Election 2026: Candidates file for office
Published 1:30 pm Wednesday, May 6, 2026
A slew of candidates have filed to run for local, state and federal offices during the first few days of filing week.
From 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday, dozens of people filed to run for office through the state Secretary of State’s Office at sos.wa.gov/elections/candidates/filing-resources/file-office.
Filing week closes at 5 p.m. Friday.
For information about Clallam County elections, go to clallamcountywa.gov/162/Elections-Voter-Registration.
Congressional race
Leon Lawson of Aberdeen, Teresa Fox, R-Bremerton, and Brian P. O’Gorman, I-Shelton, have filed to run against incumbent Emily Randall, D-Port Orchard for the U.S. Representative seat in the 6th Congressional District, which represents the North Olympic Peninsula.
Legislative races
For the 24th Legislative District, Position 1, Ted Bowen of Port Angeles, an Independent, threw his hat into the ring against incumbent State Rep. Adam Bernbaum, D-Port Angeles.
For the 24th Legislative District, Position 1, currently held by state Rep. Steve Tharinger, D-Port Townsend, who is retiring at the end of this term, five people have filed — Patrick DePoe, D-Neah Bay, Mark Hodgson, D-Port Angeles, Marcia Kelbon of Quilcene, Kaylee Kuehn, D-Sequim and Bradley Nemo Callaway, D-Port Angeles.
Clallam County races
In Clallam County, three incumbents have filed for re-election for countywide races.
Director of Community Development Bruce Emery of Port Angeles said the department still has a lot of work to be done.
“We still have issues with housing affordability, economic development and continued improvement on code enforcement,” said Emery, who has had the position since December 2022. “My first priority is economic development because that goes hand-in-hand with housing, making sure people are able to have family-wage jobs, prosperity-wage jobs. No. 2 is to work at making changes to help increase the number of housing in general, including multi-family housing, so that we can provide housing that’s affordable to everyone.”
Prosecuting attorney Mark Nichols filed to run for another four-year term. He was elected in 2014, 2018 and 2022.
Nichols said public safety remains his top priority with a focus on prosecuting the most violent offenders — particularly those who prey on the most vulnerable in the community.
“We have to be able to put our most dangerous offenders into prison,” he said.
He also plans to advocate for victims’ rights and continue his push for government transparency.
Sheriff Brian King, who is completing his first four-year term, also filed for re-election.
“I have a lot of energy left and a lot of other goals I want to accomplish,” King said.
Before he was elected sheriff, King worked for the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office for 25 years, rising through the ranks.
“I have a lot of priorities,” he said. “One of our highest priorities is stabilizing our staff and collective bargaining agreements and recruiting. We’ve been very successful over the last four years with our recruiting efforts. Now, we can focus on retaining all of our deputies and peace officers.”
Another priority will be to maintain professional standards. The Sheriff’s Office was reaccredited in 2025, and King said one focal point has always been to be sure the department follows all best practices.
The countywide race for assessor saw one person, Lee Hancock of Port Angeles, file to run.
For the Clallam County commissioner District 3 seat, incumbent Mike French, D-Port Angeles, and challenger Jake Seegers, I-Port Angeles, both filed to run Monday.
French is approaching the end of his first term as a commissioner. He also served on the Port Angeles City Council.
If given a second term, French said he plans to continue to work on economic development, housing affordability, public safety, homelessness and substance abuse, and the environment, natural resources and climate change.
“Our citizens spoke loud and clear to us last year that they’re not willing to provide more property tax than what we’re already collecting, so we need to be doing conservative fiscal management for the long term,” he said.
Seegers, who has never run for office before, has said Clallam County residents are seeing home affordability going up while homelessness increases and economic development is stifled.
“I think there are a lot of Clallam County residents that feel like the culture of current leaders are bringing us further away from accomplishing dreams that we have here,” he said.
If elected, Seegers said he plans to focus on fiscal responsibility.
Lee Hancock of Port Angeles has field to run for Clallam County assessor, and Virginia Shogren of Sequim has filed for Clallam County Auditor.
Judicial races
In Clallam County, Judge Bruce Hanify of Forks filed for reelection to District Court 2.
“It’s the right thing to do,” Hanify said. “I like the job. I have the same priorities as ever. We’ve got a lot of mental health and addiction kind of issues at the district court level. The criminal justice system has changed quite a bit in the last 10 to 20 years with mental health issues.”
Hanify was first appointed to the court in 2021.
Alex Schodowski of Sequim has field for District Court 1.
“I’m running for District Court Judge because I believe the courtroom should be a place where people are treated with dignity, where decisions are made thoughtfully, and where the law is applied fairly and consistently,” Schodowski said.
“It has been an honor to serve this community, and I would be honored to continue that service as your next District Court Judge.”
Schodowski has served for nearly a decade as a Judge Pro Tem in Clallam County District Court and Superior Court, where she has presided over thousands of cases in the absence of sitting judges.
Public Utility
In Clallam County, Missi Baker filed to run for the PUD 1 Commissioner District 2 seat.
“I want to be able to serve my community and support local residents,” Baker said. “I want to listen to their concerns. I want to act as responsible as I can to provide water quality and electric service reliability. I want to put the needs of our community first.”
Clallam County precinct races
The following people filed to run for precinct positions with the Clallam County Democratic Party:
Brian Pruiett of Blue Mountain 209, Lisa Dekker of Bluffs 210, Liz Baumgarner of Cline 217, Jessica Hernandez for Eagle 226 precinct, Maja Cox for Jamestown 240, Ellen Menshew for Joyce 241, Brian Grad for MacLeay 247, Judith M. Morris of Port Angeles 101, Bradley Nemo Callaway of Port Angeles 101, Gretchen MacMichael of Port Angeles 107, Paul Kolesnikoff of Port Angeles 108, Tammi Laster of Monterra 249, Jim Stoffer for Port Williams 258, Denise Mackenstadt of Prairie South 260, Douglas W. Taylor for Sequim 402, Bill Biery for Sequim 405, and Eileen Cummings of Sequim 406.
The following people filed to run for precinct positions with the Clallam County Republican Party: Alan Lynn of Belleview 205, Brett G Bies of Bluffs 210, John West of Black Diamond 208, Matthew Roberson of Dry Creek 224, Christine Charters of Happy Valley 237, Frederick Millar of Lost Mountain 245, Glen Parker of MacLeay 247, David Swan of Port Angeles 104, Aiden I.R. Hamilton of Port Angeles 105, Pepai Whipple of Olympic 254, Gayle Baker of Prairie North 259, and Jayna C. Lehmer of Prairie South 260.
