Elections

127 people file to run for city councils, school boards and commissions in Thurston County

Just 13.8 percent of Thurston County ballots had been returned as of Aug. 2 for the Aug. 6 primary.
Just 13.8 percent of Thurston County ballots had been returned as of Aug. 2 for the Aug. 6 primary. Getty Images/iStockphoto

One-hundred twenty-seven candidates filed to run for 69 positions on local government councils, boards and commissions in Thurston County that run enterprises ranging from the Port of Olympia and cities to school and fire districts.

The Port of Olympia has two of its three seats up for election, and neither incumbent, EJ Zita nor Bill McGregor, filed to run again. Five of the seven seats on the Olympia City Council are up for election.

But the most competitive seat in the county is on the Olympia School Board, where five candidates are vying for one spot.

Here are the people who met the 4:30 p.m. Friday, May 21 deadline to place their names on the ballot. The Aug. 3 primary will winnow any races where there are more than two candidates. The general election is Nov. 2.

You can find out more about the candidates at https://voter.votewa.gov/CandidateList.aspx?e=870&c=31

Port of Olympia

District 2: Jessie W. Simmons and Bob Iyall. Incumbent Bill McGregor did not file to run.

District 3: Amy Evan, Joel Hansen and Melissa Denton. Incumbent E.J. Zita had announced she would not run for re-election.

Lacey City Council

Position 4: Emma McSharry and Robin Vazquez. Incumbent Cynthia Pratt, who has served as deputy mayor, is not running for re-election.

Position 5: Incumbent Andy Ryder, who has been serving as mayor.

Position 6: Incumbent Michael Steadman.

Position 7: Felix Peguero-Reyes and incumbent Carolyn H. Cox.

Olympia City Council

Position 2: Robbi Kesler, Bruce D. Wilkinson Jr. and Yến Huỳnh, who was appointed this year when Jessica Bateman resigned her seat.

Position 4: Incumbent Clark Gilman and Candace Mercer.

Position 5: Incumbent Lisa Parshley, Wendy Carlson and Talauna Reed.

Position 6: Corey Gauny, Dontae Payne and Sarah DeStasio. Incumbent Renata Rollins is not seeking re-election.

Position 7: Incumbent Jim Cooper, Spence Weigand and Tyrone Dion Brown.

Tumwater City Council

Mayor: Debbie Sullivan and Pamela J. Hanson. Incumbent Pete Kmet is not seeking re-election.

Position 2: Casey Taylor and Angela Jefferson

Position 4: Eileen Swarthout

Position 5: Michael Althauser

Position 6: Alex Rossiter and Peter Agabi

Rainier City Council

Mayor: Bob Shaw

Position 3: Tom Arnbrister

Position 5: Dennis McVey

Tenino City Council

Position 1: Linda Gotovac and Gera (Ritter) Iverson.

Position 2: Tianne Curtiss and Elaine Klamn.

Position 3: John J. O’Callahan and Eric Miller.

Position 4: Jason Lawton and Lisa Robie.

Yelm City Council

Mayor: Joe DePinto and Dennise Bulter.

Position 3: Joshua Crossman, Wilburn Curn Hutcheson IV, Leon Bodden and Jalane McAtee.

Position 4: Holly Smith, Steffen Burney and Kayla Russell.

Position 5: Line Roy and Brian G. Hess.

Position 7: Terry Kaminski, Joseph Dale Richardson and Christopher Chai.

Town of Bucoda

Mayor: Steven C. Purcell.

Position 3: Kaitlyn Nagy Koeller and Kevin Jones.

Position 5: Robert F. Gordon.

North Thurston Public Schools

Position 2: Tiffany Sevruk and Pamela Johnson.

Position 3: Jennifer S. Thomas and Asuka Conyer.

Olympia School District

Position 3: Mark Boyer, Sara Smith, Shannon Keller, Darcy Huffman and Gary Landis.

Position 5: Scott Clifthorne, Rebecca Cornelius and Don Mitchell.

Tumwater School District

Position 1: Nathan Schneider and Laurie Sale.

Position 4: Melissa Determan Beard and Shannon Clinton.

Position 5: Darby Kaikkonen

Centralia School District

Position 1: Audra Messegee-Evans, BJ Kuykendall, Debra L. Parnham and Ron Averill.

Position 5: Tim Browning.

Griffin School District

Position 3: Brad Ridgeway.

Position 4: Anne Larsen and Julie Osterberg.

Position 5: Trish Gregory

Rainier School District

Position 4: Edgar Ooms

Position 5: Rebecca A. Stillings and Marco Gonzales.

Rochester School District

Position 1: Michael Langer

Position 5: Curtis Haley, Mark Weaver and Thomas Trott.

Tenino School District

Position 1: Kasey Schiewe

Position 5: Forrest Bergin

Yelm Community Schools

Position 1: Juan S. Castiblanco and Mark L. Rohwedder

Position 4: Debbie Edwards

Olympia Municipal Court Judge

Position 1: Scott Ahlf.

Fire District 3 (Lacey)

Position 1: Richard (Rick) Kelling and Doug Hartz.

Position 5: Melissa Gamble.

Fire District 6 (East Olympia)

Position 2: Brodie Smith, Richard C. Wells and Pete Suver.

Fire District 8 (South Bay)

Position 5: Daniel Bivens

Fire District 9 (McLane Black Lake)

Position 2: Mark Campeau

Position 3: Len Albert

Position 4: Richard Milligan

Fire District 12

Position 1: Everett D. Evans and Curtis Behrens

Position 3: Ross F. Demmel and Alex D. Murray

Fire District 13 (Griffin)

Position 1: Casey Black

Fire District 17 (Bald Hills)

Position 2: Gerald L. Bickett

Southeast Thurston Fire Authority

Position 1: Kevin Rademacher

West Thurston Regional Fire Authority (Littlerock)

Position 2: Calvin Dahl

Position 3: John Ricks

Cemetery District 1 (Grand Mound)

Position 2: Kelly Mulvaney

Cemetery District 2 (Yelm)

Position 2: Judith M. Cusick

This story was originally published May 21, 2021 at 6:21 PM.

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