Position: Clallam County Commissioner 3rd District

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Mike French (Democrat), Incumbent

Recommended by Indivisible Sequim Election Task Force

Endorsed by Clallam County Democrats

Endorsed by Olympic Climate Action

Of the two candidates on the ballot for County Commissioner, Mike French is the only one who aligns with the values and priorities of Indivisible Sequim. French has extensive knowledge of many of our issues. He was born and raised in this community. He owned a business here, has done extensive volunteer work in the community, and served on the Port Angeles City Council. As our current commissioner, French chairs the North Olympic Peninsula Recompete Coalition, which secured $35.6 million in federal funding – the only West Coast award out of 565 applications – for projects that create jobs and train local workers. He joined his fellow commissioners in adopting the County’s 2023 Climate Action Plan, the first new climate plan since 2009. French backed a 2026 budget that reduced a projected $3.3 million deficit to $1.2 million while keeping County staffing nearly flat, down by two cuts rather than the 25 once expected. French is a team player and has shown that he is willing to work with diverse community groups. He listens to all his constituents, whether they agree with him or not.

Candidate Profile Mike French

Candidate Questionnaire Mike French

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Jacob “Jake” Seegers (Independent)

Jake Seegers moved here with his family in 2019. With no experience in any elected position, he frequently points to what he believes is wrong with Clallam County but demonstrates little in-depth knowledge and does not propose specific solutions.

Seegers has demonstrated a lack of transparency regarding ownership of properties and connections to the conservative Seegers Foundation in Texas. He is strongly supported by Clallam County Watchdog, which has brought disruptive and costly chaos and disrespect to our county’s public meetings and operations.

Neither the statements Seegers has made nor the actions he has taken are aligned with the priorities and values of Indivisible Sequim. We do not recommend him for this position.

Candidate Profile Jake Seegers

Candidate Questionnaire Jake Seegers

 

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Position: Clallam County Public Utility District (PUD) Number 1, District 2 (Nonpartisan)

 

Randy Brackett

Recommended by Indivisible Sequim Election Task Force

Endorsed by Clallam County Democrats

Endorsed by Olympic Climate Action

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Of the two candidates on the November ballot, Randy Brackett has the best understanding of the climate challenges we face. His platform is innovative, forward thinking, and most strongly aligns with Indivisible Sequim’s priorities and values. He comes to the race with 34 years of relevant experience, most recently as the Port Angeles Deputy Director of Operations and Port Operations Manager, making him ideally qualified to be a PUD Commissioner.

Candidate Profile Randy Brackett

Candidate Questionnaire Randy Brackett

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Rick Paschall

Rick Paschall was District 2 Commissioner from January 2021 to March 2023 but left the position abruptly without a clear explanation. Although he has 30+ years of experience working in the electric-utility industry in the Pacific Northwest, his primary campaign pledge is to focus his efforts on affordability. This narrow focus doesn’t address the need to prepare for a future of a diminishing supply of water and hydropower, which could result in skyrocketing electricity rates from Bonneville Power Administration. We need a commissioner who will see the big picture of the public-utility challenges ahead. Indivisible Sequim does not recommend Paschall for this position.

Candidate Profile Rick Paschall

Candidate Questionnaire Rick Paschall

 

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Position: Clallam County Auditor (Nonpartisan)

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Shoona Riggs, Incumbent

Recommended by Indivisible Sequim Election Task Force

Preferred Candidate of Clallam County Democrats

Shoona Riggs has worked for over three decades in the Clallam County Auditor’s Office to ensure accurate, transparent, and timely service to residents of Clallam County. For the past 27 years, Riggs has acted under the Washington Secretary of State’s classification as a Certified Election Administrator. Over the course of these years, Riggs has proven that she deserves the trust of the residents of Clallam County with respect to managing secure, accurate, and transparent elections.

Candidate Profile Shoona Riggs

Candidate Questionnaire Shoona Riggs — no questionnaire submitted

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Virginia Shogren

Virginia Shogren’s campaign centers on a platform of abolishing mail-in voting, moving to in-person-only balloting, hand counting all ballots instead of using certified tabulation equipment, and requiring voter ID. These requirements are set by state statute, not the county auditor.

Shogren represented a Washington nonprofit, Washington Election Integrity Coalition United, which challenged the 2020 election's legitimacy in at least nine lawsuits alleging election fraud against Washington election officials. All cases were dismissed – several were found frivolous and the rest were thrown out for lack of standing.

In the case against then-Governor Inslee, Shogren's own filing alleged 34,637 non-citizens were registered to vote in King County alone, a claim the court found entirely unsubstantiated. Shogren was personally sanctioned nearly $19,000 of the $28,000 total for this action. A disciplinary board has recommended a two-year suspension of her law license over this conduct; the Washington Supreme Court heard her final appeal on September 15, 2026, and the decision is pending.

Based upon these facts, Indivisible Sequim does not consider Shogren suitable as Auditor for Clallam County.

Candidate Profile Virginia Shogren

Candidate Questionnaire Virginia Shogren — no questionnaire submitted

 

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Position: Clallam County Assessor (Nonpartisan)

Lee Hancock

Recommended by Indivisible Sequim Election Task Force

Preferred Candidate of Clallam County Democrats

Lee Hancock is the clear choice for this nonpartisan position. He has an accredited appraisal license and is currently the lead corporate appraiser in the Clallam County assessor’s office. Our long-serving current assessor, Pam Rushton, endorses him. Hancock’s knowledge and experience, and the confidence of Rushton, ensure he has the skills for the complex responsibilities of this position.

Candidate Profile Lee Hancock

Candidate Questionnaire Lee Hancock

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Antonio Price

Antonio Price, a 32-year-old self-described blue-collar worker and farmer is running on a platform of a perceived disconnect between everyday residents and the assessor’s office. Price demonstrates limited understanding of the complex duties of the office and does not possess the skills, training, accreditation, or knowledge required to appraise residential and commercial property. Most of the employees of the assessor’s office are appraisers, and it seems unlikely that a person lacking knowledge of the relevant regulations and skills would be prepared to oversee their work. While his interest in becoming a public servant is commendable, Price lacks any of the qualifications necessary for this position. Indivisible Sequim does not recommend him for this position.

Candidate Profile Antonio Price

Candidate Questionnaire Antonio Price

 

Position: Clallam County District Court I Judge (Nonpartisan)

Alex Schodowski

Recommended by Indivisible Sequim Election Task Force

Endorsed by Clallam County Democrats

Alex Schodowski has substantial experience as a Clallam County deputy criminal prosecutor, defense attorney in private practice, and Judge Pro Tem for both District Court and Superior Court of Clallam County. Regarding therapeutic and restorative justice, Schodowski states, “There are certainly cases in which punishment and incarceration are necessary. But I have also seen individuals return to court repeatedly because an underlying problem, such as substance use disorder or serious mental illness, was never successfully addressed. When an appropriate intervention can address that underlying problem while maintaining accountability, it can produce a better long-term outcome than simply repeating the same cycle of arrest, prosecution, incarceration, release, and rearrest.”

Candidate Profile Alex Schodowski

Candidate Questionnaire Alex Schodowski

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Patrick Murphy

Patrick Murphy has been a deputy prosecuting attorney in Clallam County District Court since 2019 and has no judicial experience. His personnel file, obtained through a public records request, shows that in 2025 his supervisor, Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Nichols, made Murphy's performance improvement plan permanent and warned that any further lapse could mean immediate dismissal. The file also shows earlier plans in 2020 and 2021 and a 2023 corrective action, citing problems with victim contact, case preparation, and judgment. His opponent, Alex Schodowski, has practiced law for 15 years as both a prosecutor and a defense attorney and has served 10 years as a pro tem judge in District and Superior Court. Given Murphy's lack of judicial experience and the performance concerns documented by his own office, Indivisible Sequim does not recommend him for this position.

Candidate Profile Patrick Murphy

Candidate Questionnaire Patrick Murphy

 

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Position: Clallam County Director of Community Development 

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Bruce Emery, Incumbent -Unopposed

Elected director since 2023, after 14 years as a planner in the same department and 15 years as a construction project manager. He cites the Comprehensive Plan update and stronger code enforcement, and says he wants more “predictability in the permitting process.”

Source: candidate statement, 2026 Clallam County Voters’ Pamphlet.

 

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Position: Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney

 

Mark Nichols, Incumbent - Unopposed

Prosecuting attorney since 2014, seeking a fourth term, with more than 20 years of prosecution experience. He names public safety as his top priority, focusing on violent and repeat offenders and on victims’ rights.

Source: candidate statement, 2026 Clallam County Voters’ Pamphlet.

 

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Position: Clallam County Sheriff

 

Brian King, Incumbent - Unopposed

Sheriff since 2023 and a 31-year law enforcement veteran, including as chief criminal deputy beginning in 2015; FBI National Academy graduate. His priorities include behavioral health, drug enforcement and adequate staffing.

Source: candidate statement, 2026 Clallam County Voters’ Pamphlet.

 

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Position: Clallam County Treasurer

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Jennifer L. White, Incumbent - Unopposed

Treasurer since 2023, after serving as chief deputy treasurer. She reports increasing the county’s invested funds by 240 percent and growing interest earnings more than eightfold, and plans to expand secure electronic payments and fraud protections.

Source: candidate statement, 2026 Clallam County Voters’ Pamphlet.

 

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Position: Clallam County District Court II Judge (Nonpartisan)

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Bruce Hanify, Incumbent - Unopposed

District Court II judge in Forks since January 2021. Before that, he was a deputy prosecuting attorney for 15 years and a criminal defense attorney for 17 years.

Source: candidate statement, 2026 Clallam County Voters’ Pamphlet.

 

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Proposed Charter Amendments

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Indivisible Sequim Election Task Force Recommendations

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Amendment No. 1 — Commissioner District Town Hall Meetings:  REJECT

Why: Commissioners already hold town halls. Meeting requirements belong in county policy, not the Charter, and the amendment leaves key terms undefined.

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Amendment No. 2 — Ethics Review Board:  REJECT

Why: It duplicates existing safeguards (state law, Public Disclosure Commission, recall and elections) and could be costly, slow and politicized.

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Amendment No. 3 — Full Text in the Voters’ Pamphlet:  REJECT

Why: State law already requires the measure’s text in the pamphlet, and the full legal text is available to voters. Printing rules don’t belong in the Charter.

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Clallam County Democrats also recommend: Vote NO on all three amendments

 

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Proposed Charter Amendment No. 1: Commissioner District Town Hall Meetings

This amendment comes from Charter Review Commission Resolution No. 3 and would amend Article II of the County Charter. Each county commissioner would have to hold at least one town hall meeting a year in their own district. The three commissioners together would also have to hold at least one town hall a year in each district. All of these meetings would be held outside normal business hours, with notice posted at least 30 days ahead. Today the Charter has no such requirement, and regular board meetings are held in Port Angeles during the workday.

Supporters, in an argument written by Ron Richards, say working people and residents of outlying areas can’t easily attend daytime courthouse meetings. They also say commissioners don’t answer questions raised during public comment. Opponents, in an argument written by Jim Stoffer, support town halls but say the scheduling doesn’t belong in the Charter. Commissioners already hold town halls, and this could be handled by county policy that’s easier to update. They add that the amendment doesn’t define a “town hall,” guarantee questions and answers, define “normal working hours,” or say where notice must be posted.

Source: 2026 Clallam County Voters’ Pamphlet. Full resolution text: clallamcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/24940.

 

Proposed Charter Amendment No. 2: Ethics Review Board

This amendment comes from Charter Review Commission Resolution No. 4 and would amend Article VIII of the County Charter. It would create an independent three-member Ethics Review Board, with one member from each commissioner district. The board would review complaints that elected county officials violated the county’s existing Code of Ethics. Members would be appointed by designated independently elected county officials and serve staggered three-year terms without pay. The board would set its own rules for complaints and decide whether each complaint falls within its jurisdiction. It would also conduct impartial reviews and issue written findings, which would be posted on the county website. The board could not impose penalties or sanctions.

Supporters, in an argument written by Andrea Williams, say some actions by officials can be unethical without being illegal. They describe the board as investigative and advisory, a way to shine light on ethical issues and build public confidence. Opponents, in an argument written by Cindy Kelly, say Washington already provides safeguards through state law, Public Disclosure Commission reporting, recall and elections. They warn the board could be costly and time-consuming, could become politicized, and could duplicate existing oversight.

Source: 2026 Clallam County Voters’ Pamphlet. Full resolution text: clallamcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/26163.

 

Proposed Charter Amendment No. 3: Full Text of Charter Amendments in the Voters’ Pamphlet

This amendment comes from Charter Review Commission Resolution No. 5 and would amend Article XI of the County Charter. The Charter now requires “the text” of a proposed amendment to be printed in the local voters’ pamphlet. This change would require the full text of every future proposed Charter amendment to be printed there. That would match how statewide initiatives are handled in the state voters’ pamphlet.

Supporters, in an argument written by Ron Richards, say the county’s pamphlet hasn’t always included the full text of proposed amendments. They say voters need the precise wording to understand an amendment’s effect, because “the devil is in the details.” They also note the Charter Review Commission voted 14–0 to put it on the ballot. Opponents, in an argument written by Jim Stoffer, say state law already requires the pamphlet to include each measure’s text with a neutral explanatory statement, and the county makes the full legal language available. They argue the Charter should set the framework of county government, not dictate how election officials print the pamphlet. They add that no Washington court has invalidated a charter amendment because its full text was left out of the pamphlet.

Source: 2026 Clallam County Voters’ Pamphlet. Full resolution text: clallamcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/26164.