Ten city council candidates running for five seats in the cities of Port Angeles and Forks, in Clallam County, Wa., advanced to the Nov. 2 general election. The primary was Aug. 3.

Clallam County, on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, has the nation’s longest unbroken record of voting for the winning presidential candidate, going back to 1980. Since 1920, voters in the county backed the winning presidential candidate in every election except 1968 and 1976.

Washington uses a top-two primary system, in which all candidates are listed on the same ballot and the top two vote-getters advance to the general election. In total, 15 city council candidates appeared on the primary ballot. In Clallam County, nonpartisan elections skip the primary and appear only on the general election ballot when fewer than three candidates file for the election or the office is a cemetery or parks and recreation district.

Eleven city council seats are up for election in Port Angeles, Sequim, and Forks in 2021. Five city council seats appeared on primary ballots, while the other six will appear on general election ballots.

Vote totals below are current as of Aug. 12. The Clallam County Auditor’s office plans to conduct the next ballot count on Aug. 17.

In Port Angeles, the county seat, four of the seven city council positions are up for election in 2021, and all four appeared on the primary ballot.

Incumbent LaTrisha Suggs, who holds the Council Position No. 1 seat, and Adam Garcia advanced to the general election. Suggs won 47.02% of the vote, while Garcia won 41.07%. In the race for Council Position No. 2, incumbent Mike French and John Madden advanced to the general, with French winning 56.94% of the vote to Madden’s 35.67%. Council Position No. 3 Incumbent Lindsey Schromen-Wawrin advanced to the general after winning 41.48% of the vote, alongside Jena Stamper who won 37.25%. In the race for Council Position No. 4, Mayor Kate Dexter won 53.45% of the vote to John W. Procter’s 41.02%.

Port Angeles council members are elected to four-year terms. The council elects a mayor and deputy mayor from among the seven members.

In Forks, two of the five city council seats are up for election in 2021, and one of them appeared on the primary ballot.

Josef Echeita and Clinton W. Wood advanced to the general election in the City Council Position No. 2 race. Wood won 58.81% of the vote to Echeita’s 30.94%.

Forks city council members are elected for four-year terms. Voters also elect the mayor. The mayor’s office will appear on the general election ballot.  

In Sequim, five of the seven city council seats are up for election, but because only two candidates filed to run in each race, all five skipped the primary and will appear in the general election.