Auditor dismisses voter registration challenge against Lacey council member
Thurston County Auditor Mary Hall has dismissed a voter registration challenge against Thurston County commissioner candidate Nic Dunning.
Hall released her decision on Friday, a day after holding a hearing at her Olympia office.
“Having reviewed the documents submitted by the Challenger and the Challenged Voter, as well as the argument of counsel for the Challenged Voter, I find that the Challenger has not met the burden of proof,” Hall wrote in her decision.
Former Olympia City Council member Jim Cooper filed the challenge on May 8, alleging Dunning did not reside at the address listed on his voter registration. Hall’s decision is a victory for Dunning, who the challenge alleged did not actually live in Lacey city limits, where he currently holds a city council seat. Dunning has cast the challenge as an attempt to undermine his political campaign.
“It is 100% a complete political attack by an opponent who actually did no actual research on what the situation was,” Dunning told The Olympian immediately after the Thursday hearing.
The address Dunning listed on his voter registration is 5823 Lacey Blvd SE. That’s the location of West Coast Fitness, a gym Dunning owns.
Cooper alleged Dunning’s true address is in the 9000 block of 22nd Way Southeast, citing Thurston County Assessor’s property information. This address is just east of Lacey city limits but within the city’s urban growth area.
During the Thursday hearing, Attorney Conner Edwards affirmed that Dunning lives at the gym and said he’s properly registered there.
The gym and the 22nd Way property are both in District 5, which means he could live at either as an elected county commissioner. However, he must live within the city of Lacey if he loses the commissioner race and wants to keep his seat on the Lacey city council, Lacey Mayor Andy Ryder previously told The Olympian. The gym is in the city limits, but the 22nd Way property is not.
Cooper did not attend the Thursday hearing nor has he responded to The Olympian’s requests for comment. However, he did file an affidavit with the Auditor ahead of the hearing, and the Auditor released it along with her decision.
In the affidavit, Cooper asked Hall to delay the hearing. He wrote that he could not attend because of a prior commitment and that he was still seeking relevant public records from Thurston County.
Based on his own research, Cooper alleged Dunning lives at a commercial property while simultaneously owning a home on 22nd Way.
“Mr. Martinez-Dunning may have an explanation for these apparent inconsistencies, and I acknowledge the possibility that additional facts may clarify the matter,” Cooper said.
My purpose in submitting this challenge is not to prejudge the outcome, but to request a proper review of whether his voter registration address and residency satisfy the legal requirements for service as a city of Lacey council member.”
In her decision, Hall stated she did not have authority to decide or comment on whether Dunning is “eligible to be a candidate for office or to hold elective office.”
Any claims that Dunning violated municipal code or other laws by living at his gym are irrelevant, Hall stated. State law recognizes that a person cannot be disqualified to vote because the person “lacks a traditional residential address,” she added, citing RCW 29A.08.112.
“The Auditor’s decision is limited only to the determination of the validity of the Challenged Voter’s current voter registration at the time the challenge was lodged,” Hall wrote.
Edwards filed an affidavit on behalf of Dunning. In it, Edwards said Dunning leases an on-site apartment at the gym that’s furnished with a bedroom, bathroom and kitchen area. His driver license, auto-insurance and tax returns all list the address as his residence.
“The details of Respondent Dunning’s living situation have been kept mostly private due to credible safety threats received by Respondent Dunning and his wife,” Edwards wrote.
As for the property on 22nd Way, Edwards said Dunning and his wife bought it in November 2025 as a “potential future investment property or future residence.”
Edwards said the home is not habitable because it requires extensive repairs, including to the HVAC system, gas line, plumbing, drainage and more.
Dunning and his wife have periodically slept at the property but only when weather conditions are suitably comfortable.
“There have been many weeks where Respondent and his wife did not visit the property at all due to contractor scheduling, weather, parts delays and other work/life obligations,” Edwards wrote.
Once the major work is finished, Respondent Dunning and his wife will make a final decision on whether to make the new property their new permanent home or convert it to a rental.”
Edwards said Dunning will change his voter registration and other official records in the event he chooses to live at the 22nd Way property.
