by MATTHEW NASH
Sequim Gazette
Unless someone withdraws by the Thursday, June 16, deadline, only two Sequim-area races will go to the primary ballot on Aug. 16.
City of Sequim council Position 2 incumbent Laura Dubois, mayor pro tem, finds competition in political newcomers Ron Fairclough and John Miller.
Clallam County Commissioner District 1 hopefuls for State Rep. Steve Tharinger’s former seat are Linda Barnfather, a Democrat, and Jim McEntire, a Republican.
They will go to the primary unopposed but more than likely will face off in the general election.
Once two candidates are chosen in the primaries, they’ll join the others in the Nov. 8 general election.
Many races are unopposed, such as city council Position 6 held by incumbent Mayor Ken Hays. Some are two-person races, such as Sequim School District board of directors at-large Position 5, between incumbent Walter Johnson and Stephen Rosales. Richard Fleck withdrew from the race because he said he and Rosales are two peas in a pod and he didn’t want to force people to choose between them. He intends to run again in the future for the seat in his area.
The race for Sequim Aquatic and Recreation Center board Position 5 shows Sonu Deol, Sky Heatherton and Jan Richardson looking to take on the four-year term.
They and other SARC candidates don’t go to the ballot until the general election because parks and recreation candidates are exempt from the primaries.
Candidates are as follows:
• Clallam County Commissioner Position 1, four-year term
Linda Barnfather, Democrat
Jim McEntire, Republican
City of Sequim, four-year terms
• Council Position 1
Erik Erichsen
Peter Duncan
• Council Position 2
Laura Dubois
John Miller
Ron Fairclough
• Council Position 6
Ken Hays
• Council Position 7
Candace Pratt
Eric Miller
Sequim School District, four-year terms
• Director Position 1
Sarah Bedinger
• Director Position 3
John Bridge
• Director-at-large, Position 5
Walter Johnson
Stephen Rosales
Fire District 3, six-year term
• Commissioner No. 2
Richard Houts
Water District Sunland, two-year unexpired term
• Commissioner Position 1
Jim Larison
• Commissioner Position 2
Pepper Putnam
Port of Port Angeles, six-year term
• Commissioner Dis-trict 2
James Hallett
Hospital District 2, six-year term
• Commissioner District 2, Position 1
John Nutter
Jeanne LaBrecque
• Commissioner District 3, Position 2
John Miles
Jack Slowriver
Parks and Recreation District 1, SARC, four-year term
• Commissioner Position 3
Melinda Griffith
Henry (Pete) Church-Smith
• Commissioner Position 4
Gill Goodman
• Commissioner Position 5
Sonu Deol
Sky Heatherton
Jan Richardson
More comprehensive coverage on the primary and general elections will be published in subsequent weeks.
For more information on the upcoming elections, contact the Elections Office in the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St., Suite. 1, Port Angeles, at 417-2221 or visit www.clallam.net/elections.
