Clallam, state races narrow after Aug. 7 primary election

Incumbent Republican Clallam County Commissioner Bill Peach slightly out-polled challenger Mike Doherty Jr., a Democrat, for the county commission district 3 seat in the final count of Clallam County primary election ballots.

No county office election outcomes were changed in the count of 6,172 ballots on Aug. 10.

Peach and Doherty were tabbed as the contenders in the Nov. 6 general election after the initial count of top-two primary election ballots last Tuesday.

But Peach pulled ahead slightly in Friday’s count of votes with 2,732 votes, or 46.64 percent to Doherty’s 2,711 votes or 46.28 percent. Peach is seeking his second term while Doherty is a former four-term county commissioner who did not seek re-election to the four-year seat in 2014.

Dale Wilson, who registered with no party preference, won 415 votes, or 7.08 percent.

The total number of ballots cast in the primary in Clallam County were 25,294 out of the 51,833 provided to registered voters, for a voter turnout of 48.8 percent.

The election will be certified Aug. 21.

Dave Neupert, a Peninsula Housing Authority lawyer and judge pro-tem, and Suzanne M. B. Hayden, a Clallam Public Defender juvenile-law lawyer, will vie in the general election for Port Angeles-area District Court 1 judge.

Neupert, a former candidate for Superior Court Judge, had 9,870 votes, or 48.53 percent, to Hayden’s 6,918 votes, or 34.02 percent.

Lawyer Pam Lindquist, in her second bid for the District Court 1 position, came in third with 3,550 votes, or 17.46 percent for the four-year seat.

Incumbent, one-term Republican county Prosecuting Attorney Mark Nichols had 13,359 votes, or 57.56 percent, to the 9,848 votes, or 42.44 percent, for nonpracticing lawyer and former county Treasurer Selinda Barkhuis.

Partisan races appeared on the primary ballot no matter how many candidates had filed for the seat. The races also will be on the general election ballot.

Outside Clallam

In the Congressional District 6 race, four-term incumbent Derek Kilmer, a Port Angeles native and a Democrat living in Gig Harbor, will face Republican Douglas Dightman of Shelton in the general election.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell of Seattle, seeking her fourth six-year term, will face Republican Susan Hutchison in the general election.

Four-term incumbent 24th District state Rep. Steve Tharinger of Sequim, the Position 2 Democrat, and Clallam County Commissioner Jim McEntire of Sequim, a Republican, will compete in the general election.

One-term incumbent 24th District state Rep. Mike Chapman of Port Angeles, the Position 1 Democrat, will face Republican challenger Jodi Wilke of Port Townsend in November.