Marty Gilmore was elected chair of the Jefferson County Democrats almost unanimously April 11. Of 27 precinct committee officers (PCOs), all but one voted for Gilmore after Celeste Bennett withdrew and endorsed Gilmore.

“It was one vote shy of being unanimous,” Gilmore said. He said the vote tally committee rejected one ballot as “spoiled.” He said he wasn’t sure what happened to that ballot, but he was happy with the 26 votes out of 29 possible that he did receive. Two PCOs did not vote.

Gilmore had been vice chair of the party, so now his seat is open and that position is to be filled at an election planned for 6 p.m., Tuesday, April 25 at The Bay Club, 120 Spinnaker Place, Port Ludlow.

Until Bennett withdrew, she and Gilmore had been set to square off in an election on Tuesday, April 11 in the Chimacum High School auditorium.

As with the chair position, only PCOs can vote on vice chair. Gilmore said Bennett, who remains as communications chair for the party, could run for that position. Bennett couldn’t be reached for comment by press deadline to ascertain whether she was interested in that seat. She withdrew from the chair race after she learned a house she had been renting was being put up for sale.

HEALING, GOOD NEWS

Gilmore said he was glad the election for party chair was over so that the healing within the party could continue.

“There was a lot of outreach and healing to get to this election. There’s still more outreach and healing to do,” Gilmore said. “We have a number of members who have been watching this process.”

Democrats had not had a chair since Linda Medeiros Callahan resigned for personal reasons in January. Callahan had been elected in December in a controversial vote that ousted chair Bruce Cowan.

Gilmore had been elected in December as vice chair of the party shortly after Callahan was elected chair.

Gilmore said the good news for Democrats is that there now are 700 dues-paying members, twice what there were a year ago.

“We had a big influx from the [Bernie] Sanders campaign and a big influx of people who are just afraid of Donald Trump. He’s scared a few people, and some have come in our direction,” Gilmore said. “And the longtime members have stayed members.”

Looking to the future, Gilmore said the party needs to organize the get-out-the-vote campaign for nonpartisan positions this year and then “organize strong for next year’s partisan races.”

GOP TARGETS KLER

The Jefferson County Republican Party elected Jon Cooke as its chair in December without controversy. Cooke made it clear back then that the GOP has set its sights on electing a Republican to the District 3 seat on the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners now held by Democrat Kathleen Kler.

Currently, all three county commission seats are held by Democrats.

Cooke also said earlier this year that there are “pockets” of Jefferson County where there were more votes for Republicans than Democrats.

In the 2016 general election, Jefferson County went for Democrat Hillary Clinton by more than 2-1. Clinton took 12,656 votes in Jefferson County to the 6,037 votes cast for now President Donald Trump.