It was a landslide win for Libby Urner Wennstrom in the Primary Election race for the Position 5 seat on the Port Townsend City Council.

Wennstrom amassed 72.6 percent of all ballots cast in the three-way race during Tuesday’s election, according to the most recent vote tally Aug. 5.

Tyler Myles Vega will advance to November’s General Election for the Position 5 seat after he won 22.1 percent of the vote.

Sky Hardesty-Thompson, the remaining candidate in the three-way race, had
3.9 percent.

“I was expecting to come out ahead but not by that much,” Wennstrom said.

“I’m heartened by the support,” she said, and added that voters’ familiarity with her may have been key to her margin of victory.

“I know a lot of the people here,” Wennstrom said.

The dominating performance by Wennstrom left Vega wondering about his chances come November.

Vega and his team are “on hiatus” and will soon decide between treating the council race as a stepping stone toward future races or trying to make an improbable comeback victory.

“Chances to win the race are low ... more of a longshot,” Vega said. “It’s a low probability race for us.”

“We were hoping for better numbers,” he added.

The council race lacked an incumbent in the running, as Councilmember Pamela Adams decided against seeking another term.

“I am just glad I had the opportunity to run and get some of my ideas out there,” Hardesty-Thompson said. 

“It was a great experience,” he added. “I was able to learn about some new ideas and I am thankful I had the opportunity to share some with some eventual council members.”

“Libby ran a fantastic campaign and definitely shows how it’s done,” Hardesty-Thompson said.

BY THE NUMBERS

Wennstrom won every precinct in Port Townsend with 62 percent or more of the vote, according to an analysis of unofficial precinct returns by The Leader.

She did best in the precinct of Port Townsend 702, the area between San Juan Avenue and Harrison Street south of Lawrence Street, where Wennstrom picked up 77.1 percent of all ballots cast.

Wennstrom pulled in more than 77 percent in Port Townsend 710, the precinct north of Cosgrove Street and east of Willow Street.

She also fared above 70 percent in six other precincts; PT 700, PT 702, PT 705, PT 707, PT 708, and PT 209.

Hardesty-Thompson was eliminated from the race with his third-place showing.

His low-key campaign — which lacked a candidate’s statement and biography in the local voters guide — was due to a medical emergency and then surgery, he told The Leader.

Hardesty-Thompson’s greatest support came in PT 708, where he pulled in 24 votes.

In Port Townsend Precinct 710, he pulled in fewer votes — three — than the five made for write-in candidates in the precinct.

PORT LUDLOW FIRE RACE

For the Port Ludlow fire department, Glenn T. Clemens and incumbent Commissioner Ron Helmonds  will advance to the fall election.

Clemens was in front by just two votes in Thursday’s tally, 603 votes to 601.

Clemens had 35.87 percent of the vote, while Helmonds had 35.75, in the latest tally.

The third candidate in the race, Mike Feely, had 27.42 percent of ballots cast.

Helmonds led on Election Night by 21 votes, 530 to 509, and was still in front when more ballots were counted Aug. 4, by 12 votes.

Unofficial precinct results show that Helmonds and Clemens won two precincts each, and drew to a 131-vote tie in the precinct of Port Ludlow III.

Helmonds won the precincts of Port Ludlow I (39.7 percent) and Port Ludlow V (39.1 percent), while Clemens was tops in Port Ludlow II (38.6 percent) and Port Ludlow IV (36.6 percent).

There will be no recount in the race as both Clemens and Helmonds will advance to November’s General Election, according to Jefferson County Elections.

Earlier this week, Feely acknowledged defeat and said he was endorsing Clemens in the race.

“I talked with Mr. Clemens,” Feely said Monday. “He seems to be the better choice.”

QUILCENE LEVY PASSES

Voters in Quilcene overwhelmingly approved Proposition 1, a property tax measure for EMS (emergency medical services) funding, in Tuesday’s election.

The levy had 80.33 percent in favor, with 580 “yes” votes and 142 “no” votes.

Prop. 1 found its strongest support in the precinct of Quilcene, where it pulled in 81.9 percent of all ballots cast.

At the other end of the spectrum, the “yes” vote dropped to 75 percent in favor in the precinct of Crocker.

With approval of Prop. 1, the levy rate for Jefferson County Fire Protection District No. 2 will be set at 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value.

Property taxes collected from the levy start in 2023 and would continue through 2028. Revenues will be used to pay for EMS vehicles emergency medical technicians and paramedics, as well as needed medical supplies and gear.

Officials with Quilcene Fire Rescue expect the levy to cost the owner of a property assessed at $300,000 a total of $150 a year, or $12.50 per month.

OTHER RACES

For the Sequim School District Position 5 race for Director at Large, Kristi Schmeck and Virginia R. Sheppard will advance to the fall election. 

Schmeck received the highest percentage of votes at 28.94 percent, with Sheppard close behind at 28.5 percent.

Losing candidates for the Director position include Rachel Tax at 26.81 percent and Derek Huntington at 15.58 percent.

The Clallam-Jefferson Fire District 3 Commisioner Primary winners are Jeff Nicholas (56.7 percent) and Duane Chamlee (35 percent). 

Nicholas and Chamlee will compete for Commisioner Position Number 1 this fall, and third candidate Sean Ryan will not advance after tallying 7.97 percent of votes.