PORT ANGELES — Challenger Ken Simpson and board appointee Phyllis Bernard will advance to the November general election for a seat on the Clallam County Public Utility District board.
Simpson and Bernard were neck-and-neck when initial returns were released Tuesday night. Simpson garnered 770 votes, or 37.2 percent, and Bernard had 766 votes, or 37 percent.
A third candidate for the District 3 seat was Kenneth Reandeau, who had 521 votes, or 25.2 percent.
Simpson is the son of former Clallam PUD commissioner Ted Simpson.
“My family has had a rough couple of months with the passing of my dad,” Simpson said. “Having not campaigned at all, I am very encouraged with the results.”
Bernard was appointed by the PUD board in April after the death of former PUD commissioner Jim Waddell. She also serves as an at-large commissioner for the Olympic Medical Center board.
“I’m very grateful,” Bernard said. “It’s a vote of confidence from people we have met and campaigned with. These last couple of months have been rewarding.
“When I have a reason that is much bigger than myself, to ensure that the people of Clallam County thrive, I come alive. I do what I do,” she continued.
“In this realm, I bring 16 years of intense experience at how to take the ideas people have about green energy and renewables and make them a reality.”
Reandeau said he expected Tuesday night’s results.
“I didn’t see a lot of surprises with the information that I examined,” he said. “I will be looking more today.”
Both Simpson and Reandeau were candidates for the seat this spring when the two other PUD board members selected Bernard to fill out the remainder of Waddell’s unexpired term.
The general election is Nov. 5.
Ken Simpson