PORT TOWNSEND — And they’re off!
Friday marked the filing deadline for political candidates in the Sept. 20 primary and the Nov. 8 general election, and the official starting point for their campaigns.
People who make decisions at every level of local government in Jefferson County will be chosen. There are no state or national positions up for election this fall.
The week’s filings produced three primary races in Jefferson County — two Port Townsend City Council races and a Port of Port Townsend commissioner race.
Candidates who have no challengers or face only one foe go directly to November’s ballot.
Since city council and school district races are non-partisan, they are not affected by the legal challenge mounted by the state’s three political parties against the “top two” primary system approved by the state’s voters.
The county’s only partisan race involves candidates for Jefferson County Superior Court Clerk.
And since no Republican candidate stepped forward, the winner of the Democratic primary between incumbent Ruth Gordon and Tammi Rupert, who has been senior court clerk since 1995, will advance to the Nov. 8 general election unopposed.
Gordon, who succeeded Marianne Walters, has been endorsed by the Jefferson County Democrats.
Rupert, meanwhile, has been endorsed by Walters.
45 candidates filed
By the time the Jefferson County Auditor’s Office closed at 5 p.m. Friday, 45 candidates had filed.
Nine positions remain without candidates, including Chimacum School District Position 2; Queets-Clearwater School District positions 1, 2, and 5; Fire District No. 7 positions 1, 2 and 3; Water District No. 3 Position 3 and Cemetery District No. 2 Position 2.
Because of that apparent disinterest, elections officials extended the filing period by three more days starting at 8 a.m. Wednesday.
If no one files during this week’s special three-day filing period, the position will be closed, will not be on the Nov. 8 ballot and will be filled by the incumbent until he or she submits a letter of resignation. The positions will reopen for filing in 2007.