Five Jefferson County elected officials are now officially seeking re-election, and two newcomers, attorney Noah Harrison and Ryan Mc Allister, have joined the 2018 campaign season.

Harrison is seeking a nonpartisan seat held by retiring district court Judge Jill Landes. Democrat Mc Allister is looking to replace Jefferson County Commissioner Kathleen Kler, also a Democrat, who has indicated an interest in seeking re-election but has not yet formally announced those intentions.

Jefferson County Sheriff David Stanko was first to announce he is planning to seek a second term in office. Treasurer Stacie Prada, auditor Rose Ann Carroll, assessor Jeff Chapman and clerk Ruth Gordon have since filed C1 campaign finance forms with the state Public Disclosure Commission indicating they are also planning to run again.

Jefferson County District Court Judge Landes acknowledged last month that she’s opting out after three terms, and attorney Harrison has since announced intentions to fill that seat. He recently said he expects others to join him.

A seat on the Jefferson County Public Utility District board now held by incumbent Wayne King also is up for grabs.

Any current elected official who files for office before the May 14-18 filing week needs to fill out a form with the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC).

Landes’ position is nonpartisan, as is King’s. All other seats in Jefferson County, with the exception of Stanko’s, are held by Democrats.

COMMISSIONER, GOP

County Commissioner Kler said Monday evening in a voice message that she found Mc Allister’s entry into the race “interesting.”

“That’s about all I have to say, interesting. It adds to all the options the county is going to have,” Kler said. Kler could not be reached Tuesday for further comment.

Kler said in January that she is aware that she is likely to have opponents.

Former opponent Daniel S. Toepper, whom Kler defeated in 2014, has been attending a number of meetings, but said in January that currently he has no intention to seek the seat.

Kler said Mc Allister had told her he was going to run.

Kler said she is aware that there is attention being focused on her district this year and she also is aware that Jefferson County Republicans are looking at a seat on the board.

ASSESSOR, AUDITOR

Assessor Jeff Chapman recalled that he was recruited to fill out the unexpired term of former assessor Jack Westerman III in 2014 and then won a four-year term in 2014. Chapman had previously served as a deputy assessor.

Chapman noted that Westerman recruited him in part because he has experience with computers and the state was requiring counties to move to a new annual system that was highly technical.

Because a new software system was implemented in 2014 and will be completely rolled out in 2019, Chapman said wanted to see that through to completion, which would require him to seek a second full term in office.

Auditor Rose Ann Carroll also has committed to seeking re-election. Carroll defeated fellow Democrat Judy Maves-Klatt after longtime auditor Donna Eldridge retired.

Carroll said she feels she has a good working relationship with other elected officials and with department heads. “I enjoy it. It’s very busy. There’s a lot of work to be done every day,” she said earlier.

Carroll also said she’s aware that a number of departments could use more employees and that the county is still at the staffing level it had in 2008.

With more and more mandates coming down to the county level, she said, “It’s getting close. You can only keep absorbing so much and then it’s too much.”

TREASURER

Treasurer Stacie Prada announced in January that she will seek a second four-year term. Prada moved from her position as as planning manager from the county’s Department of Community Development to run for treasurer unopposed in 2014. She took the helm from longtime Republican Judi Morris.

“I do enjoy the work and I feel like I’m contributing,” Prada said, recalling that she had seen the office go through major changes in her first four years, including the county having to change banks when Bank of America sold accounts to First Security Bank of Washington. Morris had said switching banks would be a hardship; Prada and employees had no choice once Bank of America sold those accounts.

Prada also noted that the treasurer’s office has integrated an online payment portal with property tax software so that people paying online are paying the right amount.

CLERK, JUDGE

Clerk Ruth Gordon also recently filed a C1 campaign finance form, and earlier had said she expected to seek re-election.

Gordon said she also was fortunate to have been named Clerk of the Year by the Washington State Association of County Clerks. It’s an honor that she and fellow clerk Tim Fitzgerald of Spokane tied for. Gordon said she worked hard to represent the association in developing a new case management system.

District Court Judge Landes said she had been thinking off and on about running and she’s ready to do “something a little different,” so is not looking for what would be a fourth term in office.

She mentioned in January that she might even want to go back to school to study art history. She said she still hopes to be involved in the Port Townsend High School’s mock trial program.

As for advice to the next district court judge, Landes was quick to urge, “Don’t be a micromanager. It’s a great staff. They know what they’re doing, and micromanaging doesn’t work well with people.”

On the top floor of the courthouse, prosecutor Michael Haas said he was “strongly considering” a run for a second term.

SHERIFF, PROSECUTOR

Jefferson County Sheriff Dave Stanko had made it clear after he defeated Wendy Davis in 2014 that he would want to serve a second term, if elected. Former Washington State Patrol trooper Ken Przygocki also was in the sheriff’s race that year.

Stanko was the first incumbent to announce he would be seeking the position again. He said the department needs more deputies and he wants to work toward that goal in the coming years.

When elected in 2014, Stanko said he would run as an independent. In C1 documents, he lists his party affiliation as “none.”

Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney Michael Haas, who also is up for re-election also has not yet announced his intentions.

PUD COMMISSIONER

Incumbent Jefferson County Commissioner Wayne King, who is ending his third six-year term this year, could not be reached for comment on whether he planned to seek another term.

Technically, all candidates still must file during fileing week in May to be on the primary ballot in August.