PORT TOWNSEND — The Jefferson County Democratic Party has elected new officers and picked Ruth Gordon as party nominee for county clerk.

Shine resident and environmental activist John Fabian was elected party president while Peggy Harju was selected vice chairwoman and Phyllis Schultz treasurer during a gathering at Port Townsend Community Center on Tuesday.

“I have agreed to serve as chair until they find a permanent chair that everybody is happy with and who is happy to have the job,” Fabian, a retired NASA shuttle astronaut, said Wednesday.

“I am, of course, honored to be selected.”

The newly seated party leaders succeed those who resigned in May after a disagreement over the correct primary process for selecting candidates.

Nominating convention

The Democratic Party conducted a nominating convention Tuesday as required under state party rules, and 15 of 16 precinct committee officers named Gordon as their choice for county clerk.

A founding member of the Port Townsend Peace Movement and Jefferson County League of Women Voters, Gordon was appointed by county commissioners as county clerk, administering the court system.

Gordon, 51, succeeded Marianne Walters, who retired as county clerk Dec. 31 after 31 years of working for the county.

A Port Townsend resident since 1999, Gordon has been a counselor-therapist for the past 20 years and also worked for six years as editor-publisher of the online forum for women Moms Online/America Online.

The new Democratic leaders come about a month after party Chair Peggy Ann Bierbaum resigned with others over support for Gordon and differences concerning the Cajun versus Montana primary election systems.