Secondary filing period for office set for midsummer
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 10 months, 3 weeks AGO
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | May 13, 2025 3:00 AM
EPHRATA — Some elective offices in Grant County did not attract candidates during the filing period last week, so a second chance to file is scheduled for midsummer.
Sometimes the filing period is scheduled immediately following the filing week, but Ben Rodwell, Grant County elections deputy, said there were 20-30 offices no one filed, including port districts and parks and recreation districts.
City and town council seats in Hartline, Grand Coulee, Krupp (also called Marlin), George, Wilson Creek and Mattawa didn’t attract any candidates.
“In that case, there will be a special three-day filing period in the middle of July,” Rodwell said.
If candidates file for those jobs in July, those races will appear on the November general election ballot, no matter how many candidates file for it, he said.
“As many people as filed will be on the general election ballot,” he said. “If no one files, (those offices) will become vacant.”
The Port of Ephrata will have one new commissioner; incumbent Mary Rathbone did not file for reelection. Tyler Chase and Jordan Hansen will be competing in November for the seat.
Positions in four Grant County port districts failed to attract candidates, along with one hospital district and three fire districts.
Many school board, city council, hospital, fire and port districts positions only attracted one candidate. Candidates running unopposed are listed below.
Mayor:
Coulee Dam: Bob Poch – incumbent
Electric City: Blake Martin
Krupp: Tracy Lesser – incumbent
Soap Lake: Peter Sharp – incumbent
Royal City: Ryan Piercy
Wilson Creek: Robert Herron - incumbent
City council:
Moses Lake:
Dustin Swartz – incumbent
Mark Fancher – incumbent.
Ephrata:
James Mathis
Kathleen Harris - incumbent
Matt Moore - incumbent;
Phil Borck - incumbent.
Mattawa:
Tony Acosta – incumbent
Wendy Lopez – incumbent
George:
Kate Schooler – incumbent
Debby Kooy – incumbent
Julia Schooler – incumbent
Grand Coulee:
Janet Christy
Tim Snead – incumbent
Coulee Dam:
Kevin Black – incumbent
Brian Quill
Coulee City:
Erin Correia – incumbent
Krupp:
Lori Friend – incumbent
Warden:
Agapito Gonzalez – incumbent
Omar Pruneda – incumbent
Soap Lake:
Kayleen Bryson – incumbent
Andrew Arnold
Wilson Creek:
Shirley Billings
Scott Mortimer – incumbent
Kellie Ribail – incumbent
School board:
Quincy:
Kacey Kiehn – incumbent
Chad Lower – incumbent
Moses Lake:
Paul Hill – incumbent
Ephrata:
Casey Devine – incumbent
Jim Adams – incumbent
Matthew Truscott – incumbent
Wahluke:
Nick Trejo – incumbent
Almira:
Todd Monson – incumbent
Adam Florenzen – incumbent
Rachael Barton – incumbent
Warden:
Shane Cox – incumbent
Tiffany Hymas – incumbent
Bryce Cox – incumbent
Othello:
Aaron Gerber – incumbent
Lindsy Mollette Prows – incumbent
Coulee-Hartline:
Ryan Poe – incumbent
Conor Jorgensen – incumbent
Dawn Baergen – incumbent
Royal:
Nasario Soliz Jr. - incumbent
Alison Huntzinger – incumbent
Soap Lake:
Donald Clark – incumbent
Wilson Creek:
Cori Kane – incumbent
Krystin Leslie
Grand Coulee:
Shannon Nicholson – incumbent
Richard Black - incumbent
Casey Devine will be running unopposed for her seat on the Ephrata School Board.ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Road closures, roundabout, mean construction season underway
EPHRATA — The grass is starting to turn green, the trees are starting to leaf out, construction crews are starting to build roundabouts – hey, it’s spring. At least one roundabout project is in its final phase, held over from fall 2025. The intersection of State Route 282 and Nat Washington Way will be closed the week of April 6 to allow crews to install permanent lights. “This really is the final (closure),” wrote Grant County Administrator Tom Gaines in a media release. “The roundabout will close at 6 a.m. Monday, and we plan to reopen by Friday, possibly sooner if the work finishes early.”
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