Voters will choose among five candidates to replace Kitsap Commissioner Ed Wolfe in primary

Three Republicans and two Democrats are vying to become the next District 3 Kitsap County Commissioner. The top two candidates in the Aug. 2 primary, regardless of partisan affiliation, will advance to the Nov. 8 general election.

Republican candidates include Port of Bremerton Commissioner Axel Strakeljahn, Kitsap County Coroner Jeff Wallis and newlife Executive Director Josh Hinman. Democratic candidates include Leadership Kitsap Executive Director Katie Walters and certified Peer Counselor Leiyomi Preciado.

Election Guide 2022: Primary candidates for Kitsap County Commissioner, District 3

Commissioners are elected to four-year terms and do not have term limits. The current District 3 commissioner, Ed Wolfe, 76, announced his retirement in early May.

District 3 encompasses Seabeck, Tracyton, most of Silverdale and most of Bremerton. All primary ballots will be mailed by July 15, 2022. Drop-off sites can be found at https://www.kitsap.gov/auditor/Pages/kitsap-county-voting-locations.aspx.

The Kitsap Sun gathered information on the five candidates' backgrounds, their motivation for running and their top three priorities.

Josh Hinman

The past employment of Hinman, 44, includes area manager of Enterprise Holdings and executive director of West Sound Youth for Christ, where he said he successfully managed millions of dollars and tackled profound challenges in Kitsap County.

Hinman said these experiences have given him the skills, leadership and vision capable of being county commissioner.

"We need somebody who can cast a vision and galvanize a community around common goals, someone who can bring people together to solve problems with real actionable solutions," Hinman said. "I am that kind of leader."

Hinman said his top priority if elected is expanding public safety. Alongside increasing the number of deputies and providing more training, Hinman said he will advocate for the reversal of a 2021 change in Washington state law that made drug possession, including of cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine, a misdemeanor rather than a felony. He said this law, as well as a 2021 law that limits police vehicle pursuits to specific violent crimes, makes law enforcement unable to do their jobs properly.

Hinman mentioned homelessness and affordable housing as his other top two priorities. Hinman said he supports "super speed" permits that would fast-track permit approval for housing developers if they set aside a percentage of their developments to affordable housing. Not only would this expand the supply of affordable housing, said Hinman, but it would accelerate the process as well.

Leiyomi Preciado

As a certified peer counselor, Leiyomi Preciado, 31, has worked directly with Kitsap residents to connect them with social services. In doing so, Preciado said she consistently noticed gaps in policies and services that sometimes prevented her from getting her clients the best support possible.

"That's the reason why I decided to go from a certified peer counselor to putting my name as a candidate for county commissioner."

Preciado's top priorities center on issues of equity, she said. If elected, Preciado said she'll support the creation of affordable housing for all residents of Kitsap County, particularly low-income residents. Additionally, Preciado said she'll appropriately fund community organizations like YMCA, Planned Parenthood and mental health services.

Preciado said she'll facilitate the expansion of equitable transportation. Unpaved roads create difficulty for elderly or disabled residents to get to bus stops, Preciado said, and Kitsap Transit bus systems do not run on Sundays. The county must combat these gaps in equity, said Preciado.

Preciado encouraged voters to consider the vulnerable people in their lives and what social services they may need from Kitsap County when they vote on Aug. 2. "Vote in their best interest."

Axel Strakeljahn

Axel Strakeljahn, 63, pointed to his service at the Port of Bremerton as a reason for vote for him. In 2021, the port received the "Job Creator of the Year Award" from the Washington Public Ports Association for a five-year job growth rate of 255%, he said. Most of the growth occurred under Strakeljahn's tenure as port commissioner and without an increase in Port of Bremerton property taxes, he said.

He is running for county commissioner because he wants to bring this type of expertise to serve all county residents, he said.

"My experience in private enterprise and my experience in public service really makes me a good fit for this position," Strakeljahn said. "I can bring my experiences together to benefit not only the county but our district as well, on both the private business side and also the public side."

Strakeljahn said his top three priorities are improving public safety, reducing homelessness and boosting business recovery, in that order.

He said he thinks Kitsap County law enforcement agencies are understaffed and that he will change the budget for law enforcement if needed. He did not rule out the possibility of a budget increase.

He also said there are not enough Kitsap County staff allocated to manage homelessness. Strakeljahn said, if elected, he will advocate for increasing the number of staff dedicated to homelessness outreach.

Jeff Wallis

Jeff Wallis, 52, was elected Kitsap County Coroner in 2018 on the platform of replacing the elected coroner with a medical examiner. A coroner's office contracts with forensic pathologists, whereas a medical examiner's office keeps pathologists on staff. In 2021, Kitsap voters approved the switch to a medical examiner system, eliminating Wallis' job beginning Jan. 1, 2023.

Wallis also works as a firefighter with Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue, a job he balances with coroner duties. If elected as commissioner, Wallis said he will retire from firefighting.

Wallis said he is qualified for the county commissioner role because of his history of work as coroner, pointing to the smooth transition from coroner to medical examiner, which took three years, rather than six to eight years as expected.

Wallis listed his top three priorities as public safety, housing and infrastructure. Wallis advocates a comprehensive review of the county's urban growth plan to ensure that developers have enough land and incentives to build housing.

When it comes to new infrastructure, including housing, Wallis emphasized the need for care.

"We need to make sure that we're building infrastructure that not only takes care of the immediate need but is also being projected forward so that we're not having to constantly reevaluate it and shore it up," he said.

Katie Walters

Katie Walters, 55, referenced her experience as executive director of Leadership Kitsap, a nonprofit that facilitates collaboration between leaders in local businesses, nonprofits and government to promote civic responsibility and service projects. She said that after a lifetime of service with Kitsap nonprofits and businesses, she feels called to serve Kitsap County families as county commissioner.

"I've really built this incredible network of leaders and it's time to activate that network," Walters said. "I have the experience to bring people together."

If elected, Walters said her top priority would be to promote what she calls "managed growth."  For Walters, this growth looks like community-centered economic development that benefits members of all socioeconomic statuses while also protecting shoreline and the natural environment.

Walters said her second priority is public safety, and mentioned her endorsements by current Kitsap County Sheriff John Gese and retired Sheriff Gary Simpson.

Walters said her third priority is affordable housing, and that she'd pursue the development of middle-income housing, like duplexes or triplexes, to expand affordable housing options for Kitsap residents. She also said she supports the creation of complexes like Pendleton Place, a permanent housing complex for homeless Kitsap County residents. 

This article has been changed since it was published to clarify that Josh Hinman proposed "super speed" housing permits to developers who construct "affordable" housing rather than low-income housing.

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Five candidates seeking to take Ed Wolfe's place as Central Kitsap commisioner