PORT ANGELES — Forty years after serving as a Clallam County commissioner, Democrat Ron Richards is seeking the position again in hopes of replacing outgoing Commissioner Mike Chapman.
Richards, 71, said Friday he will seek the four-year Port Angeles-area District 2 seat that Chapman, a Republican-turned-independent, has held since 2000. Chapman does not plan to run for re-election.
Filing week for the Nov. 8 general election is May 16-20.
Served for term
A commercial fisherman, Richards was a 31-year-old Clallam County deputy prosecuting attorney when he ran for commissioner and won in 1976. He served one term before going into private law practice.
He has been an engineer, a corporate attorney and a director of international business development for Western Gas Resources Inc., a natural gas resources company he founded and later sold, and for which he focused on governmental relations and permitting.
“My background would really serve the county well right now,” Richards said.
“We have personnel problems in the courthouse, and I handled our personnel problems at Western Gas.”
Richards co-chairs the Clallam County for Bernie committee that supports U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders for president and is a member of Protect the Peninsula’s Future and the North Olympic Group of the Sierra Club.
He also chairs Save the Olympic Peninsula, which opposes the Navy’s proposed electronic warfare range over the Olympic Peninsula.
“I feel like county officials should get involved in that,” said Richards, who released a 1,121-word campaign statement Saturday.
“That should be one of the local government’s biggest priorities so that the local economy is not damaged by that.”
He said in his statement that he “has the support” of Chapman.
Chapman — who entered county politics as a Republican, became an independent and then in December said he had registered with the Clallam County Democrats — on Saturday described Richards as his friend.
“We talked briefly, and I said, ‘Ron, whatever you need, I’ll help you out,’ ” Chapman said. “He took that as my support. He’ll do a good job.”
But Chapman stopped short of endorsing Richards, saying, “It hurts him.”
Republican Maggie Roth, who ran unsuccessfully against Chapman in 2012, also announced her candidacy for Chapman’s position Friday.
“Between the two of them, I think I would vote for Ron,” Chapman said.
Charter amendment
Richards said he voted against a county charter amendment that voters approved in November that limited general election voting for county commissioner to the commissioner districts rather than keeping it countywide.
“Everyone should have a say in who is elected county commissioner,” he said.
He also agrees with having an elected Department of Community Development director.
Richards said the county should not take over management of millions of acres of timber on trust lands now managed by the state Department of Natural Resources.
The Richland native moved to Clallam County in 1975, moved away in 1994 and returned in 2004.
His wife, Nina, is the former chair of the Clallam County Democrats.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.