Candidate filing for the upcoming primary election officially ended at 4:30 p.m. Friday, with only a few adding their names to the list the final two days.

Auditor

Hoquiam mayor Jasmine Dickhoff filed Friday as a Democrat to challenge fellow Democrat incumbent Chris Thomas of Montesano and Republican Joe MacLean of Elma for the four-year county auditor position.

Grays Harbor County Auditor Chris Thomas of Montesano filed on Monday. Thomas was appointed to the position in 2017 when longtime Auditor Vern Spatz retired. At the time of his appointment, other candidates tossed their names into the proverbial hat. Spatz was a member of the Democratic Party, so the Grays Harbor County Democrats recommended appointees to the county commissioners. Joe MacLean of Elma then had attended a meeting of the Grays Harbor County Democrats to ask for their consideration for the position. He was not recommended for the position.

Treasurer

Ken Albert of Montesano has filed for re-election to the county treasurer position, filing as a Democrat. Albert has had the unenviable task of essentially running for the position three times since taking office less than two years ago. First, Albert vied against other candidates for the appointment to replace then outgoing Treasurer Ron Strabbing. Albert won the appointment in November 2016. In 2017, Albert had to run for election to serve the remainder of Strabbing’s term. Now that term is ending and Albert has to seek election for his first full 4-year term in the position.

Albert is unopposed.

Superior Court

Former District Court Judge David Mistachkin of Aberdeen has filed for two years of an unexpired term for a Superior Court Judge position. Mistachkin was a District Court judge until Kyle Imler of Hoquiam won election to the position in 2016.

Mistachkin had applied for an appointment to the same Superior Court position in September 2017 after Judge Mark McCauley retired.

Judge Ray Kahler won the appointment. Kahler has filed to retain the position.

Judge Imler has filed for re-election to his District Court position.

Other filings

Also on Friday, Kimberly R. Foster of Elma filed to challenge Janice Louthan of Montesano for the county clerk position, which will become vacant when the current county clerk retires this year.

Current county coroner Lane Youmans did not file for re-election, leaving the door open for Robert G. Kegel of Aberdeen, who is running unopposed.

Many county incumbents are running unopposed in the offices of county commissioner position 3 (Vickie Raines), assessor (Dan Lindgren), prosecutor (Katie Svoboda), sheriff (Rick Scott).