Politics & Government

ELECTION: Candidate Filings for the Plateau, Puyallup Area

At the local level, see who has thrown in their hat for the election to state and county offices.

Filing week is over, and plenty of faces from the Plateau will be vying to make it out of the August primary.

Washingtonians will rely on a Top 2 Primary system, which allows any candidate a chance to get on the November General Election ballot, regardless of their party.

Here’s the rundown:

Washington State Governor

  • Max Sampson (R-Black Diamond) will run for governor against frontrunners Jay Inslee (D-Seattle) and Rob McKenna (R-Seattle) among others.

State Legislature

  • At the state level, Cathy Dahlquist (R-Enumclaw) will fight to keep her spot representing the 31st District in the House Pos. 1 seat. Brian L. Gunn (D-Auburn) will run against her. Chris Hurst (E-Indep. Democrat) will fight to keep his Pos. 2 seat by running for another term; he is challenged by former Auburn School Board director Lisa Connors (R-Auburn).
  • In District 25, which includes neighboring Puyallup, two candidates have filed for the State Senator seat: Bruce Dammeier (R-Puyallup); Eric Herde (D-Tacoma). Puyallup-Sumner Chamber of Commerce executive director Shelly Schlumpf (R-Puyallup) has thrown her hat in the ring for State Representative Pos. 1, along with 5 other local candidates. They include Eric Hingsberger (D-Puyallup), Carol Sue Braaten (R-Fife), Zac Nix (R-Puyallup), Michele Smith (R-Puyallup), Dawn Morrell (D-Puyallup). Two candidates filed for State Representative Pos. 2: Bill Hilton (D-Puyallup) and Hans Zeiger (R-Puyallup.)

Pierce County Council, District No. 2

  • Incumbent councilwoman and current County Council Chair Joyce McDonald (R-Puyallup) will run to keep her seat for another four years. She is challenged by Daniel Wikane (R-Puyallup) and Jeffery Hogan (R-Fife).

Congressional District No. 8

  • Six candidates have filed to serve the Bonney Lake and greater Plateau area all the way to Kittitas County. Those candidates are: Keith Swank (P-Republican), Dave Reichert (R-Issaquah), Karen Porterfield (D-Issaquah), James Windle (No Party-Snoqualmie Pass), Ernest Huber (R-Issaquah) and Keith Arnold (D-Auburn).

Congressional District No. 10

  • The 10th Congressional District serves Sumner and Puyallup all the way to Thurston County. Former University Place Mayor Stan Flemming (R) and former Pierce County Councilman Dick Muri (R) will run on their party ticket. Denny Heck (D-Olympia) will face Jennifer Ferguson (D-Lakewood.)
  • Sue Gunn also filed as a member of the Prog. Independent Party, and Steve Hannon filed with no party affiliation.

(Click here for a full list of candidate filings from the Pierce County Auditor's Office)

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How the Top 2 Primary works:

(From the Washington State Auditor's Office)

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Washington is the first state in the country to establish a Top 2 Primary election system, rather than a party nominating system. A Top 2 Primary narrows the number of candidates to two. The two candidates who receive the most votes in the Primary advance to the General Election, regardless of their party preference.

Candidates
Each candidate for partisan office may state a political party that he or she prefers. A candidate’s party preference does not imply that the candidate is nominated or endorsed by the party, or that the party approves of or associates with that candidate.

Voters
In each race, you may vote for any candidate listed on the ballot.  The two candidates who receive the most votes in the Primary advance to the General Election, regardless of their party preference.  Washington voters do not declare party affiliation as part of voter registration.


Political parties
Political parties do not have a guaranteed spot on the General Election ballot. The two candidates who advance to the General Election may prefer the same party, different parties, or not state a party preference. Parties are free to conduct their nominating procedures according to their own rules, at their own conventions, caucuses or meetings. This frees parties to develop their own criteria for nominations, endorsements, and other public declarations of support.


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