“In a off-year that happens a lot, unless there’s something controversial going on,” Pacific County Auditor Pat Gardner told the Herald. “One year we had five people running for a Port of Willapa Harbor position in a primary. In an odd-year election, it takes three or more candidates to be in primary. It’s not uncommon that a lot of the positions are running unopposed in an odd-year election.”
In the City of Raymond, Mayor Bob Jungar has filed for reelection and he is running unopposed. In South Bend, Mayor Kirk Church has decided against reelection and the only person that has filed is Julie (Rose) Stuck.
Two of the three South Bend City Council Member positions have two candidates in the running. In the No. 3 opening, incumbent Cheryl Seals should get a stiff test from former councilwoman Patricia “Pat” Neve. In No. 5, Kathy Balcom is challenging Councilman Bob Hall. And in No. 4, Councilwoman Karla Webber is running unopposed. All are four-year terms.
Four Raymond City Council seats are on the fall ballot for four-year terms and all four of the incumbents that have filed will not be contested. Filing for city council member positions are Vicki Flemetis (No. 1), Randy Flemetis (No. 4), South Bend City Clerk Dee Roberts (No. 5) and Jason Dunsmoor (No. 2).
Four people have filed for three director (school board member) positions in Raymond School District No. 116. Incumbents Pebbles Williams and Mark Hatfield are running unopposed in school director positions 5 and 1, while incumbent Karen Johnson is running against Angela Gilbert for Position 3. All three are four-year terms.
In South Bend School District 118, all three openings have only one candidate filed, including Raymond Police Chief Chuck Spoor (School Director 3), Raymond Fire Chief Todd Strozyk (School Director Pos. 3) and Andrew B. Seaman (Pos. 2).
Three school director slots are open in the Willapa Valley School District No. 160 with one person filing in each spot, including Thomas E. Walker (Pos.1), Josh Christen (Pos. 4) and Tom Gray (Pos. 5).
Four fire commissioner posts are open and have one candidate filed in each one, including three in South Bend, Glenn Killingbeck (District 6), Nancy Robinson (Dist. 7) and Scott Turnbull (Dist. 8) and one in Tokeland, with R. Pat Gogan (Dist. 5) on the ballot.
Port of Willapa Harbor Commissioner No. 3 has one candidate on the ballot with Todd P. Stephens.
The position is a six-year term.
Dave Vetter is running unopposed for Hospital District 2 Commissioner No. 2, which is also a six-year position.
Water District W has one person running for Water Commissioner No. 2 with Sherman Pollard. It is a six-year term.
Editor’s Note: For the complete list of all Pacific County election filings, go to hometowndebate.com and click on Politics, then go to Complete Pacific County Election Filings 2013. This article first appeared on www.hometowndebate.com 6/3/13. If you would like to respond to this story go to hometowndebate.com