Arthur Frank

Another Democrat has joined the race for Jefferson County sheriff.

Arthur Frank registered as a candidate for sheriff Jan. 31; voters will cast ballots for sheriff candidates in November unless a third candidate registers and a primary runoff is needed. 

Incumbent Sheriff Joe Nole, also a Democrat, filed to run for another term in early January. 

Frank is currently a detective with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.

“I am at a point in my life and career where it’s time for me to take all that I know and all that I am and find a new way to serve the community,” Frank said in his announcement.

“Law enforcement must evolve to meet the needs and reflect the values of the citizens it serves, and because I see a real need for leadership in our sheriff’s office, I am stepping forward as a candidate for sheriff,” Frank added. 

Frank joined the sheriff’s office in January 2016 as a deputy. He was born and raised in California, and at the start of his law enforcement career, he was a deputy sheriff before joining the Glendale Police Department in 1981.

In Glendale, Frank was a patrol officer, training officer, and detective until December 2015.

“In 2012, we decided to leave our home in California to raise our young children – then 8 years old – in an environment and culture that was closer to nature and community,” Frank recalled. “We left everything we knew and never looked back.” 

“After we moved, I looked for ways to continue my life in public service and to make a contribution to my community,” he added.

A resident of Quilcene, Frank has served as an EMT and volunteer at Quilcene Fire Rescue, and is currently a fire commissioner on the board for the department. He also represents the Jefferson County Fire District Fire Commissioners on the JeffCom 911 Administrative Board.

Frank is married to Anna Phillips, a deputy prosecutor for the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and their twin daughters are seniors at Chimacum High School. He has two adult children who live in Los Angeles; his daughter is an attorney and his son is a business owner.

“If elected to serve the citizens of Jefferson County as sheriff, it will be my mission to be accountable to and to support the dedicated employees of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, to listen to all community members, and to provide the best possible service to everyone we serve,” Frank said. “I look forward to planning for the future of the office, increasing credibility, improving agency morale and pride, and making every possible effort to both retain our exceptional staff and increase the public’s confidence in their sheriff’s office.”

Candidate Filing Week opens May 16, though some candidates have already registered as candidates for the 2022 Election.

In addition to the two candidates for the county sheriff position, there are two candidates for the District 3 county commissioner seat.

Commissioner Greg Brotherton, the Democratic Party incumbent, is seeking another term. He’s being challenged by Republican Marcia Kelbon.

Amanda L. Hamilton has registered as a Democratic Party candidate for the county clerk position.

County Prosecutor James M. Kennedy, also a Democrat, is running for another term.

He filed as a candidate Jan. 31.

Kennedy, 41, was born and raised in the Seattle area. An Army veteran who served for almost six years and completed two tours in Iraq, he attended the Seattle University School of Law after leaving the military and graduated in 2012. He was elected as prosecuting attorney for Jefferson County in 2018. He lives in Port Ludlow with his wife and three children.