Early election results for East Pierce Co. Three cities will have new mayors
Early results are in for the Aug. 5 primary election. Voters will narrow down the choices for three mayoral races in East Pierce County.
Sumner, Orting and Milton are all getting new mayors, with all three current mayors opting not to run for re-election. The top two vote-getters in each race will advance to the general election in November.
Kyle Haugh, elections supervisor for Pierce County Elections, told The News Tribune the second round of results will be released on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.
Sumner election results
Three people are vying to take Sumner Mayor Kathy Hayden’s seat: Deputy Mayor Carla Bowman, former mayor Bill Pugh and attorney David Shelvey. Hayden has been the mayor since 2022 and is concluding her four-year term.
Carla Bowman and Bill Pugh are leading in the primary election.
- Carla Bowman: 38.1% (382 votes)
- Bill Pugh: 54.2% (544 votes)
- David Shelvey: 7.5% (75 votes)
Bowman is a member of the Sumner City Council and has also served as a board member of the Tacoma/Pierce County Economic Development Board. She has worked in the aerospace manufacturing field for 28 years.
Pugh served as the city’s mayor from 2018 to 2021. Before his mayoral term, he served as the city’s public works and public services director from 2008 to 2017. He was also the assistant city manager and public works director for the City of Tacoma from 1974 to 2008.
Shelvey is an attorney, tax advisor and volunteer president of the Tacoma Eagles Club.
Bowman and Pugh previously spoke to The News Tribune about growth, affordable housing, taxes, Sumner’s historic downtown and more.
Orting election results
Five men are competing to fill the seat left by current mayor Josh Penner after eight years. Penner was elected to the Washington State House of Representatives earlier this year and represents District 31 – which encompasses East Pierce County and parts of southeastern King County.
Scott Drennen and Chris Moore are leading the race.
- Scott Drennen: 32.8% (227 votes)
- Stanley Holland: 19.6% (136 votes)
- Gregory Hogan: 8.7% (60 votes)
- Chris Moore: 34.8% (241 votes)
- Jim Rutt: 3.9% (27 votes)
Holland, Hogan and Moore currently serve on the Orting City Council.
Drennen is a former Orting City Council member, serving from 1995 to 2005 and again from 2006 to 2021. He also served on the public works committee and the city’s planning commission.
Holland used to serve on the Orting School Board. He now serves on the board of directors for the Puget Sound Educational Service District 121 and has been in leadership roles for the Orting Lions Club.
Hogan has served as deputy mayor four times. He was chairman of the Orting School Board from 1991 to 2004 and served on Orting’s planning commission from 2013 to 2018.
Moore has served on Orting’s public safety and public works committees. He is also chair of the Pierce County Flood Zone Control District Advisory Committee.
Rutt has 42 years of experience in transportation management. In the Pierce County Voters’ Pamphlet, he also said he has experience “running two very successful small businesses.”
All of the candidates except Moore spoke with The News Tribune about their vision for the city. They all identified safety, growth, infrastructure and traffic as priorities.
Milton election results
Milton is getting a new mayor for the first time since 2017. Current mayor Shanna Styron-Sherrell has elected not to run for re-election. Three candidates are competing to fill her seat.
Steve Whitaker and Bruce White are leading.
- Steve Whitaker: 33.9% (228 votes)
- Megan Sheridan: 24% (161 votes)
- Bruce White: 42% (282 votes)
Whitaker is a member of the Milton City Council and is the current mayor pro tempore. White also serves on the Milton City Council and also served on the Kent City Council from 2002 to 2005. Sheridan is a former member of the Maple Valley City Council who left her role in 2018 and moved to Milton in 2021.
The News Tribune previously covered heated discourse surrounding the race, and also spoke to the candidates about traffic, infrastructure and economic development.
For more East Pierce County election results and other races across Pierce County, visit The News Tribune’s live results page.
The News Tribune archives contributed to this report.
