EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been corrected from its original transmission to reflect that Cheryl Potebnya was caring for three family members from 2005 to 2011. The original article erroneously said she is currently taking care of all three.
PORT TOWNSEND — Cheryl Potebnya, a former county deputy prosecuting attorney, has raised over three times more than Jefferson County District Court Judge Jill Landes in her effort to unseat the two-term incumbent.
Potebnya, 62, of Port Ludlow has spent most of the $13,246 she has raised, which includes $10,100 of her own money as a loan.
Her campaign weapons include T-shirts, 500 signs and about 1,000 elect-Potebnya giveaway “gavel pencils” aimed at defeating Landes in the Nov. 4 general election.
Meanwhile, Landes, 64, of Port Townsend has waged a low-key campaign, self-financing it with about $3,700 and not accepting any contributions.
Candidates for public office filed their most recent financial statements Monday with the state Public Disclosure Commission if they are raising more than $5,000.
Landes is not among them.
Having spent campaign funds in her first run for the office in 2006, she has leftover signs and has not accepted contributions since then.
Landes has “a whole tub” of leftover campaign T-shirts as well as buttons, she said Thursday.
“I felt like I should pay for my own campaign and not ask the voters and taxpayers to do so.”
What money she has spent has included about $1,400 on newspaper advertising and business cards, about 100 yard signs and the magnetic signs that seem to have worked their way into many candidates’ arsenals.
Potebnya’s contributions include $250 from Juelanne Dalzell, the retired county prosecuting attorney who hired Potebnya in 2005.
She left the position last fall. In the past and now takes care of her elderly mother, her grandchild and her husband, who is disabled.
“What it felt like was that I didn’t have a lot of name recognition because I had been busy serving the county at the grindstone, working late,” Potebnya said.
“My opponent, people know her name.”
Potebnya also is owner-operator of P&P Investments LLC of Port Ludlow and has been involved in real estate in one capacity or another for most of her adult life. From 2005 to 2011 she took care of her elderly mother, her grandchild and her husband, who is disabled.
Potebnya said she held three meet-and-greet events in Port Ludlow, Port Townsend and Quilcene.
But she said she probably bought more signs than she needed and could have gotten by with 300 to 350.
There was little difference in price between buying 400 and 500, she added.
“I was just trying to level the playing field,” Potebnya said. “I’m definitely more known in the community than I was before.”
She also purchased about 1,000 gavel pencils for $604 that had erasers on both ends that she gave away to children.
Landes scoffed at the pencils’ effectiveness.
“I don’t think those giveaway things work,” she said. “Why waste money?”
Potebnya’s biggest single expense was about $4,300 on a targeted mailer she sent to 10,000 households.
It focused on new registered voters and voters who cast ballots in the last four and last three general elections.
“I talked to people who ran campaigns before, and it was suggested,” Potebnya said.
The mailer went out to voters Oct. 16, the day after the county Auditor’s Office mailed out ballots.
Landes said that one way she differs from Potebnya is that she won’t put signs up in areas of public rights-of-way, where she says it’s illegal.
“Most candidates will, but I won’t,” she said. “[Potebnya] is well aware it’s not OK. Instead of following principles and values, people do what is advantageous.”
Potebnya said the signs have to meet a setback requirement.
She said she is aware of the law and has no control over where her supporters put her signs.
Potebnya said she has picked up errant campaign signs from State Patrol offices, where they are held for candidates for retrieval after being removed by state Department of Transportation workers.
“I go there and every candidate has had signs picked up by DOT for improper placement, including my opponent.
“Her signs are there, too.”
A list of Potebnya’s campaign contributions and expenditures is at http://tinyurl.com/PDN-Campaigndollars.
Below are contributors from the North Olympic Peninsula who have donated $100 or more to Potebnya’s campaign:
■ $250: Juelanne Dalzell, Port Townsend
■ $200: James T. Goode, Port Ludlow
■ $100: Connie Gallant, Quilcene; Louise A. Krausman, Monti Doris, Merrily M. Mount, Gregory Trzaska, Port Ludlow
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5060, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
