Interested in running for office? Candidate Filing Week is May 15-19

Candidate Filing Week is approaching, and over 185 local offices will be open for residents.

The Office of the Secretary of State is joining county elections offices across Washington to accept applications for public office during Filing Week May 15-19.

Across the state, nearly 3,400 local offices are up for election this year, including more than 100 mayorships; many city and county council positions; and port, hospital, water, fire, and parks and recreation districts.

Locally, there are 127 races scheduled to be available for filing within Grays Harbor and 60 within Pacific County.

This includes 8 Mayor seats within the two counties, over 45 city council seats, an unexpired Pacific County Commissioner and Auditor position, as well as school/port/fire/hospital/sewer/park positions.

Grays Harbor Offices Open for Filing

Pacific County Offices Open for Filing

As of the morning of Friday, May 5, KXRO has only learned of a limited number of residents who have officially announced their intent to run through the PDC or statements on social media.

This includes incumbents in Hoquiam Mayor Ben Winkelman and Port of Grays Harbor Commissioner Tom Quigg, as well as business owner Douglas Orr for Aberdeen Mayor, City Councilmember Josh Collette for Elma Mayor, and incumbent City Councilmembers Dave Hinchen and Mike Cooper for Hoquiam and Elma respectively.

A number of local Mayors have stated that they would not be running for another term. 

People interested in running for local or county offices may file with the county elections department in which a position resides. For filing instructions, candidates should contact their respective county elections office.

 Applicants are encouraged to file online during the filing period, which runs from 9 a.m. Monday, May 15, until 4 p.m. Friday, May 19.

Those who wish to file online and pay the required fees via credit or debit card can do so any time — day or night — during the week.

Applicants may also download a Declaration of Candidacy form and mail it along with a check for the required fee to Candidate Filing, Office of the Secretary of State, P.O. Box 40229, Olympia, WA 98504-0229, or drop it off in person at the Secretary of State’s office in the Legislative Building, 416 Sid Snyder Ave. SW in Olympia during normal business hours. Filings and fees delivered by mail or in person must be received by 5 p.m. May 19.

Candidates who cannot file online and who need in-person services should contact their county or state elections office to learn more about available services and business hours.

Once their filing is completed by the state or county, candidates will receive an email with instructions for submitting their Voters’ Pamphlet statement and photo online.

For more information, visit the Candidates & Campaigns page on the Secretary of State’s Elections site. Applicants can download a candidate filing guide, read answers to frequently asked questions, and more. A brief instructional video is also available.