Clallam County’s streak as a barometer for each presidential race is over.

For 11 presidential elections, Clallam was the only bellwether county out of 3,113 to correctly select the winning president. With the national race called, former President Donald Trump will go back to the oval office in January after winning 312 of 538 electoral votes.

Most of Clallam County’s votes have been tabulated as of press deadline, and local voters leaned Democratic going against the bellwether streak in 2024. Vice-President Kamala Harris leads the county by 52.4% (23,555 votes) over Trump’s 44.6% (20,063 votes) as of Nov. 11.

So far it’s the largest margin in the county in recent presidential elections. President Joe Biden won Clallam County 50.2% (24,721) over Trump 46.8% (23,062) in 2020, whereas Trump won the county in 2016 with 47.6% (18,794) over Hillary Clinton’s 44.8% (17,677).

Voter turnout was at about 76.8%, down from the 2020 General Election during the Covid-19 pandemic at 86.1%.

Third party candidates or write-ins received about 3% of the vote in 2024 as in 2020.

The election will be certified on Nov. 26.

Locally, ballots show a trio of Port Angeles-area measures— two pertaining to schools, a third to Fire District 2 — are passing, as is Steve Tharinger’s bid to keep his state representative seat and Mike Chapman’s effort to claim Kevin Van De Wege’s state senate position.

Here’s a look at local and statewide races, following 2024 General Election results from the Clallam County elections office:

Clallam County commissioner, District 2

Incumbent Randy Johnson is defeating challenger Kate Dexter for the District 2 seat on the Clallam County board of commissionerst.

Johnson, an Independent, received 56.3% (23,412 votes), while Dexter, a Democrat, had 43.6 % (18,704).

Johnson, 81, currently is serving his second term on the commission.

Dexter, 51, has served on the Port Angeles City Council since 2018 and is currently the mayor.

24th Legislative District

Incumbent Steve Tharinger and newcomer Adam Bernbaum were leading in their respective bids for a state representative seat in the 24th Legislative District, and veteran legislator Mike Chapman was leading in his race for state Senate.

Tharinger, a Democrat, had 55.4% of the vote (45,935 votes) compared with challenger Terry Roberts, a Republican, who had 44.55 % (36,975 votes).

Bernbaum, a Democrat, had 54.91 % (45,499 votes) while Matthew Roberson, a Republican, had 44.96% (37,249 votes).

Chapman, a Democrat, had 54.91% (45,499 votes) and Marcia Kelbon, a Republican, had 44.96% (37,249 votes).

Tharinger, 75, of Port Townsend has served in the state House of Representatives since 2012.

He won 52.3% of the vote in Clallam County (22,559 votes) while Roberts, 64, of Quilcene had 47.6% (20,534).

In Jefferson County, Tharinger won 72.9% of the vote (13,859 votes) and Roberts had 27.1% (5,158 votes).

Bernbaum, 32, of Port Angeles won 52.3% of the Clallam County vote (22,559 votes) while Roberson, 38, of Port Angeles had 47.6 % (20,534 votes). In Jefferson County, Bernbaum led at 72.9% (13,846 votes) to Roberson’s 27.1% (5,146 votes).

Chapman, 61, of Port Angeles, who has served as a state representative from the district since 2017.

He had 52.1% of the Clallam County vote (22,544 votes) while Kelbon, 65, of Quilcene had 47.9% (20,724 votes). In Jefferson County, Chapman had 71.2% (13,549 votes) and Kelbon had 28.8% (5,475 votes).

6th Congressional District

Emily Randall won the 6th Congressional District seat over Drew MacEwen.

Randall, a Democrat, recorded 56.7% of the vote throughout the district (213,995 votes) while MacEwen had 43.1%.

Randall, 39, of Bremerton will take over for U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, who chose not to run for reelection.

In Clallam County, Randall won 51.7% (22,433 votes) while MacEwen, a 51-year-old Republican from Shelton, had 48.2% (20,898 votes).

Jefferson County votes favored Randall at a 72.7% rate (13,968 votes) while MacEwen had 27.1% (5,215 votes).

The 6th Congressional District covers the Kitsap and Olympic peninsulas as well as part of Grays Harbor, Mason and Pierce counties.

Clallam County PUD commissioner

Phyllis Bernard is leading Ken Simpson for the District 3 seat on the Clallam Public Utility District’s board.

Bernard, who was appointed to the seat in April, had 51.1% of the vote (14,414 votes) while Simpson had 48.5% (13,674 votes).

Bernard, 70, also serves as an Olympic Medical Center Hospital District commissioner-at-large.

Simpson, 59, is the president of Angeles Electric.

John Purvis is running unopposed for District 2 and has received 98.8% of the vote.

Clallam County charter review

The top five candidates have emerged in each of the three commissioner districts in the race for 15 total Clallam County Charter Review seats.

Clallam is one of the seven counties in Washington state to have its own home rule charter — similar to a constitution for the county government — and voters elect 15 people to sit on a Charter Review Commission which will vet the document starting next year.

In Commissioner District 1 (east Clallam County), leading vote recipients include former judge Susan Fisch (7,640 votes, 14.3 %) former Clallam County Sheriff Bill Benedict (7,406 votes, 13.9%), former Sequim School Board director Jim Stoffer (7,019 votes, 13.1%), Clallam County Watchdog founder Jeff Tozzer (6,013 votes, 11.3%) and Sequim Planning Commissioner Alex Fane (5,221 votes, 9.8%).

In Commissioner District 2 (Port Angeles), the top five vote recipients so far include former Clallam County undersheriff Ron Cameron (6,001 votes, 12.4 %), two-term Charter Review commissioner Patti Morris (5,129 votes, 10.6 %), Chris Noble (4,574 votes, 9.5 %), Paul J. Pickett (4,072 votes, 8.4 %), and former county commissioner Ron Richards (3,924 votes, 8.1 %).

In Commissioner District 3 (west Port Angeles and West End), the top five charter review vote-getters are Forks city attorney-planner/Charter Review commissioner Rod Fleck (5,320 votes, 15.5 %), Mark Hodgson (4,155 votes, 12.1%), Karen O’Donnell (3,741 votes, 10.9%), Christy Holy (3,609 votes, 10.5%) and Cathy Walde (3,469 votes, 10.1%), with just 35 more votes than Nina Sarmiento (3,434 votes, 9.99%).

Clallam Fire District 2

The Clallam County Fire District 2 measure to lift the lid on its levy collection looks to pass.

More than 59.4% of voters (3,375 votes) were approving the measure while 40.6% (2,309 votes) were rejecting it.

A simple majority is required to pass.

The district is aiming to increase its current levy of 96 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value to the maximum rate of $1.50 per $1,000, a 54-cent increase that would be a 56% hike.

The owner of a $300,000 home within the fire district would see their property taxes increase from $288 to $450 annually.

The levy pays for fire suppression and emergency medical services and accounts for about half of the district’s $2.4 million budget.

In the August primary election, voters rejected the district’s levy lid lift, 56% to 47%. The fire district covers 85 square miles from East Beach Road at Lake Crescent east to Deer Park Road, excluding the city of Port Angeles.

Port Angeles schools

The Port Angeles School District’s two propositions — a replacement educational programs and operations (EP&O) levy and a $140 million bond to replace schools — both appear to be passing.

The EP&O levy, which needs a simple majority to pass, received 60.3% of the vote (10,166 votes) to 39.7% against (6,703 votes).

The bond, which would fund the replacement of Port Angeles High School and Franklin Elementary, was passing with 62.7% of the vote (10,574 votes) and 37.3% rejected (6,302 votes). It requires a 60% supermajority to pass.

The four-year, $34.7 million EP&O levy would replace the levy voters approved in 2020 and expires in 2025. It would pay for programs, services and staff not fully funded by the state at a rate of $1.40 per $1,000 of assessed property value.

The 20-year bond would replace a capital levy approved by voters in 2020 that funded safety vestibules in district schools and construction of a new Stevens Middle School that will start next summer. It would have a rate of $1.30 per $1,000 of assessed value.

Jefferson County commissioner

Heather Dudley-Nollette won the District 1 seat on the Board of Jefferson County Commissioners.

Dudley-Nollette, a Democrat, had 74.2% of the vote (12,444 votes) while her opponent, Ben Thomas, also a Democrat, garnered 23.2% (4,079 votes).

Dudley-Nollette, 53, is the deputy executive director of Bayside Housing & Services. She will take over for Kate Dean, a Democrat who chose not to run for reelection.

Thomas, 53, is a current member of the Port Townsend City Council.

State initiatives

Three of the four statewide initiatives seem to have failed.

I-2109, which sought to eliminate the capital gains tax, is failing by a 63.9% margin statewide. Clallam County voters rejected it at 63.3% while Jefferson County voters said no at a 76.3% rate.

I-2117, which sought to repeal the Climate Commitment Act, was failing at 61.9% statewide. Clallam County said no at a 58.8% rate, and Jefferson County said no at 75.4 %.

I-2124, which would make a long-term health insurance paycheck deduction optional, was failing statewide at 55.3%. Clallam County voters rejected it at 58%, and Jefferson County voters said no at a 72.7% rate.

Of the four initiatives, only I-2066, which would protect natural gas as an energy source, was passing. It had a narrow margin of 51.6 % yes to 48.4% no. Clallam County voters were rejecting the measure at 50.8%, and Jefferson County voters were rejecting it at 65.9%.

Photo by Dave Logan/for Olympic Peninsula News Group / Ray Farrell, left, and Daniel Cain, center, prepare mail-in ballots for counting on Nov. 5 at the Clallam County courthouse in Port Angeles. The tabulating machine can be seen in the background with its operator. Photo by Dave Logan/Olympic Peninsula News Group / Ray Farrell, left, and Daniel Cain, center, prepare mail-in ballots for counting on Nov. 5 at the Clallam County courthouse in Port Angeles. The tabulating machine can be seen in the background with its operator.