The ballots have been mailed out and should be reaching your mailboxes within the next week

First a couple reminders. You should check your voter registration at vote.wa.gov to ensure that your voter registration address is current. If you haven't received a ballot in the mail within the next week (by October 22nd), you can download and print a replacement ballot at the same website. This is also a reminder to drop your ballot directly in a ballot drop box. DO NOT return your ballot via the US postal service at this time.

Clallam County drop box locations - https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/15765/Drop-Box-Locations

Jefferson County drop box locations - https://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/1493/Ballot-Drop-Boxes

Now, on to the good stuff!

An endorsement means that the chapter has voted on supporting the candidate or issue, while a recommendation means that after an analysis of the race we have decided to recommend that our membership select a particular candidate or issue, but do not directly support them. 

As always we strongly recommend you look into these candidates and issues yourselves, rather than blindly trusting this guide.

Federal races:

For Congressional District 6 - no recommendation. 

Emily Randall has received funding from J-street, a pro-Israel PAC. This is one of DSAs red-line issues, so we cannot recommend her for office. Note that her opponent Teresa Fox openly supports MAGA and the Trump administration.

Statewide races:

initiatives:

IP26-645 millionaires tax repeal - ENDORSED "no". 

This measure, if passed, would reverse the progressive taxation passed by the legislature during the 2026 legislative session.

IL26-001 Parental rights -  ENDORSED "no". 

This measure, if passed, would force schools to inform parents if their child reports domestic issues, such as child abuse or neglect - including when those issues involve or are caused by those parents - to school nurses or administrators. This would also open otherwise confidential records regarding a child's gender or sexuality to potentially unsupportive parents.

IL26-638 K-12 athletics - ENDORSED "no".

This measure, if passed, would bar transgender children from participating appropriately in school athletics on the same team as their peers. Additionally, in furtherance of this intentional attack on the rights of trans children, this measure would force cis girls who wish to play sports to undergo invasive exams at their parent's expense in order to "qualify" to play.

State Judicial races:

Supreme Court position 1 - recommend Colleen Melody

Supreme Court position 3 - recommend Jaime Hawk

Supreme Court position 4 - recommend Ian Birk

Supreme Court position 5 - recommend Theo Angelis

Supreme Court position 7 - recommend Debra Stephens

State Legislative District 24

Position 1 - recommend Adam Bernbaum

Position 2 - recommend Kaylee Kuehn. We also note that Marcia Kelbon, despite running as "no party preference", is a republican

Jefferson county races:

County commissioner district 3 - recommend Anji Scalf

PUD commissioner district 2 - recommend Keith Kisler

Clallam County races:

charter amendments:

Charter Amendment 1 - recommend rejected

This amendment would *require* that commissioners participate in a regular town hall. While we prefer that our commissioners be accessible to the people, this is not an appropriate way to accomplish that goal.

Charter amendment 2 - recommend rejected

This amendment would create an ethics review board appointed by various county officers. While ethics are taken seriously, there are many avenues already in place to handle ethics complaints, and the method of appointment laid out in this amendment is poorly designed.

Charter amendment 3 - recommend approved

This would require that the full text of charter amendments be printed in the county voters pamphlet. This amendment represents a clear improvement to voter information accessibility at minimal cost. While the full text is currently available on the county website and via QR code within the pamphlet, many voters lack the tech literacy and/or easy internet access required to utilize those tools.

county offices:

Assessor - recommend Lee Hancock. We note that Lee Hancock is also recommended by both the Clallam County Democrats and the Clallam County Republicans

Auditor - Shoona Riggs

County Commissioner district 3 - recommend Mike French. We note that Jake Seegers, despite running as "independent" is a republican

District Court Judge 1 - Alex Schodowski

PUD commissioner district 2 - Randy Brackett

Local district levies:

Quillayute Valley School District bond - recommend approved

Fire Protection District 1 levy - recommend approved

Fire Protection District 2 levy - recommend yes

Fire Protection District 6 levy - recommend approved

Solidarity,

North Olympic DSA

The race for Clallam County Auditor has gotten little attention, yet the position is important to our voting system, and the contrast in the two candidates is sharp.

Shoona Riggs has effectively served as County Auditor since 2015, with thirty-six years’ total experience in County Auditor offices. She has expanded ballot drop box access, added security and livestream cameras across elections facilities, and improved ballot processing while strengthening security and transparency. Ms. Riggs states, “This is a nonpartisan office, and my responsibility is to serve our community fairly. Trust depends on following the law, explaining our work, and taking care with the public resources entrusted to us.” Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs and twenty-three fellow County Auditors endorse Shoona Riggs. 

Rigg’s opponent, Virginia Shogren, has spoken about her perceived threats to elections, including “undetectable Iranian and Chinese infiltration of U.S. election software” and unverified noncitizen voting. Although the County Auditor does not have the authority, Shogren wants to revert Clallam County elections to in-person voting with hand-counted paper ballots. An attorney, Shogren represented Washington Election Integrity Coalition United in nine failed lawsuits against Washington election officials. A case she pursued against then-Governor Inslee was deemed frivolous. Shogren was sanctioned nearly $19,000 and is currently facing a possible two-year suspension of her law license.

My vote goes to dependability and integrity, thus to Shoona Riggs.

(For this and more info, watch the forum between the two candidates on the Clallam County Dems website. The link is above.)

Hi all! I really love building plastic models and I want to step up my game a little bit. Normal, two bladed nippers leave pretty gnarly nub marks that take a lot of work to mitigate. I stopped in to pacific rim hobby a while back and they didn’t have any in stock but suggested a different pair of double bladed nippers; I tried them out and the results are approximately the same as the ones I was already using.

I’ll check in with pacific rim again, but I’m hoping there might be some other shop in town that has them in stock regularly. Michael’s was a bust, and their selection isn’t really intended for plastic models anyway.

Thanks!

We've been reviewing elections, election integrity, voting, and the Clallam County Auditor's race, among other things. The League of Women Voters shared an interesting website with ballot data that's kept by the Secretary of State. https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/data-research/election-data-and-maps/election-results-and-voters-pamphlets/2026-primary-election

This site includes details for a Whatcom County Primary Election race that was recounted; the challenger lost by only 4 out of more than 13,000 votes. A) there was no variation between the original count and the recount (sorry Virginia Shogren, but Washington State does not have election integrity issues as you'd have us otherwise believe), and B) every vote counts.

Interesting statistics include the fact that only 45.67% of the 2026 Primary Election ballots were returned. Jefferson beat us by 10%. Clallam, we can do better.

Another interesting fact: as of September 8, 2026 for the Clallam County Primary Election there were 279 late ballots. In the 2025 Primary Election, Clallam County had 91 late ballots. That’s a 306% increase.

Vote, Vote early, use a ballot drop box. If you must mail your ballot, go into the lobby and request a hand stamp. The hand stamp overrides the printed stamp applied days later in Tacoma.

Below are this week's happenings downtown.

Here is a link to this week's newsletter (click me).

Waterfront District Happenings 10/12 - 10/18

MONDAY: Pokemon Deck Swap at Anime Kat. Free. 4pm-7pm.

MONDAY: Howlin’ Karaoke at The Howling Moon Craft Tavern. Free. Starts at 6p.

MONDAY: Stand Up Comedy Open Mic at Bar N9NE. Free. Starts at 7:30p.

TUESDAY: Riftbound Nexus Nights at Anime Kat. Free. 4pm-7pm.

TUESDAY: October Elevate PA Meeting at Olympic Bricks. 6p-7p.

WEDNESDAY: Star Wars: Unlimited Weekly Play at Anime Kat. Free. 6p-8p.

WEDNESDAY: Karaoke Night at Studio Bob. Free. 6pm-9pm.

WEDNESDAY: Hump Day Happy Hour with Wander Fuca at The Tapperie and Grill. Free. 6p-8p.

WEDNESDAY: Big Fine Daddies at Rosie's. Free. 7pm-9pm.

WEDNESDAY: Karaoke Every Wednesday Night at Bar N9NE. Free. 9:30pm-11:45pm.

THURSDAY: Sci-fi, Fantasy, and Beyond Book Club at Anime Kat. Free. 3p-6p.

THURSDAY: Yu-Gi-Oh! Open Play at Anime Kat. Free. 4p-7p.

THURSDAY: Thursday Group Runs with Olympic Coast Run Club. Meet at Hollywood Beach. Free. 5:30pm-6:30pm.

THURSDAY: Barry Burnette and Friends at Rosie's. Free. 7pm-9pm.

THURSDAY: Eclectic Open Mic and Talent Showcase at Studio Bob. Free. Starts at 7p.

FRIDAY: Every Friday Art Social at Studio Bob. Free. Starts at 4p.

FRIDAY: Austrian Asparkling and Dumpling Pairing Dinner T PNWonderland Wine. 5p-10p.

FRIDAY: Aaron Foster - Mostly Jokes at Studio Bob. $20. Show starts at 8p.

FRIDAY: Afro-Cuban All Stars at Field Arts & Events Hall. $45-$80. Starts at 8p.

FRIDAY: Ted's Fault at Rosie's. Free. 9pm-11pm.

SATURDAY: 5th Annual Olympic Peninsula Fungi Festival at downtown Port Angeles. 9a-8p.

SATURDAY: A SPECIAL Port Angeles Farmers Market at Pebble Beach Park (Different location than normal). Free. 10am-2pm.

SATURDAY: Magic Academy: Learn to Play at Anime Kat. Free. 12p-3p.

SATURDAY: MTG Standard Showdown at Anime Kat. Free. 3pm-7pm.

SATURDAY: Betrayal: Deck of Lost Souls Demo at Anime Kat. Free. 5p-7p.

SATURDAY: Afro-Cuban All Stars at Field Arts & Events Hall. $45-$80. Starts at 7:30p.

SATURDAY: From the Ashes 8 at Studio Bob. $25. Starts at 8p.

SATURDAY: Bad Dogg Blues Society at Rosie's. Free. 9pm-11pm.

SUNDAY: 5th Annual Olympic Peninsula Fungi Festival at downtown Port Angeles. 9a-8p.

SUNDAY: MTG Commander Sunday at Anime Kat. $7. 1pm-4pm.

SUNDAY: Afro-Cuban All Stars at Field Arts & Events Hall. $45-$80. Starts at 2p.

SUNDAY: Irish Pub Sundays at Rosie's. Free. 4pm-6pm.

Have a downtown event you'd like us to help promote? DM us.

Did we miss your event? DM us and we'll add it.

Hi All,

I moved here a few months ago, and I just wanted to recommend Benny B's. I don't know how well-known this establishment is in Port Angeles, but the pizza is amazing, and the proprietor is a truly stand-up guy (seriously, look them up on FB and see their commitment to the community).

The owner recently had to be hospitalized, but he's back in the shop making pizzas. So if you like great pizza and people aiming to help their community, seriously, go here.

I'm not a paid shill at all -- I just appreciate great pizza and a good guy.

crabmaxxing, bib secured, absolutely locked in

Asking for a friend... 👀 *squawk*

Check out how CRTC is helping bridge the gap between sustainable building/manufacturing, recycling materials and growing career opportunities here in Port Angeles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjX3oBbzoLM

what do you think he's plotting today?

EDIT: I'm approaching this from a place of curiosity rather than expertise, and genuinely interested in hearing different perspectives, especially from those with firsthand experience.

I've been thinking about whether being a smaller community gives Port Angeles an opportunity to approach homelessness differently than larger cities.

Clallam County's 2025 Point-in-Time Count identified 310 people experiencing homelessness countywide, including 176 unsheltered. Meanwhile, we're spending millions annually on housing assistance, shelters, nonprofits, and related services.

Essentially 300 people experiencing homelessness, and millions annually being spent to support solutions.

We spend so much time locally debating "increasing vs cutting funding", but it seems that we have yet to really establish the premise of what we are debating.

What if we approached homelessness less as a broad issue requiring continually expanding programs and more as a collection of individual circumstances we can actively work to improve. ie. starting with the people rather than the programs. We could also establish an ongoing intake process for people becoming homeless each year, intervening early rather than waiting until their circumstances deteriorate.

Are we measuring success correctly? We often hear about programs expanding, additional funding, new facilities, and more nonprofit staff. All great things that create meaningful jobs and provide important services. BUT organizational growth isn't necessarily the same thing as progress for the people being served.

Are more people finding stable housing? Staying housed? Becoming less dependent on emergency services? Are we improving individual outcomes, or primarily expanding our capacity to provide services? Without answering this question, we get stuck arguing for or against the wrong things. It feels like less of a matter of increased funding for harm reduction or emphasis on recovery as a priority, and more like we need to start with a true inventory of what issues are contributing to homelessness in our community.

There are other smaller communities already trying this approach.

Fremont County, in Colorado, participated in an initiative called "Built for Zero", using a real-time, person-specific list to coordinate resources across organizations. In 2021, they reached "functional zero" for veteran homelessness, meaning they had the capacity to routinely house veterans as new cases arose.

Clallam County already has Coordinated Entry through Serenity House, including individual tracking and coordination between providers. So we're not starting from scratch.

What if our annual homelessness funding decisions started with the actual individuals needing assistance and what it would take to improve their circumstances, rather than primarily the programs and organizations we're funding?

I'm not advocating for cutting assistance or eliminating nonprofits. I'm wondering whether a smaller community like ours could create a more personal, coordinated, and accountable approach.

Maybe we're already doing more of this than I realize. I'd genuinely like to hear from people working in these organizations, people who've experienced homelessness, and anyone familiar with our current system.

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless as this, to look after orphans and widows in their distress, and keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

— James 1 ( as being quoted by Jake Seegers) 

“Guys, we cannot keep ourselves and our children from being polluted by the world if we don’t rid our neighborhood of the skunks.” - Jake Seegers

First, curious what people think about repealing the tax.

Second, Please don't repeal this tax, I know a lot of people in our community that work state jobs and might lose their jobs if this tax revenue is not available.

Hello,

I believe the location where a County Commissioner's family is based matters and is relevant to the election, especially if that location is not in the county.

I just learned that Jake Seegar's wife is a physician who recently left her position at OMC to work at a hospital in Portland, Oregon. Has the rest of his family relocated to Portland, or are they still in Clallam County?

Does anyone know if Mike French's wife is based in Clallam County? Harder to say with French because his family is not featured in his campaign.

Thank you!

We are taking the next step, turning people power into voter power. Unlike previous No Kings actions, No Kings: Vote Early, is not purely a protest. Instead, on October 17th, it's a day of nonpartisan voter participation: we are bringing our community together to encourage everyone to use their voice and vote.
RSVP using this link.

https://mobilize.us/s/NKheb7

Love a little whimsy :)