By Pat Jenkins
The Dispatch
Last week was when candidates had to officially put their names in the hat for this year's election. Relatively few did – so few that some of them don't have an opponent, making them a lock to be elected.
Countywide, a combined 204 offices are on the ballot this year. They range from municipal and Port of Tacoma positions to school boards and fire districts.
Twenty-two positions will be on the ballot for voters in the south Pierce County area. Those offices and current officeholders include port commissioner, Eatonville’s mayor and council, the Bethel and Eatonville school boards, fire district commissioner (South Pierce Fire and Rescue, Graham Fire and Rescue, and Ashford Fire District 23), and water commissioner (Ashford, Clear Lake, Elbe and Kapowsin water districts).
The five-day candidate filing period was May 15-19. Contenders could sign up online or in person at the Pierce County elections department in Tacoma.
There will be no changes In officeholders for the Town of Eatonville and the Eatonville School District. Only incumbents filed, which means they’re assured of retaining their seats, barring any write-in candidacies, which are rare.
Mayor Mike Schaub and Town Council members Jennifer Hannah, Bob Walter and William Dunn are running unopposed.
Schaub and Walter will gain their second four-year terms. For Schaub, that will extend his time in town office to 14 years. Before being elected mayor in 2013, he was the treasurer for six years.
Hannah and Dunn are facing voters for the first time. They were appointed by the council to fill vacancies created by resignations. Dunn was picked in January to replace Abby Gribi, who stepped down from the council to become the town administrator, a non-elected job. Hannah last year took the seat that was vacated by Andy Powell, who resigned.
Also virtually assured of retaining their seats are Eatonville School Board incumbents Ronda Litzenberger, a longtime fixture on the board, and Annaliza Klumpar, who was appointed last year.
Two Bethel School Board incumbents – Warren Smith Sr. and Stanley Chapin -- will have challengers. Smith will be opposed by Chris Truppner, and Chapin will face Robert Yount.
There also are races for Tacoma Port Commissioner. John McCarthy, Jim Jensen and Eric Holdeman filed for the Position 1 seat that longtime incumbent Connie Bacon is giving up by not seeking re-election. Her prospective replacements will be narrowed to two in the primary election in August.
Two other port incumbents, Dick Marzano (Position 2) and Don Meyer (Position 4), each have one opponent. Noah Davis is running against Marzano, while Kristin Ang is opposite Meyer.
Graham Fire and Rescue Commissioner Gerry Gustafson drew an opponent in Jacob Koukel for Position 1. Commissioner Gina Blanchard-Reed, who was appointed to Position 4 after the seat was created last year when voters expanded the board from three members to five, also has an opponent – Rick Payne, who has been a candidate for other offices in past years.
There are two contests for South Pierce Fire and Rescue Commissioner. One of them, pitting incumbent Daniel Morris, Jody Westing and Alan Simmons for Position 4, will go through the primary election in order to get down to two candidates for the general election in November. The other one has incumbent Kevin Kneeshaw against Yanah Cook.
There are no races, and no changes in officeholders, for Ashford Water District Commissioner. Richard Johnson (Position 1) and Ryan Mettler (Position3) are the only candidates. Both are incumbents.
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