Thurston County commissioner candidates make final pitch to undecided voters
With Election Day drawing near, the candidates for Thurston County Commissioner are making their last pitch to voters.
The Olympian asked the candidates in two competitive races to share their final appeals to undecided voters who are still holding onto their ballots a week before the election.
The winners in Districts 2 and 4 will take a seat on the five-member commission that serves over 300,000 residents with an operating budget of about $474.2 million in 2025, according to the county’s budget book.
Votes for each race were restricted to those from their respective geographical districts during the primary,. but in the general election, all county voters get the chance to decide a winner in both races.
Commissioner Carolina Mejia is also up for re-election, but she is running unopposed.
District 2
In the District 2 race, Independent candidate JW Foster said voters should look at the difference in experience between him and his Democratic opponent, Rachel Dreon. They are running to replace Gary Edwards, who is retiring.
“My experience has been pretty diverse and concentrated in the South Sound region, Thurston County in particular,” Foster said. “I’ve made a lot of contacts and relationships over the past two decades of public service, which really puts me in a position to hit the ground running and get to work right away for the people of the county.”
Foster, an independent, became interim mayor of Yelm in 2016 and then won a four-year term in the 2017 election. Prior to that, he served on the Yelm City Council from 2011 to 2016.
He advises any undecided voter to watch the League of Women Voters of Thurston County candidate forum that featured county commissioner candidates. He said that forum, now available on YouTube, covers a range of issues that are important for the county.
“It’s so important that everybody take the time to vote,” Foster said. “There’s a lot on the ballot and some of the issues are confusing, but really, if you want to get things done locally, where you have the most influence, then you want to elect somebody who knows the job, has the energy for the job and is ready to go to work right away.”
Dreon describes herself as a progressive Democrat and proud 2004 graduate of Thurston County Drug Court with a professional background in behavioral health.
She previously worked as a budget chief for the Washington State Department of Health and Human Services and as a Business Operations Administrator for the DSHS Office of Forensic Mental Health.
She currently works for the King County Department of Community and Human Services as a Behavioral Health Workforce Investments Manager.
“I’m no stranger to hard work, first to turn my own life around, then to secure funding and solutions for our state and my (current) work,” Dreon said. “Now, I’m ready to work even harder for you as your Thurston County Commissioner.”
She too stressed the importance of voting, especially for local elections which she said, “shape the core of our daily lives.”
“They impact everything from the quality of our roads, schools, parks, mental health, housing, property taxes and environment and the support systems that keep us safe,” Dreon said. “In local government, every vote truly matters, and every voice is closer to being heard. We’ve got to vote for someone who has real solutions.”
Foster led in the August primary with 58% of the vote (7,638 votes) while Dreon secured 41% of the vote (5,387 votes), according to the final results. However, those votes were limited to voters in District 2.
With the race opened to voters in the entire county, there’s potential for a markedly different result in the general election.
Dreon has outspent Foster this election year. Dreon raised over $52,500 and spent more than $46,350 as of Wednesday, according to the Public Disclosure Commission. Meanwhile, Foster raised over $32,200 and spent more than $19,900.
District 4
In the District 4 race, current Commissioner Wayne Fournier, a Democrat, is facing Rob Laymon, who stated no party preference.
“In the last year I’ve shown that I can be an effective county commissioner,” Fournier said. “I have the experience and the local knowledge that’s required to be effective in office and I’m just hoping that the citizens will continue to support me and re-elect me.”
Laymon has not responded to multiple requests for comment this year and did not participate in the Thurston County League of Women Voters candidate forum.
Fournier led Laymon with 51% of the vote (8,724 votes) in the August primary. Meanwhile, Laymon got 48% of the vote (8,206 votes).
This story was originally published November 2, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
