and rural healthcare; less regulation on businesses and opposing transgender people’s participation in sports and use of bathrooms. Fox has been endorsed by the Jefferson County Republican Party, the Kitsap County Republican Party, the Pierce County Republican Party, the Mason County Republican Party, the Republican Women's Club of Mason County, the Mason County Republican Party, the Grays Harbor County Republican Party and the Washington State Republican Party. [Fox’s Top Contributors](https://www.fec.gov/data/candidate/H6WA06286/?ref=jeffcobeacon.com) include the Jefferson County Republican Party, Mason County Republican Women’s Club and Candidate for State Representative District 24, Position 2, Marcia Kelbon. # Legislative District 24 Partisan Offices ## State Representative Position 1 *Prepared by Scott France* A State Representative serves in the lower chamber of a state legislature (often called the House of Representatives, House of Delegates, or Assembly), where they write, debate and vote on state laws, shape the state budget and represent the interests of their local district. ### **Adam Bernbaum (Democrat)** As Bernbaum’s first term winds down, he says that he emphasizes pragmatic policymaking, rural economic development, and hands-on legislative experience. Bernbaum points to his background as a legislative assistant and policy analyst in criminal justice and behavioral health as key preparation for the office. He frames his approach as process-oriented and evidence-driven, stressing the importance of understanding how legislation actually moves—through stakeholder engagement, budget negotiations, and coalition-building. He also highlights a skepticism of surface-level policy arguments, saying his work has reinforced the need to “dig deep” to avoid inadvertently advancing special interests. Noting the ideological differences between certain communities in this large district that includes Clallam, Grays Harbor and Jefferson counties, Bernbaum said that he thinks of his work not so much with such differences in mind, but rather through a lens of challenges and opportunities. ”What are the economic opportunities or the assets that each county has?” Bernbaum said. “What are the differences in desires for conservation? What are the types of aesthetic or cultural considerations that people seem to have?” **Housing** Bernbaum considers affordable housing to be one of the top priorities for the state. “I’m working to ensure we're having a very honest conversation about the building code. And about which parts of the code are efficient and are delivering meaningful value in terms of the energy efficiency of homes, and which parts are adding a lot of cost but not adding a whole lot of energy efficiency. He cosponsored a bill to reduce barriers to building middle housing in unincorporated areas. Now law, it allows counties to permit middle housing of up to four units in limited areas of more intensive rural development (LAMIRDS) using septic systems instead of sewers. Another bill Bernbaum co-sponsored allows children who turn three after August 31 of the school year to enroll in the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP), provided there is available space and funding. As a self-described policy nerd, Bernbaum works to understand each bill and assess whether or not it benefits his district and its citizens, as well as the state. So he has been disillusioned in observing during his first term that many legislators did not read or understand the bills on which they voted. **Endorsements** Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, the State Building and Construction Trades Council, the Washington State Labor Council and many other unions, organizations and institutions. [Bernbaum’s Top Contributors](https://www.transparencyusa.org/wa/candidate/adam-bernbaum/contributors?ref=jeffcobeacon.com) include Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Affordable Reliable Energy Future PAC (Western States Petroleum Association), Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, Washington State Association for Justice Justice for All and Washington Education Association PAC (Wea-PAC). ### **Eric Pratt (Republican)** Eric Pratt said that he is seeking to serve his kids. Pratt grew up in Port Townsend, but fears that his children won’t be able to afford to live here as adults. Pratt manages sports team field installations around the country. “A lot of people I’ve talked to in Clallam and Grays Harbor counties also have that same sense of doubt that their families will be able to thrive in the future,” Pratt said. **Housing** On housing, Pratt points out that permit processing times across the counties are too long. “While that may be a county issue, I think the state needs to come up with some better ways to support local builders and their ability to keep costs low, and keep permitting costs low,” he said. Pratt said that Washington state’s adoption of the Growth Management Act (GMA) in 1990, designed to curb urban sprawl, preserve natural resource lands and protect environmentally critical areas, should be reviewed. “We’ve got new technologies on board, understanding the sensitive areas, understanding how land is used, and how to better use the land. I think we can do better with the GMA in today's world,” he said. Pratt believes that the timber industry in the region remains a viable economic force, while acknowledging that “clear-cutting has huge environmental impacts. There's still a market for those similar products. I don't know if we can do better there, but maintaining the technological understanding of what we do, what the impacts are, I guess, would be important.” A focus of Pratt’s concern about affordability for families is that “the state should not levy additional taxes until we can rein in budget problems.” **Endorsements**—None listed [Pratt’s Top Contributors](https://www.transparencyusa.org/wa/candidate/eric-pratt/contributors?ref=jeffcobeacon.com) include the Jefferson County Republican Central Party and Candidate for State Representative Position 2, Marcia Kelbon. ## State Representative District 24, Position 2 *Prepared by Nhatt Nichols* District 24 is one of the largest districts in the state, consisting of two House seats and one Senate seat. The District 24 position two representative was Democrat Steve Tharinger, who is not seeking reelection. ### **Marcia Kelbon (States No Party Preference)** **What is the candidate's educational and professional background?** Marcia Kelbon went to grad school at the University of Washington, then went to work for the Navy in a civilian capacity as an engineer. She returned to UW to go to law school and became a patent attorney. Kelbon worked for a biotech startup for 19 years as their general counsel. Though Kelbon has run for office in the past as a Republican, she said that becoming an independent wasn’t a huge change, as she grew up as a Democrat and her first political action was writing a check to Hillary Clinton. While running as a Republican, she heard frustration over the national divide and that divisiveness, which inspired her to step away from party politics and focus on state and local issues, to see if it’s possible to bridge some of that gap. **Do you believe climate change and environmental protection are immediate priorities? What specific county-level action would you take to protect open spaces, water quality, and air?** We have an electrical grid that is incredibly overloaded, and we desperately need to find some additional energy sources that are clean. It has to be a progress. It's right now, we're sort of accelerating things with the Climate Commitment Act, and according to Department of Ecology data, I don't know that we've been tremendously successful in reducing carbon with that. I think what we need to do is accelerate the development of alternate energy sources. One of them that I am kind of reluctantly excited about, and I don't know that it makes sense for us right here on the peninsula, is small modular nuclear reactors. AI data centers are kind of a prime, I don't know if I'd call them a violator because they're just there yet, but they’re going to be. I want to regulate AI data centers. Right now, I look at AI data centers as drawing a lot of power, heating the local area, using an awful lot of water and causing a lot of noise pollution. So, I'm not a fan of AI data centers. I know AI is here. I know it's coming. I know it needs to be regulated. That sort of gets to be another aspect of the environment: what are we adapting to new technologies that might make things worse, and how do we rein those in? **Do you agree we're in a housing crisis? Please describe a specific, actionable policy you support.** It's not a one-dimensional solution. Part of it is regulation, and I think the Growth Management Act needs tweaking. It's done a tremendous job of maintaining open space, particularly in Jefferson County, which I think with our implementation here is more thorough than Clallam, and of course it wasn't really implemented at all in Grays Harbor. But the flip side is we have some suburban sprawl that's resulted because we have a five-acre minimum lot size; therefore, you have larger chunks that have been busted up into five acres, perhaps even more so than if you enabled people at certain locations to have, you know, quarter-acre or half-acre lots, and when I say that those certain locations for me are the local area of more intense rural development. If we could have smaller lots there, including multi-housing units on those lots, you have much less costly builds to do there. I'd like to permit that. I also want to take a look at some of the energy codes, and again, there's a balance here, right? So, with the most recent Energy Code, we've built a couple of off-grid solar-powered houses, and the difference in cost from a build that we did in 2019 versus one we did for our daughter in 2024 was pretty significant, and some of that was just because costs went up post-COVID, including timber. But the energy, the most recent energy codes added, I think somewhere's around $3-5,000, a build. I want to work on amending that Growth Management Act, so we can get those smaller lots and the ability to build multifamily housing, and also to have more businesses there than might otherwise be allowed, which is part of the job growth. That's one piece I want to do. **What are your opinions about government transparency? How are you going to keep the public informed and people aware of the work that you're doing?** I don't support the legislative privilege that some legislators have asserted. You are the people's employee, and that privilege shouldn't exist at all. Anything you do in a public capacity should be fair game. That's the biggest piece. I wrote a column every two weeks for a year and a half in the Leader, and kind of laid it out where I'm at on things. Career politicians are not necessarily always the most forthcoming, and I don't have any desire to be a career politician. I totally support transparency: the way things work, who funds them, what their conflicts are. **Endorsements:** Senate Republican Campaign Committee [Kelbon’s Top Contributors](https://www.transparencyusa.org/wa/candidate/marcia-kelbon/contributors?ref=jeffcobeacon.com) include Cascade Party of Washington, NFIB Washington PAC and Joseph D’Amico. ### **Kaylee Kuehn (Democrat)** **What is the candidate's educational and professional background?** Kaylee Kuehn grew up in Sequim, where both of her parents spent their careers teaching at Sequim High School. She earned her bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts with academic focuses in politics and social psychology at The Evergreen State College, where she also did a legislative internship. While earning her master's degree in Secondary Education from Grand Canyon University, she returned to the legislature as an aide in the State Senate, where she helped constituents navigate state government, tracked legislation, and worked with policy stakeholders, labor organizations and community advocates. Kuehn taught math, history and government, and was a girls wrestling coach and Speech and Debate advisor. She now works independently in communications as an advocate for the Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers union, and she works with the nonprofit The Building Bridges Project to help teach civility and civic engagement to teens. Kuehn is passionate about protecting workers' rights, promoting civic engagement, and modeling respectful dialogue for young people. **How will you use your role in government to help protect the environment?** The Olympic Peninsula has always been home for me. I grew up going to Lake Crescent on summer break, hiking Storm King with friends, and going crabbing at Cline Spit with my grandpa. I care deeply about protecting the place that my daughter will also grow up calling home. My generation has inherited a climate crisis that we didn't create, and I'm worried about what we'll leave behind for her generation if we don't act now. We have a responsibility to protect our forests, rivers, shorelines, wildlife, and water while reducing the pollution that's driving climate change. One of the most inspiring examples of what's possible is the Elwha River. Once the dams were removed, we watched salmon return, native plants recover, and an entire ecosystem begin to heal. This is a powerful reminder that when we make the right choices, nature has an incredible ability to recover! I want Washington to continue making meaningful investments in protecting our environment, but I also want to make sure that efforts like the Climate Commitment Act are having real results. We need to ensure the CCA dollars are being used for their intended purposes: reducing greenhouse gas emissions, investing in clean energy and transportation, supporting climate resilience, and other efforts that protect our environment and address climate change. If elected, I will work diligently to ensure we are budgeting well and utilizing our tax dollars for projects that wield results. Washington State has the third-highest gas tax in the country, but we also rank third in environmental health. We can continue being a leader on environmental policy to protect our communities, our economy, and the future we're leaving to the next generation. **How will you use your role in government to provide solutions for our housing crisis?** I have knocked on thousands of doors in Jefferson County alone, and housing is by far the issue I hear about most. We need more workforce housing, and that includes both affordable housing and the missing middle. My husband and I rent an ADU from my family because of the lack of affordable housing. Too many nurses, teachers, retail workers, and young families are being priced out or forced to commute long distances just to get to work. I also know this isn't as simple as saying, "build more housing." People care deeply about the character of the community, and I do too. We need to be thoughtful about where and how we grow. But we also can't ignore the fact that our communities only work if the people who keep them running can actually afford to live there. To me, housing is connected to everything else. If elected, I would join Representative Bernbaum in the permit reform legislation he's been building. The permitting process is cumbersome, duplicative and expensive. Streamlining this process is a real step the legislature can take to address the housing crisis. I would also continue the important work Representative Steve Tharinger has done securing state funding for water and sewer infrastructure, like the investments in Port Hadlock, because communities can't build the housing they need without the infrastructure to support it. **How will you use your role in government to ensure the public has access to information?** Working in the State Senate gave me a perspective that most people don't get. I saw firsthand that the legislature isn't some distant institution. It's made up of real people making difficult decisions that affect people across our state. I also had the privilege of witnessing legislators who led with integrity, compassion and a genuine commitment to serving the people they represented. That experience showed me what good leadership looks like, and it gave me confidence that I can bring that same approach to this role. In many ways, I think being an effective legislator is a lot like being an educator. You have to do your homework, dig into the facts, analyze information from many different perspectives, disseminate information to folks, and make thoughtful decisions even when there isn't an easy answer. Most importantly, you have to listen. As a teacher, I listened to my students and their families because the best decisions came from understanding what they needed. As your state representative, I'll bring that same mindset: I'll do the work, I'll listen before I speak and I'll always remember that every vote I take affects real people back home. **Endorsements** WA State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal, Jefferson County Commissioner Heidi Eisenhour, Port Townsend Mayor Amy Howard, plus other organizations, individuals and associations. [Kuehn’s Top Contributors](https://www.transparencyusa.org/wa/candidate/kaylee-kuehn/contributors?ref=jeffcobeacon.com) include Jefferson County Democrats & Central Committee, Future Democrats PAC, Washington State Association for Justice for All, WA Multi Family Housing Association (PAC Account) and Washington Education Association PAC. # County - Partisan Offices ## Assessor A county assessor is a public official who determines the market value of all real and taxable personal property within a county to ensure an equitable distribution of property taxes. ### **Chuck Garland (Democrat)** **How long have I been the Senior Appraiser?** I have been in the Assessor's office for over 5 years and a Senior Appraiser for over a year, as the title comes with time served as an appraiser. During my time as an appraiser, I have guided my career with three basic principles: listen to opposing views, act with integrity and hold myself accountable. **What is the most challenging part of this position for Jefferson County?** In Jefferson County, as well as any other county, the challenges are maintaining a healthy working relationship with the constituents, keeping values fair and accurate in an ever-changing market and political climate, and nurturing and retaining a well-educated staff within the county’s budget challenges. **From an appraiser/assessor perspective, what is most challenging for housing in Jefferson County?** ‘Affordability’ remains central to the conversation around what is most challenging for housing in Jefferson County. The cost to build, labor and materials are continuing to rise. The price of existing home sales is showing some signs of flattening, driven by higher interest rates. In highly desirable communities, it is very challenging to create affordable housing without sacrificing quality, in turn eventually reducing desirability. ## Auditor The Jefferson County Auditor manages several core administrative, financial, and licensing divisions. These include accounting and budget, elections, voter registration, vehicle and vessel licensing, issues marriage licenses, processes passport applications, records real estate documents, property transactions and public records. ### **Lauralee Kiesel — Unopposed** *Prepared by Scott France* **What experience and qualifications make you suited to run an office that** **handles elections, public records, and county finances? Why did you decide to seek the job, and what did you do before this?** I am a proud 4th generation Jefferson County resident and have 21 years of experience serving the public from within the Assessor's Office. I have a wide range of responsibilities; from administration and personnel, budgeting, vouchers, state reports, audits, public records requests, the whole levy process and much more. These duties have required a very high standard of accuracy, efficiency and transparency. I am a problem solver and challenge seeker, so when the opportunity arose to run for Auditor, it seemed like the perfect fit for my personality and experience. **Voters hold a range of views on how elections are run. What steps will you take to make the process transparent and verifiable, and how will you answer questions or concerns from voters who doubt the results?** The Jefferson County Elections mission is to conduct fair, accountable elections and encourage people to understand and participate in the process. Testing and certification of voting systems are done before, during and after an election. We have restricted access areas for ballot scanning, adjudication and tabulation, and they are not connected to the internet. We also have security cameras that cover our election operations. Daily reconciliation is done at the end of each step throughout processing. The number of ballots scanned is verified against the number of valid signatures accepted in the VoteWA. The canvassing board will certify the results in an open public meeting and a copy will be transmitted immediately to the Office of the Secretary of State along with the reconciliation report. **What is your plan for recruiting and training election staff and observers, and for protecting ballots, voter data and election systems from physical and cyber threats?** I am very fortunate to be stepping into an office that is experienced and qualified in all aspects of the Auditor's Office. Each division follows safe, secure procedures and rules that have been set by the State of Washington, with many reviews and audits throughout the year. Every employee will continue their professional training to obtain and continue to hold their certifications. All election-related processes are open for public observation. Observers are required to complete training with our office prior to observing the process. For each election, we will contact both political parties and request observers for all election activities. **What are your top three priorities for the first year? How should voters measure your performance, and how will you report your progress to the public?** My top three priorities for next year will be the safety and accuracy of elections, a smooth transition for the staff, and to continue onward with the digitizing of historical recorded documents. My performance can be measured through state reviews and audits made public on our website, by visiting our office, or speaking with staff and colleagues. ## Clerk A county clerk is an elected or appointed public official who manages county records, oversees administrative and judicial paperwork and often handles local elections. ### **Amanda Hamilton — Unopposed** *Prepared by Rachael Nutting* **What is your professional background?** I have spent the majority of my career in county government, primarily in the clerk's office, first in Gallatin County, Montana, followed by 15 years in Kitsap County. I moved to Jefferson County in 2017 to become the confidential secretary to the sheriff, then spent 2 years as the victim / witness advocate in the prosecutor's office before I was elected as Jefferson County Clerk in 2022. **Do you agree we're in a housing crisis?** I do. Although this is not my area of expertise, I try to stay abreast of the policy conversations happening in our county. **What are your opinions about government transparency? How are you going to keep the public informed and people aware of the work that you're doing?** I serve in local county government because I enjoy helping and empowering our neighbors, and strive to be transparent about that work. It is time well spent whenever we can share our role in access to justice and support people to that end. Individuals generally only seek us out when they have business in the courts. At that juncture, we share resources, procedures and information to the best of our ability. Changes to rules, fees or services specific to our office are communicated on the clerk page of the county website, or by the county communications specialist on social media. We preserve and protect court records in perpetuity, and invite anyone to reach out to us with questions. ## County Commissioner District No. 3 *Prepared by Rachael Nutting* The Jefferson County, Washington District 3 County Commissioner is an elected, full-time official who manages the county budget, makes policies and oversees public services. District 3 includes Port Ludlow, Chimacum, Quilcene, Brinnon and the west end of the county. ### **Anji Scalf (Democrat)** **What is your educational and professional background, and how has it prepared you for the duties of a County Commissioner?** Anji Scalf is a third-generation Jefferson County resident with an undergraduate degree in environmental science. She has completed numerous post-graduate programs in business administration, organizational development, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. She currently works with Washington State University coordinating the 4-H program. Scalf believes that her experience as a state employee managing a county budget and personnel is a strong parallel to county governance. She also worked for the City of Port Townsend for over a decade (starting at age 14 as a lifeguard), led the Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce through the pandemic, and worked with small businesses and tourism across the peninsula. Scalf has managed small and medium-sized budgets—up to half a million dollars. Though she hasn't managed a program over $1 million yet, Scalf says that she has been meticulous throughout her career. Scalf is running because she believes she is the right person to help the county with financial planning, due to her experience with nonprofit bookkeeping, government grants, and spending public dollars transparently. She has held office as a precinct committee officer in Clallam County for the Democratic Party. **Do you believe climate change and environmental protection are immediate priorities for this office? If elected, what specific county-level action would you take to protect our open spaces, water quality, and air?** Yes. We're experiencing the vanguard of climate change—we just changed our hardiness zones; we're seeing hotter summers, more dramatic weather events, fires, rivers reclaiming land, and tides buffeting downtown Port Townsend. We're not at a place where we can stop it—we can only respond. That requires infrastructure and emergency planning. The county is already weaving climate resilience into every layer of government, and I'd continue and deepen that work. There are many state and federal funding opportunities around climate resilience. My biggest concern is food insecurity—what happens when we're cut off from supply chains? Where will we get protein? We'll have veggies, but I'm concerned about protein sources. Great minds are working on this in our county, and I want to amplify that work and put it center stage. **Do you agree that we are in a housing crisis? Please describe a specific, actionable policy you support to address it.** Yes—I've experienced it myself. When I moved home, there were six homes for sale, and only one was near my price point. I now spend 42% of my income on housing, which is beyond affordable, but I feel lucky to be secure. Even today, all three of our spouses work remotely or commute out of the county—a common experience here. I want to advocate for families working hard to raise their kids here because this is a good place to raise children. It's a two-pronged issue: 1\. Supply: We need about 4,000 more homes for projected population growth, but we only build 200 homes per year. I'd support DCD to streamline permitting—like Port Angeles, where you can walk in and leave with a simple permit the same day, especially for ADUs and infill. (Note: My father was director of community development when I was growing up. Our county has the largest ADUs possible in Washington—1,200 square feet—because they tried something innovative with the GMA.) 2\. Access: 16% of our homes are vacant—many are vacation homes. That means we could house every unhoused person in our county. That's not right. We have great minds working on innovative solutions, and I'd support them. I believe poverty is a policy choice, and I'm not pro that policy choice. **How do you balance the need for new housing development with the need to protect our natural environment and rural character?** I was born around the time the GMA was enacted. We have the map, we have comp plans—we've had multiple. The comp plan is a roadmap, and we need to use it. During a grad school internship at DCD (not when my father was director—when David Goldsmith was), my job was to identify what pieces were in action, completed or not started. I was surprised by how many things we hadn't taken action on. These are documents our whole county has communicated around—public hearings, approved. Let's actually use our comp plan. **Do you support making non-confidential county records easily accessible online? What's your stance on the Public Records Act?** Yes. I'm the Facebook generation; I was in college when Facebook started, so I've lived my entire adult life with everything being known. But transparency should go beyond just making records available—it should create understanding. At WSU Extension, we produce an annual impact report showing what we spent, outcomes, and what needs work. I'd like to see that across every county department so the public can see the value of what they're paying for. Public records can be crippling. I've spent much of my career reminding folks that everything in email or text is public record. It's best that we have it, but we need to make it reasonable. I don't like that local governments doing their best to comply get hit with fees, fines, and lawsuits, then pay settlements with more public money. That ain't right. I'd like to see more social contract—public servants doing their best, but not abusing that power either. **How will you ensure decisions are free from undue influence, and will you recuse yourself from conflicts?** Yes. This is tricky because every action I take has financial and familial connections—I know every action influences my community. You have to compartmentalize. I have extensive experience with nonprofit boards using public dollars, including recusing myself from not only conflicts, but anything that could be perceived as a conflict. The commissioner's job is to be influenced—to be out in the community, listening to trusted advisors and experts. It's an art, and I've done it well for a while. I have a strong network I rely on and will continue deepening. **Endorsements** District 3 County Commissioner Greg Brotherton, Former District 3 Jefferson County Commissioner John Austin, Port of Port Townsend Commissioner District 2 Carol Hasse and former Jefferson County Auditor Rose Ann Carroll. [Scarf’s Top Contributors](https://www.transparencyusa.org/wa/candidate/anji-scalf/contributors?ref=jeffcobeacon.com) include Jefferson County Democrats & Central Committee and Washington State Democratic Committee. ### **Stephen T Nieman (Republican)** **What is your educational and professional background, and how has it prepared you for the specific duties of a County Commissioner?** Stephen T Nieman went directly from high school into the working world; his primary responsibility has been to his family and to work. He has been doing project management since the mid-90s, first as a startup principal employee for a company that grew to about 140 employees. He still manages that company’s office in Hawaii. After moving to Jefferson County, he started a company to help his brother manage his construction business in Sammamish and Bellevue. He has experience creating his own project management platform to understand how to get jobs out and track them effectively. He has not held office previously. **Do you believe climate change and environmental protection are immediate priorities for this office? If elected, what specific county-level action would you take to protect our open spaces, water quality and air?** When you're talking about climate change, we're walking on an earth with a record of climate change back into infinity. It's ridiculous to say climate change is not a reality—it is. To the extent that we are accelerating it, I can't imagine dumping coal fumes into the air. The part that bothers me is the lack of balance—almost a cult-like adherence to this idea to the exclusion of working-class people. We can get so idealistic that we move away from the good and compel people to compromise. The “apocalypse is imminent” feels manipulated to me. We can find reasonable solutions that don't shut down the working man's ability to make money and grow. The overall idea of conservation—any reasonable adult would want that. **Do you agree that we are in a housing crisis? Please describe a specific, actionable policy you support to address it.** Absolutely. I've put together a series of policy proposals to deal with this. The concern I have is that when I look through the various housing initiatives in Port Townsend and Jefferson County, they're very heavy on bureaucratic oversight. I think the view of the government should be more structured for the individual, not growing its own bureaucracy. Housing is not really the issue. The real issue is that we've doubled down on the Critical Areas Ordinance. While we're shutting down private farms and industries, suddenly we're amenable to putting housing in the Sims area. We need to be helping people who own land be successful. We can put people in houses, but it doesn't mean they can pay for them. We really have to encourage outside manufacturing. My Joint Jefferson County Share Equity Home proposal—on my website—would get people between $60-80,000 into a home for $2,000 a month. Not a big home. Then we can create the manufacturing jobs for those homes here. The working class is living in their grandparents' basements, just on the edge of falling through the cracks. They're not going to own homes. Even carpenters—maybe the owner of the construction company can pull profit, but the average labor carpenter is not getting enough to build a family. I don't think you create hope through dependency. You create hope through independence. People need to know they're free to act in their own best self-interest. **How do you balance the need for new housing development with the need to protect our natural environment and rural character?** We focus on very key locations, keeping everything rural, and providing mobility hubs between them. We're creating an environment that's business-friendly while maintaining its rural look with distinctive Northwest features. Our graduates need to see opportunities here. We can change the spirit from defensiveness and closure to openness. **Do you support making all non-confidential county records easily accessible online? What is your stance on the state Public Records Act?** I think you absolutely should be able to access any public record. This is a big problem—we need citizens to be empowered to hold the government responsible. We can't do that if we've got a lawyer up every time we want to get information. **How will you ensure that your decisions are free from undue influence, and will you recuse yourself from votes where you have a financial or personal conflict?** I can't foresee that I would have a conflict presently, but I most certainly would recuse myself. I would not put any restrictions on access to board meetings, committee meetings or any decisions we're making. **Endorsements:** Nieman is endorsed by the Republican Party of Jefferson County. [Nieman’s Top Contributors](https://www.transparencyusa.org/wa/candidate/stephen-todd-nieman/contributors?ref=jeffcobeacon.com) include the Jefferson County Republican Central Committee. ## Prosecuting Attorney *Prepared by Angela Downs* A county prosecutor (also known as a district attorney or state's attorney) is the chief legal officer for a county who represents the state and county in legal matters, handles criminal prosecutions, and provides civil legal advice to local government bodies. ### **James Kennedy– Unopposed** **What is your education, professional experience and previous political positions?** James Kennedy has a BA in History from Ithaca College and a JD from Seattle University School of Law. He has been the Prosecuting Attorney for Jefferson County since 2019. **Do you believe climate change and environmental protection are immediate priorities for this office?** The Prosecuting Attorney's Office (PAO) prosecutes crimes against our natural resources, except for crimes that occur in the national forest and national park, which are handled in federal court. We also prosecute animal poaching and overfishing cases. **Do you agree that we are in a housing crisis? Please describe a specific, actionable policy you support to address it.** The PAO advises the County Department of Community Development, which grants housing permits. Additionally, the PAO has been heavily involved with the Port Hadlock sewer project, which will increase housing density in the Port Hadlock Urban Growth Area. **Do you support making all non-confidential county records easily accessible online? What is your stance on the state Public Records Act?** The PAO advises the County and its departments on Public Records Act (PRA) and the Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) compliance. **Policies and initiatives:** Developing a Child Advocacy Center and a Multi-Disciplinary Team to staff and handle cases involving child abuse has been a priority of mine, coupled with trauma-informed prosecution practices. I am proud to say that Jefferson County now has a functional Child Advocacy Center and a Multi-Disciplinary Team. The team has improved immensely in its functionality and I anticipate that it will only get better as time goes on. Our next major goal is getting our Child Advocacy Center accredited within the next few years. The PAO also completed the Sewer Ordinance for the County, which was a critical component to getting the Port Hadlock Sewer installed and operational. In 2022, the legislature passed a law allowing for Extreme Risk Protection Orders, which is Washington's version of what are known as Red Flag laws. Since then, we have developed procedures with local law enforcement to obtain these orders against individuals who present sufficient danger such that they should not own or possess firearms. We have also worked with Discovery Behavioral Health and Jefferson Healthcare to streamline how cases involving the Involuntary Treatment Act are handled.” Kennedy has no reported donors. ## Sheriff *Prepared by Angela Downs* The Sheriff’s responsibilities are to patrol areas outside municipal city limits; delivery of civil papers; execution of court orders; incarceration of offenders and supervision of parole/probation clients; organizing search and rescue operations; and preparing for and coordinating responses to man-made and natural disasters. ### **Andy Pernsteiner– Unopposed** **What is the candidate's education, professional experience, and previous political positions?** After the Marines, Pernsteiner joined the Sheriff's Office. He has been with the Sheriff's Office for the past 28 years, and in a leadership role within the Sheriff's Office for the past 20 years. He was appointed as Undersheriff in 2019 and was appointed as Sheriff last spring and elected in November. **How does the role of Sheriff relate to concerns about protecting the environment and our housing crisis?** “Sheriffs do not have the ability to create laws regarding housing or the environment, but we can assist by serving eviction notices, respond to homelessness-related issues, work closely with behavioral health providers and crisis response teams and respond to calls that affect the quality of life in Jefferson County. I regularly attend meetings regarding homelessness; I'm on the board at Discovery Behavioral Health and I am a member of the Behavioral Health Court. Regarding the environment, the Sheriff can choose how we enforce laws and ensure that littering, timber theft, and environmental crimes are investigated fully and enforced. We support emergency response to floods, hazardous material spills, and other environmental disasters.” **How does the role of Sheriff relate to concerns about transparency in government?** “The Sheriff's Office implemented the use of Body Cameras in 2022\. JCSO processed 772 public records requests in 2025\. I believe that transparency is crucial in law enforcement; the public should trust who enforces their laws and protects them. The Sheriff is the steward of public funds, and as such, we are accountable to how and where we choose to spend our budget.” Pernsteiner states that he believes that education is the best way to protect the community from fraud and scams. “JCSO has partnered with a local bank to put on fraud awareness community outreach meetings in Jefferson County. I have a great partnership with local banks and community organizations to host these events.” In closing, Pernsteiner said, “I have only been the Sheriff since Sheriff Nole retired in January of 2025, but JCSO attained WASPC Accreditation in May of 2025\. Accreditation means that we follow industry best practices and standards. The best accomplishment is leading a team of professionals who care for their community and working for a community that respects and supports their Sheriff's Office.” **Voting Records** Pernsteiner voted in opposition to SB5974, to set stricter statewide eligibility standards and oversight for sheriffs, police chiefs and town marshals, and in support of SB5067, to lower the legal Blood Alcohol Concentration limit for driving under the influence from 0.08% to 0.05%. [Pernsteiner’s Top Contributors](https://www.transparencyusa.org/wa/candidate/andy-pernsteiner/contributors?ref=jeffcobeacon.com) include the Washington State Democratic Committee and many individuals. ## Treasurer *Prepared by Rachael Nutting* ### **Stacie Prada — Unopposed** **What is your professional background? How long have you held the position?** I’ve held the County Treasurer position three terms and am running for my fourth. During my tenure, I’ve prioritized participation in statewide organizations to build our county’s influence. Among them are: Washington State Local Government Investment Pool (LGIP) Advisory Committee member, Local Government Advisory Committee member, Washington Association of County Officials (WACO) executive board member, 2018-2024 including President 2021-2022. **What is the most challenging part of this position for Jefferson County?** Doing it all. Small counties are required to do all of the same work large counties do, and we do it with fewer people and dollars. While we have to do it, we also get to do it. It pushes us to learn more, monitor constantly changing requirements and systems, and see the big picture while still understanding the minutia of daily tasks. **Do you agree we're in a housing crisis? Please describe a specific, actionable policy you support.** Yes. In the capacity of county treasurer, we implemented allowing partial property tax payments for those unable to pay in full. We aim to keep people out of property tax foreclosure and try to provide information on any programs that will assist homeowners. **What are your opinions about government transparency? How are you going to keep the public informed and people aware of the work that you're doing?** I’m committed to Government transparency, and I prioritize being available to answer questions from anyone. In my first term, I scanned budget and finance reports to make them available on the county website. I provide monthly reports on revenue, debt and investments, and I assist wherever I can in research, forecasting, budget preparation, annual reporting and audits. # Judicial - Nonpartisan Offices *Prepared by Angela Downs* State Supreme Court justices serve as the highest judicial authority in a state, responsible for interpreting state laws, reviewing lower-court decisions and upholding the state constitution. ## State Supreme Court Justice No. 1 ## 2 Year Unexpired Term ### **Colleen Melody** Already a judge for Position 1 of the Washington Supreme Court since January 1, 2026\. Her current term ends on January 11, 2027. Melody first became a member of the Washington Supreme Court through an appointment. Governor of Washington Bob Ferguson on November 24, 2025, to the seat vacated by Mary Yu. Melody earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Washington in 2004, and her J.D. degree from the University of Washington in 2009\. Prior to her appointment to the Washington Supreme Court, Melody served as director of the Civil Rights Division of the Washington state attorney general's office from 2015 to 2025. [Melody Top Contributors](https://www.transparencyusa.org/wa/candidate/colleen-melody?ref=jeffcobeacon.com) include the Washington State Association for Justice for All. ### **Scott Edwards** Scott Edwards earned a bachelor's degree from Princeton University and a law degree from the University of Washington. Edwards' career experience includes working as an attorney for Ballard Spahr and an adjunct professor of state and local tax at the University of Washington School of Law. [Edwards’s Top Contributors](https://www.transparencyusa.org/wa/candidate/scott-edwards/contributors?ref=jeffcobeacon.com) include the National Federation of Independent Business PAC and the Associated General Contractors of Washington's Build PAC. ## State Supreme Court Justice No. 3 ### **David Stevens** David Stevens served in the U.S. Navy. Stevens earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Washington and a law degree from the University of Washington. Stevens' career experience includes serving as a superior court judge, prosecutor, public defender, criminal defense attorney and special assistant U.S. attorney. [Steven’s Top Contributors](https://www.transparencyusa.org/wa/candidate/david-stevens/contributors?ref=jeffcobeacon.com) include Washington State Council of Police Political Support, Washington Affordable Housing Council (WAHC) and Jefferson County Republican Central Committee. ### **Jaime Hawk** Jaime Hawk is a judge for Department 10 of the King County Superior Court in Washington. She assumed office in 2022\. Her current term ends on January 9, 2029\. Governor Jay Inslee appointed Hawk to the King County Superior Court on July 27, 2022, to replace Regina Cahan. Jaime Hawk earned a bachelor's degree from Gonzaga University in 1999 and a law degree from Gonzaga University in 2004\. Hawk's career experience includes serving as the legal strategy director for the ACLU of Washington, civil rights attorney, adjunct professor, law clerk to a federal judge, juvenile public defender in Grant County and federal public defender. [Hawk’s Top Contributors](https://www.transparencyusa.org/wa/candidate/jaime-hawk/contributors?ref=jeffcobeacon.com) include Service Employees International Union 775 Quality Care Committee (SEIU 775 Quality Care Committee) and Washington State Association for Justice Justice for All. ## State Supreme Court Justice No. 4 ### **Ian Birk** Judge Ian S. Birk was appointed to the Washington State Court of Appeals by Governor Jay Inslee in April 2022, and ran unopposed to retain his seat in November 2022\. Before joining the court, Judge Birk practiced law as a civil litigator in Seattle for 20 years and was a partner at Keller Rohrback L.L.P., where his law practice emphasized insurance and consumer protection law. As a lawyer, Judge Birk represented clients at trial and on appeal in state and federal courts. Judge Birk began his legal career as a judicial law clerk to a Justice of the Washington State Supreme Court. While in private practice, Judge Birk served for more than 10 years as a volunteer attorney with the King County Bar Association Neighborhood Legal Clinics, providing free legal assistance to people who could not afford an attorney. He has frequently been asked to speak to help educate lawyers on a range of legal issues, especially concerning insurance law. He is a board member of the Washington Courts Historical Society. [Birk’s Top Contributors](https://www.transparencyusa.org/wa/candidate/ian-birk/contributors?ref=jeffcobeacon.com) are Service Employees International Union 775 Quality Care Committee (SEIU 775 Quality Care Committee) and several different attorneys from different firms. ### **Sean O'Donnell** Sean O'Donnell is a judge for Department 29 of the King County Superior Court in Washington. His current term ends on January 9, 2029. Sean O'Donnell earned a bachelor's degree from Georgetown University and a law degree from Seattle University. O'Donnell's career experience includes serving as adjunct faculty at Seattle University Law School and working as a senior deputy prosecutor. [O'Donnell’s Top Contributors](https://www.transparencyusa.org/wa/candidate/sean-patrick-odonnell?ref=jeffcobeacon.com) include Inland Northwest AGC Build East PAC, a political action committee run by the Inland Northwest Associated General Contractors and the Associated General Contractors of America, Associated General Contractors of Washington's Build PAC and Council of Police Political Support. ## State Supreme Court Justice No. 5 ### Theo Angelis Theo Angelis is a judge for Position 5 of the Washington Supreme Court. He assumed office on April 4, 2026\. His current term ends on January 11, 2027\. Angelis first became a member of the Washington State Supreme Court through an appointment. Gov. Bob Ferguson (D) first appointed him to the court in 2026 to the seat vacated by Barbara Madsen. Before joining the Supreme Court, Justice Angelis was an award-winning appellate and intellectual property litigator, an advocate who appeared in courts throughout Washington and the United States, a leader in the Bar and the community, and an author and editor of a leading treatise on Washington Law. His philosophy is that all lawyers have a duty to protect those in need, expand access to justice, promote the rule of law, and use their skills to improve their communities. He has represented children who were denied counsel, veterans wrongfully detained, refugees, small businesses and people experiencing homelessness. He also co-authored the White Paper that served as a founding document for the World Justice Project. [Angelis’ Top Contributors](https://www.transparencyusa.org/wa/candidate/theo-angelis/contributors?ref=jeffcobeacon.com) include the Washington State Association for Justice for All and SEIU 775 Quality Care Committee. ### **Dave Larson** Dave Larson is a judge of the Federal Way Municipal Court in Washington. Dave Larson was born in Tacoma, Washington. He earned a high school diploma from Federal Way High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in public administration from the University of Puget Sound in 1980, and a law degree from the Seattle University School of Law in 1984\. His career experience includes working as a judge. Larson has been affiliated with the following organizations: District and Municipal Court Judges Association, Kiwanis Club, Federal Way School District Air Force JROTC Advisory Board and Civil Air Patrol Squadron at McChord AFB. [Larson Top Contributors ](https://www.transparencyusa.org/wa/candidate/dave-larson?ref=jeffcobeacon.com)include Washington State Council of Police Political Support, Cascade PAC, Jefferson County Republican Committee and development company [Kemper Holdings LLC](https://www.transparencyusa.org/wa/contributor/kemper-holdings-llc/contributions?ref=jeffcobeacon.com), which has heavily contributed to Let’s Go Washington. ## State Supreme Court Justice No. 7 ### **Debra Stephens** Stephens received her B.A. from Gonzaga University in 1987 and her J.D. from Gonzaga University School of Law in 1993\. After graduating from law school, Stephens served as a staff attorney for Fred Van Sickle from 1993 to 1995\. After that, she went into private practice. Stephens was appointed to the Washington Court of Appeals and was later elected to the court in 2007\. Stephens first became a member of the Washington Supreme Court when she was appointed by Gov. Chris Gregoire (D) in December 2007\. She took the bench in January 2008\. Debra Stephens is a judge for Position 7 of the Washington Supreme Court. She assumed office on January 1, 2008\. Her current term ends on January 10, 2027. Stephens was appointed Chief Justice of the Washington State Supreme Court on January 13, 2025\. Her term concludes on January 13, 2029\. Stephens previously served as Chief Justice of the Washington State Supreme Court from January 2020 to January 2021\. Stephens has also worked as an adjunct professor for the Gonzaga University School of Law. [Stephens’ Top Contributors](https://www.transparencyusa.org/wa/candidate/debra-stephens?ref=jeffcobeacon.com) include Washington State Association for Justice Justice for All, Washington Education Association PAC (WEA-PAC) and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). ### **Todd Bloom** Bloom has spent the majority of his career (1989-2002; 2013-present) in the financial services, energy, and real estate industries. He has been both a financial executive and an attorney, and he worked in accounting for more than ten years with a wide range of public and private clients. Bloom is also a military veteran and a former active-duty officer in the United States Navy, serving from 2002 to 2013\. He has been a member of the U.S. Navy Reserve since 2013, and previously served as a reserve officer from 1997 until 2002 and again from 2013 to 2018. Bloom received a B.A. in economics from Simpson College and an M.A. in national security and strategic studies from the United States Naval War College. While studying at Tulane University on an A.B. Freeman Fellowship, he received both a J.D. and an M.B.A. He then obtained an LL.M. (Master of Laws) degree from the University of Washington, specializing in taxation. Bloom also has a certificate in logistics and technology from the Institute for Defense and Business at the University of North Carolina and a diploma from the College of Naval Command and Staff. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and a Certified Financial Planner (CFP), as well as an attorney with the Louisiana State Bar Association. He has been affiliated with the Washington State Bar Association. [Bloom’s Top Contributors](https://www.transparencyusa.org/wa/candidate/todd-bloom/contributors?ref=jeffcobeacon.com) include Washington Education Association PAC (Wea-PAC) and [Cascade PAC](https://www.transparencyusa.org/wa/contributor/1426829/contributions?ref=jeffcobeacon.com). ## Court of Appeals Division 2, District 2 ## Judge Position 1 ### **Erik D. Price** Judge Price was appointed to the Court of Appeals, Division II, in 2021 and subsequently elected in 2022\. Prior to serving on the Court of Appeals, he served 9 years as a superior court judge in Thurston County. While at the superior court, he served as presiding judge, chief criminal judge, the Adult Drug and DUI Court judge, and the chair of the Thurston County Pretrial Justice Project Policy Team. Judge Price also received a community leadership award for his judicial and community leadership during the pandemic. Prior to his election to the superior court bench, Judge Price worked the majority of his career focused on civil litigation, administrative law, and regulatory law as a partner with Lane Powell PC. Judge Price earned both his bachelor's degree and law degree, with honors, from the University of Washington. Price shows no contributions this election cycle, but in past elections the Thurston County Women’s Republican Club has contributed to his campaign. # Judicial - Nonpartisan Offices ## District Court Judge Position No. 1 ### **Mindy Walker** Mindy Walker is a judge for the Jefferson County District Court in Washington. She was elected to the bench in November 2018 to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. Jill Landes (Ret.). Before her election, Walker served as a pro tem judge for the Bainbridge Island Municipal Court and the Kitsap District Court. She was also a partner at Ramirez and Walker, Inc., where she represented clients in dependency, civil, family, criminal and traffic cases. Over the course of her legal career, Walker practiced in Federal, Tribal, Municipal and Washington State County Courts. She received a bachelor's degree in international studies and political science from Trinity Western University. Walker has been endorsed by the Jefferson County Democrats. # Local - Nonpartisan Office ## Public Utility District No. 1, Commissioner District No. 2 *Prepared by Scott France* A public utility commissioner regulates essential services like electricity, natural gas, water and telecommunications to ensure safe, reliable and fair operations. ### **Keith Kisler** **Why are you running for PUD commissioner?** I am running because I want to work together as a team with the other PUD commissioners and staff to help our PUD continue providing the critical services of electricity, water, sewer and high-speed fiber. I want to be an advocate for stronger collaboration with other community agencies to build a stronger, more reliable, affordable and resilient public utility and community as a whole. I believe it’s an important time to be engaged in local public service. Many of our community resources are struggling in today’s political and economic environment. **What are the greatest threats to reliability, affordability and resilience, and how would you approach threats to ensure campaign goals are successful?** Because of our unique geography, our power supply comes from the BPA (Bonneville Power Administration) transmission lines through a one-way, dead-end line up the Hood Canal extending into Clallam County but not circling the Peninsula on the west end—this is a vulnerability because we don’t have looped interconnection capacity with another utility if that line goes out. The missing link between the West End/Forks and Grays Harbor PUD would provide that loop, but the viability for this connection is extremely low due to National Park land, rugged terrain, and low-density economics. Other threats are increased load demands on our aging electric and water infrastructure and reliance on almost all (with the exception of local solar generation) of our power coming into the county without adequate distributed backup resources or storage options such as grid-connected battery systems. My approach would be identifying and then prioritizing the high-impact and vulnerable infrastructure, layered with where in our county are the most critical services and at-risk customer populations. From there, I would be looking for ways to fund the projects needed to bring reliable, affordable and long-term resilience to as many individual customers and critical community services as possible. A few projects that come to mind are substation battery storage, microgrids, community solar, advanced grid management software systems, inline micro hydro and bidirectional EV charge and discharge technology. **Name one capital project you would delay or cancel and why?** There are a lot of high-priority items on the 4-year (2026-2030) $65 million work plan. My approach would lean towards looking at the projects and thoughtfully prioritizing critical upgrades and new builds so resources are invested in projects that ensure greater reliability for PUD customers. Replacing aged-out feeder lines and frail or faltering substation components in my opinion, are high-priority projects. From there, adding substation growth capacity and equipment to aid in automation to direct load between substations will increase reliability and resilience to our grid. **Name one program or investment you would champion in your first year?** I would advocate for a neighborhood-based long-term grid-scale microgrid pilot project to bolster grid integration with home solar and/or battery storage. More local energy generation and energy storage could help reduce peak loads during peak demand events, thus decreasing the need to purchase very expensive Tier 2 BPA power, and during extreme state power emergencies (like occurred in January 2025 during a record cold weather event) if BPA is challenged with meeting state electric load, having locally produced and stored power could reduce the likelihood of brownouts or blackouts. Also, if we are ever isolated from BPA power due to a break or interruption on our single BPA transmission line, microgrids could provide emergency power to critical loads like emergency shelters, schools or Jefferson Healthcare. **Name one specific commitment you are willing to make to low-income customers?** The PUD does a great job looking at how to effectively and creatively continue building a more robust and equitable assistance program. I would advocate that the PUD ensure it is in direct communication with the county’s safety net services partner agencies. I think it’s important that the PUD attend related social services meetings to represent the PUD programs and continually update the partner agencies on changes and opportunities. I would also advocate for underrepresented voices to be part of low-income program changes or design. **What specific skills, professional experiences or community work do you bring that will make you an effective utility regulator and policy maker?** I’ve been working and learning in this community for 30 years as a farmer and small business owner. Building Finnriver Cidery and Chimacum Grainery facilities, my role has been project manager, which involved planning and implementing extensive utility infrastructure development. With that experience, I’ve gained an appreciation for the complexity and systems-thinking approach needed to optimize function while balancing costs. Also, through these projects, I’ve developed strong working relationships with dozens of respected contractors and subcontractors in Jefferson County. I bring a balanced team approach to projects and business endeavors and would bring the same to the PUD commissioner position if elected. **What is your vision for broadband over the next 10 years?** That we reach or exceed the goal of 4,000 customers connected while providing reliable, affordable services. Broadband will help our county be more resilient by enhancing important operations related to telemedicine, online education, emergency services, utility grid monitoring, and small business development opportunities. After high-speed fiber is built out across the federal- and state grant-funded areas, the challenge ahead will be figuring out how to extend fiber to customers outside those service areas, such as within the Port Townsend city limits. The PUD does have funding for the uptown and downtown commercial cores and extending across town to Fort Worden State Park. I am interested in seeking ways to expand off this backbone in the future to residential areas that wish to have access to the PUD’s high-speed fiber network. **How should the PUD support local businesses and workforce development, including training for electricians, linemen and broadband technicians in Jefferson County?** By hiring local contractors when possible for projects ranging from dirt work, facility related construction and maintenance. It’s great the PUD offers paid lineman apprenticeship programs. Adding additional apprenticeship pathways like fiber and water system management, I believe, would strengthen the PUD as well as provide more local livable wage opportunities. The PUD already does a great job of interacting with schools in our county, and I would support formalizing a partnership with Chimacum Valley Tech’s CTE (career and technical education) program, which would be a great way for the PUD to connect more deeply with high school students by doing PUD tours, guest instruction, job shadowing or offering a direct pathway to pre-apprentice programs in all the service sectors at the PUD. Kisler has been endorsed by the Jefferson County Democrats, the Washington Conservation Action, and Jefferson County Commissioners Heidi Eisenhour, Heather Dudley-Nollette and Greg Brotherton. [Kisler’s Top Contributors](https://www.transparencyusa.org/wa/candidate/keith-kisler/contributors?ref=jeffcobeacon.com) include the Jefferson County Democrats and many individuals. ### **Michael Brittain** **Why are you running for PUD commissioner?** I am running because my computer store customer has asked me to step up and serve the community, and I know that my Technology, engineering and service experience will be an asset to the PUD. **What are the greatest threats to reliability, affordability and resilience, and how would you approach threats to ensure campaign goals are successful?** The biggest challenge the PUD faces is the communication of the PUD to its customers. I believe that we can work through any challenge that the PUD faces if we can work together and communicate effectively. Better communication will allow us to tackle challenges head-on and with as much experience and preparation as we can to overcome challenges our region is facing. **Name one capitol project you would delay or cancel and why?** I do not want to cancel any projects yet; I just want to make sure that the information people receive is correct so that the PUD can listen to what the community wants. **Name one program or investment you would champion in your first year?** I want to work on improving the PUD's ability to communicate effectively. I want to champion ways for the PUD to receive feedback from the community and to disseminate information in a true and responsible way. **Name one specific commitment you are willing to make to low-income customers?** I am and will be committed to making the PUD more efficient in all forms, but especially in ways that can make services less expensive. **What specific skills, professional experiences or community work do you bring that will make you an effective utility regulator and policy maker?** My background in technology and engineering, as well as owning a computer repair business, allows me to have a unique perspective for the PUD. **What is your vision for broadband over the next 10 years?** Everyone in the peninsula, especially rural areas that don't have other options, needs to get reliable access. **What are 2-3 infrastructure vulnerabilities facing JPUD electric and water systems? How would you prioritize capital spending to address them?** The biggest challenges are from old lines that need replacing and we are working on projects to replace and upgrade old systems. I would make those types of jobs a priority. **How should the PUD support local businesses and workforce development, including training for electricians, linemen and broadband technicians in Jefferson County?** At my computer store, we offer internships to help train local students. I would like to see more opportunities like that in the PUD. According to Ballotpedia, Brittain has been endorsed by the Mainstream Republicans of Washington State. Brittain has no contributions. # Local Measures *Prepared by Rachael Nutting* ## Proposition No. 1 Quillayute Valley School District No.402 Bonds to Rebuild Forks Middle School **If You Vote "Yes"** The bond would fund replacing the 74-year-old Forks Middle School building. The current school has four separate buildings, and the new facility would consolidate everything into one building to improve campus security and student safety. It would also address significant structural issues, including an aging roof, drainage problems and a heating system over 37 years old, plus improve traffic flow at the drop-off area. If approved, the bond would qualify the district for approximately $21 million in state construction assistance and allow collection of timber revenue. The estimated tax rate is $1.94 per $1,000 of assessed property value, which would phase in during 2028 as the existing high school bond phases out. **If You Vote "No"** The district would continue operating in the aging, structurally deficient buildings. The Forks Middle School Predesign Committee found that fully addressing the building's issues through a remodel would likely cost more than constructing a new facility. Waiting until 2027 would reduce available state construction funding from about $22 million to approximately $17 million, according to Superintendent Diana Reaume. **Endorsements and Opposition** There are no specific endorsements or organized opposition statements. The Clallam County Auditor was seeking volunteers to serve on both "For" and "Against" committees as of August 2026\. School officials, including Board Chair Bill Rohde and Superintendent Diana Reaume have spoken in favor of the measure, emphasizing the replacement nature of the bond and the time-sensitive state funding. ## Proposition No. 1 Clallam County Fire Protection District No.1 Property Tax Levy for Fire Protection and Emergency Protection and Emergency Medical Services **If You Vote "Yes"** The fire district would increase its 2026 levy rate to $1.00 per $1,000 of assessed property value. This replaces the current 1% annual cap with a limit tied to the Consumer Price Index for the next nine years, allowing the district to keep pace with inflation. **If You Vote "No"** The district would remain restricted to 1% annual property tax increases. Because inflation has exceeded 1% for years, the district says its revenue will continue to fall behind rising operational costs, affecting emergency fire and medical services. **Endorsements and Opposition** There are no formal endorsements or organized opposition statements. The Clallam County Auditor was seeking volunteers for both "For" and "Against" committees as of August 2026.