State House, Jefferson County commissioner candidates at forum Wednesday

PORT LUDLOW — An election forum with the four candidates for the two 24th District state House seats and the two candidates for Jefferson County commissioner will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday.

It will be held at the Bay Club, 120 Spinnaker Place.

Open to the public and sponsored by the Port Ludlow Village Council and Peninsula Daily News, the forum will feature written questions for the candidates from the audience.

The schedule:

6 p.m., Position 1 — Incumbent state Rep. Kevin Van De Wege, 35, a Democrat from Sequim who is a firefighter and paramedic, and his challenger, Republican Dan Gase, 56, a Port Angeles real estate managing broker and consultant.

6:45 p.m., Position 2 — Republican Jim McEntire, 60, of Sequim, one of the three Port of Port Angeles commissioners and a retired Coast Guard captain, and Steve Tharinger, 61, also of Sequim, one of the three Clallam County commissioners.

Tharinger and McEntire are vying to replace Rep. Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam, who is retiring this year from Position 2.

7:30 p.m. — Incumbent Jefferson County District 3 Commissioner John Austin, 69, D-Port Ludlow, and his Republican challenger, Jim Boyer, 64, a Port Ludlow home builder.

Other election forums

Mail-in ballots for the Nov. 2 general election will be sent to registered voters on Oct. 13.

Other forums this week and next week in Jefferson and Clallam counties are sponsored by the local chapters of the League of Women Voters.

They are:

• Monday, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Clallam County commissioners meeting room, Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St., Port Angeles — Clallam County commissioner, county director of community development and county treasurer candidates.

Incumbent Mike Doherty, 67, a Port Angeles Democrat, is challenged by Republican Robin Poole, 61, a UPS driver living in Beaver, for the District 3 county commission seat.

Incumbent John Miller, 61, of Port Angeles, faces Carlsborg resident Sheila Roark Miller, 51, a county code compliance officer, for the Clallam County community development director seat.

The two Millers are not related.

Incumbent Judith Scott, 59, is challenged by Selinda Barkhuis, 48, of Port Angeles, a county development planner, for the county treasurer’s post.

Thursday, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Masonic Lodge (located behind and uphill from the post office) in Port Townsend — state House candidates Tharinger, McEntire and Van De Wege (Gase has a conflicting obligation); incumbent Jefferson County District Court Judge Jill Landes and her opponent, John Woods.

• Saturday, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., City Council chambers, Port Angeles City Hall, 321 E. Fifth St. — Tharinger, McEntire, Van De Wege and Gase.

• Wednesday, Oct. 13, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Sequim Senior Activity Center, 921 E. Hammond St. — Clallam County prosecuting attorney candidates and the pros and cons of state Initiative 1082 (workers’ comp).

Republican Deb Kelly, 57, of Port Angeles, is seeking a third four-year term as prosecuting attorney.

Her challenger, Democrat Larry Freedman, 72, is a Sequim attorney.

• Thursday, Oct. 14, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., — Port Townsend Masonic Lodge (located behind and uphill from the post office) in Port Townsend — Austin and Boyer; Jefferson County prosecuting attorney candidates Scott Rosekrans and Paul Richmond.

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