Three new members – Connie Ladenburg, Doug Richardson and Jim McCune – were winning seats Tuesday night on the Pierce County Council.
Incumbent Joyce McDonald, the council’s current chairwoman, also was winning re-election.
It appears the group’s political makeup will remain the same. Republicans will still hold five of the seven positions.
Term limits created three open seats on the council. The job pays $107,602 a year.
In District 4: Ladenburg, a Democratic state representative fromTacoma, was well ahead of University Place Mayor Ken Grassi, a Republican.
Ladenburg, 62, has represented the 29th Legislative District since 2011. She formerly was on the Tacoma City Council.
Ladenburg attributed her lead to her experience in the community. “They believed I would able to represent them and their issues,” she said.
Grassi, 57, is in his second term as University Place mayor and has been a member of that City Council since 1995. He is co-owner of Grassi’s Flowers and Gifts Inc. in Tacoma.
The two competed to represent Fircrest, University Place and much of Tacoma in the position to be vacated by term-limited Tim Farrell, D-Tacoma.
In District 6: Richardson, a Republican who currently serves as mayor of Lakewood, was ahead of Anderson Island resident Ann Dasch, a Democrat.
Richardson, 57, and Dasch, 48, were vying to replace term-limited Steilacoom Republican Dick Muri. District 6 includes Lakewood, DuPont, Steilacoom, Anderson Island, part of Parkland and Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Richardson has been mayor since 2005 and a member of the Lakewood City Council since 1995. He also works as a senior manager at Northrop Grumman Corp. of Lakewood. Richardson has 32 years of active and reserve service in the U.S. Army and is a retired reserve brigadier general.
Dasch owns and operates a residential cleaning business. She’s been a member of the Anderson Island Citizens’ Advisory Board since 2010.
Richardson attributed his lead to his experience in Lakewood and neighboring areas. “I’ve just been involved with issues in the district for a number of years,” he said.
In District 3: McCune, a Republican state representative from Graham, was ahead of Eatonville Democrat and former legislator Marilyn Rasmussen. They vied to represent a sprawling mix of suburbs and rural country that stretches from Spanaway and Frederickson to Graham, Eatonville and Ashford at Mount Rainier. That seat is being vacated by term-limited Roger Bush, R-Frederickson.
McCune, 62, has represented the 2nd District since 2005.
Rasmussen, 73, lost to McCune two years ago when she ran for the state House in the 2nd Legislative District. Rasmussen had been unseated by another candidate in 2008 after she worked 22 years as a state legislator.
McCune said he built on strong name identification. He said he and his son, Skylar, doorbelled 16,000 houses in the district since June. “I do what it takes,” McCune said.
In District 2: Incumbent council member McDonald, a Puyallup Republican, was defeating Edgewood Mayor Jeff Hogan, also a Republican.
McDonald, 59, is in her first term on the County Council. She previously was a state representative from the 25th District for 10 years.
Hogan, 45, has been mayor of Edgewood since 2006. He also is a vice president for Citation Management Group, a commercial real estate development company in Fife.
District 2 includes Northeast Tacoma, Milton, Puyallup, Sumner and Fife.
"I think the people believe that the Pierce County Council has done a good job at managing our budget and keeping the county sound,” McDonald said. “As part of the council, I’ve been instrumental in that happening."
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