Walsh files for 19th District seat

On Monday night, Aberdeen businessman Jim Walsh made his candidacy for state representative in the 19th Legislative District official.

Walsh, a Republican who is vice chairman of the state party, filed for the district’s position 1 just after 6 p.m., according to the Grays Harbor Auditor’s Office website. The post is currently held by J.D. Rossetti, D-Longview. Rossetti filed on Monday.

Walsh announced he would run for the position in October. Teresa Purcell, a Democrat from Longivew, has announced she will also run for the position. Republican Val Tinney of Castle Rock has also announced she will run.

In local races, there have been no surprises so far.

Incumbent Grays Harbor County Commissioner Frank Gordon, a Democrat, filed for re-election. He was at the Auditor’s Office when the doors opened at 8 on Monday. Randy Ross, an Aberdeen banker and former chairman of the Grater Grays Harbor Inc. economic development organization, also filed Monday morning. Ross states no party preference, according to the Auditor’s Office website.

Incumbent County Commissioner and Republican Wes Cormier, representing the eastern part of Grays Harbor, has also filed for re-election.

In the 19th Legislative District Jimi O’Hagan, a Grayland cranberry farmer, filed as a Republican to run for the Position 2 House seat held by Rep. Brian Blake, D-Aberdeen.

According to an article in Vanity Fair, O’Hagan is a cranberry farmer who was at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge outside Burns, Ore. during the standoff between armed activists and police. O’Hagan has been critical of the state’s judicial system and ran against Blake in 2014.

Incumbent Sen. Dean Takko, D-Longview, has filed for his seat in the 19th District.

In the 24th District, Sequim Democrat Rep. Kevin Van De Wege has filed for former Sen. Jim Hargrove’s seat. Hargrove is retiring from the Senate and Van De Wege had previously said he would fun for the seat.

Rep. Steve Tharinger, D-Sequim, is once again running for his state representative position in the 24th District while Mike Chapman, a Democrat and Clallam County Commissioner, is running for state representative position 1. Tammy Ramsay, a Democrat from Hoquiam, announced she would run for the position in March but has yet to file.

Auditor Vern Spatz said Superior Court Judge Incumbents Dave Edwards and Mark McCauley filed at the Auditor’s Office at 8 a.m., while incumbent judge Stephen Brown filed for the position shortly after 10:30 Monday morning.

Incumbent PUD Commissioner Dave Timmons had filed with the Auditor’s Office before noon on Monday, according to Spatz. District Court Judge David Mistachkin told The Daily World he would file for reelection on Monday.

In Pacific County, incumbent County Commissioners Steve Rogers and Frank Wolfe, both Democrats, have filed. Michael Lignoski and Dick Anderson have filed for the open public utility commissioner position as of Monday afternoon. The seat is currently held by Ron Hatfield.

No one has yet to file for Mike Sullivan’s Pacific and Wahkiakum Superior Court Judge Seat.

Candidates will be able to file through Friday. Positions that draw more than two candidates will be subject to a primary election in August.

Posted in Uncategorized.