Competition for statewide offices, Pierce County seats dominate Day 1 of candidate filings

State Sen. Pam Roach and her son Dan Roach, a Pierce County councilman, decided to make filing to run for office a family affair Monday.

The two Roaches met Monday afternoon at the Pierce County Auditor’s Office to officially launch their campaigns, with mother filing to run for Pierce County Council and son filing to run for Pierce County executive.

“We’re going to be criticized for it, so we might as well own it,” said Pam Roach, R-Sumner, referencing the possibility of her and her son serving alongside one another.

Monday marked the first day of candidate filing week for state, federal and local offices throughout Washington. The day’s campaign filings brought few surprises, but highlighted what will be competitive races for positions in Pierce County government and for some open statewide elected offices.

In his bid for Pierce County executive, Dan Roach, a Republican from Bonney Lake, will face state Sen. Bruce Dammeier, R-Puyallup, as well as fellow Pierce County Councilman Rick Talbert, D-Tacoma. Like Roach, Talbert and Dammeier filed their official paperwork with county elections officials Monday, though they announced their campaigns months ago.

Republican Larry Faulk, a former state senator, also filed to run for Pierce County executive Monday.

Meanwhile, Pam Roach will face two Democratic opponents in her bid to replace County Councilwoman Joyce McDonald, R-Puyallup, who can’t run again due to term limits. Democrat Pat Jenkins, a former Puyallup School Board member who runs a community newspaper in Eatonville, is also running for the District 2 council seat; so is Democrat Carolyn Edmonds, a Northeast Tacoma resident who previously served in the Legislature and on the King County Council.

On the statewide stage, a crowded race for state superintendent of public instruction got even more competitive Monday, with KumRoon Maksirisombat, a teacher at Chief Sealth International High School in Seattle, filing to run for the open position. Maksirisombat, who previously sought the job in 2004, will face competition from state Rep. Chris Reykdal, D-Tumwater; Erin Jones, an administrator with Tacoma Public Schools; and Robin Fleming, a health programs administrator in the state superintendent’s office.

Former state Rep. Larry Seaquist, D-Gig Harbor, also has said he will run for the office, but had yet to file the formal paperwork as of Monday.

The current officeholder, state Superintendent Randy Dorn, isn’t running for re-election.

Likewise, the upcoming retirement of Lt. Gov. Brad Owen is drawing more than a half dozen candidates to seek his office. Three Democratic state senators — Steve Hobbs of Lake Stevens, Cyrus Habib of Bellevue and Karen Fraser of Olympia — were among those who filed to run for lieutenant governor Monday.

University Place Mayor Javier Figueroa also is running for the position as a Republican, along with Republican Phillip Yin, a former television news anchor. A pair of third party candidates, Libertarian Paul Addis and Mark Greene of the Citizens Party, round out the pool looking to replace Owen.

Another state lawmaker, state Rep. Jim Moeller, D-Vancouver, has been campaigning for the lieutenant governor job, but as of Monday had yet to file his paperwork.

Fewer candidates have lined up to run for state treasurer, a job from which incumbent Jim McIntire is retiring after two terms. Three candidates filed Monday for the job: Democrat John Paul Comerford, a pension consultant and financial counselor; Republican Michael Waite, an investment company executive; and Alec Fisken, a financial adviser and former Port of Seattle commissioner.

Candidates can continue to file to run for office through Friday.

This story was originally published May 16, 2016 at 7:30 PM with the headline "Competition for statewide offices, Pierce County seats dominate Day 1 of candidate filings."