The week from Monday, May 17th to Friday, May 21st, is the time this year for candidates to file for political offices scheduled to appear on the November 2021 General Election ballots in Whatcom County.
Candidates are encouraged to file their Declaration of Candidacy online. Online filing begins at 9am on Monday, May 17th, and closes at 4pm on Friday, May 21st.
County Auditor Diana Bradrick advises prospective candidates, whether running for re-election or for the first time, to review the Candidate Filing Guide. The guide contains information candidates need to know and requirements and regulations can change from year to year according to Bradrick.
Candidates wanting to file in person at the Auditor’s Office will be directed to a computer in their office. In-person filing opens May 17th at 8:30am and ends May 21st at 4:30pm. Candidates will be directed to a computer set up in our office.
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Click for more informationA candidate may mail their Declaration of Candidacy form accompanied by the filing fee to the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office, Election Division, 311 Grand Ave., Suite 103, Bellingham, WA 98225. Filings will be received by mail beginning May 3rd but will not be processed until the official filing week.
The deadline for filings being received is 4:30pm on May 21st. Any filing received before May 3rd or after the deadline will be rejected and returned to the candidate.
The following offices are open for election this year. Incumbents listed may or may not choose to run for reelection.
District Office Term Incumbent Filing Fee Acme Water District 18 Commissioner Position 1 6-year Short & Full term, Nonpartisan Sarah Bolton – Acme Water District 18 Commissioner Position 3 4-year Unexpired term, Nonpartisan Jim Sutterfield – Bellingham School District 501 Director Position 4 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Jenn Mason – Bellingham School District 501 Director Position 5 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Douglas W. Benjamin – Birch Bay Water and Sewer District Commissioner Position 1 6-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Jeff Benner – Blaine School District 503 Director District 3 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Joan Lotze – Blaine School District 503 Director District 5 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Laura McKinney – Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2 Commissioner Position 1 2-year Unexpired term, Nonpartisan Jesse Creydt – Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2 Commissioner Position 2 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Sheli Moore – Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2 Commissioner Position 4 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Billy Brown – Cemetery District 1 Commissioner Position 1 6-year Regular term, Nonpartisan John F. LaMonte – Cemetery District 1 Commissioner Position 2 2-year Unexpired term, Nonpartisan Wade A. Pettigrew – Cemetery District 1 Commissioner Position 3 4-year Unexpired term, Nonpartisan Vickie Rainey – Cemetery District 10 Commissioner Position 1 6-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Richard Decima – Cemetery District 10 Commissioner Position 3 4-year Unexpired term, Nonpartisan Vacant – Cemetery District 11 Commissioner Position 1 6-year Short & Full term, Nonpartisan Jeffrey (Wayne) Johnson – Cemetery District 2 Commissioner Position 1 6-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Charles Baker – Cemetery District 3 Commissioner Position 1 6-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Scott Robertson – Cemetery District 4 Commissioner Position 1 6-year Regular term, Nonpartisan John Groom – Cemetery District 4 Commissioner Position 2 2-year Unexpired term, Nonpartisan Robert Crozier – Cemetery District 5 Commissioner Position 1 6-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Mary Boice – Cemetery District 6 Commissioner Position 1 6-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Julie Hughes – Cemetery District 7 Commissioner Position 1 6-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Leonard Sund – Cemetery District 8 Commissioner Position 1 6-year Short & Full term, Nonpartisan Stephen Falk – Cemetery District 9 Commissioner Position 1 6-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Tom Jones – Cemetery District 9 Commissioner Position 3 4-year Unexpired term, Nonpartisan Dave Finet – Chuckanut Community Forest Park District Commissioner Position 2 6-year Regular term, Nonpartisan John Hymas – City of Bellingham Council At-Large 2-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Hollie Huthman 287.88 City of Bellingham Council Ward 2 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Gene Knutson 287.88 City of Bellingham Council Ward 4 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Pinky Vargas 287.88 City of Bellingham Council Ward 6 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Michael Lilliquist 287.88 City of Bellingham Municipal Court Judge 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Debra Lev 1,660.92 City of Blaine Council At-Large Position 7 4-year Short & Full term, Nonpartisan Sukhwant Singh Gill – City of Blaine Council Ward 1 Position 2 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Bonnie Onyon – City of Blaine Council Ward 2 Position 4 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Charles Hawkins – City of Blaine Council Ward 3 Position 6 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Eric Davidson – City of Everson Council Position 1 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Jaleen M. Pratt 18.00 City of Everson Council Position 2 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Jennifer Lautenbach 18.00 City of Everson Council Position 3 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Matthew Goering 18.00 City of Everson Mayor 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan John Perry 60.00 City of Ferndale Council Position 5 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Ryan O’Larey 80.88 City of Ferndale Council Position 6 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Kate Hansen 80.88 City of Ferndale Council Position 7 4-year Short & Full term, Nonpartisan Maralise Fegan 80.88 City of Lynden Council Position 5 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Nick H. Laninga 83.46 City of Lynden Council Position 6 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Kyle Strengholt 83.46 City of Lynden Council Position 7 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Mark H. Wohlrab 83.46 City of Lynden Mayor 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Scott Korthuis 347.78 City of Nooksack Council Position 1 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Steve C. Neyens 18.00 City of Nooksack Council Position 2 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Randy Relethford 18.00 City of Nooksack Council Position 3 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Tom Jones 18.00 City of Nooksack Council Position 4 2-year Unexpired term, Nonpartisan Ryan Steward 18.00 City of Nooksack Council Position 5 2-year Unexpired term, Nonpartisan Michelle Barrett 18.00 City of Nooksack Mayor 4-year Short & Full term, Nonpartisan Marshall Judy 90.00 City of Sumas Council Position 1 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Bruce Bosch 18.00 City of Sumas Council Position 2 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Richard D. Postma 18.00 City of Sumas Council Position 4 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Joshua J. Clawson 18.00 City of Sumas Mayor 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Kyle Christensen 72.00 COLUMBIA VALLEY PARK AND RECREATION DISTRICT Commissioner Position 2 2-year Unexpired term, Nonpartisan Richard Whitson – COLUMBIA VALLEY PARK AND RECREATION DISTRICT Commissioner Position 3 2-year Unexpired term, Nonpartisan Cindy Johnson – COLUMBIA VALLEY PARK AND RECREATION DISTRICT Commissioner Position 4 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Andrew Towle – COLUMBIA VALLEY PARK AND RECREATION DISTRICT Commissioner Position 5 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Jessica Bee – Columbia Valley Water District Commissioner Position 1 6-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Richard Banel – County At-Large Position A 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Barry Buchanan 401.80 County Council District 1 Council District 1 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Rud Browne 401.80 County Council District 2 Council District 2 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Todd Donovan 401.80 County Council District 3 Council District 3 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Tyler Byrd 401.80 Ferndale School District 502 Director District 4 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Lee Anne Riddle – Ferndale School District 502 Director District 5 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Andrew McLaurin – Fire Protection District 1 Commissioner Position 1 6-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Tim Wells – Fire Protection District 11 Commissioner Position 1 6-year Short & Full term, Nonpartisan Steve Kopanos – Fire Protection District 14 Commissioner Position 1 6-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Chris Moe – Fire Protection District 16 Commissioner Position 1 6-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Ryan Lenssen – Fire Protection District 17 Commissioner Position 1 6-year Short & Full term, Nonpartisan Bill Rinesmith – Fire Protection District 18 Commissioner Position 1 6-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Justin Wright – Fire Protection District 21 Commissioner Position 1 6-year Regular term, Nonpartisan John Crawford – Fire Protection District 21 Commissioner Position 5 2-year Unexpired term, Nonpartisan Kimberly Calman-McMurray – Fire Protection District 4 Commissioner Position 1 6-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Harry W. Andrews – Fire Protection District 4 Commissioner Position 2 2-year Unexpired term, Nonpartisan Mark Lann – Fire Protection District 5 Commissioner Position 1 6-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Virginia Lester – Fire Protection District 7 Commissioner Position 1 6-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Kendra Cristelli – Fire Protection District 8 Commissioner Position 3 6-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Robert Neher – Fire Protection District 8 Commissioner Position 5 2-year Unexpired term, Nonpartisan Vacant – Glacier Fire and Rescue Commissioner Position 1 6-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Tim Coralline – Glacier Fire and Rescue Commissioner Position 2 2-year Unexpired term, Nonpartisan Magenta Widner – Glacier Water District 14 Commissioner Position 1 6-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Connie Cook – Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District Commissioner District 1 6-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Laura Lee Abele – Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District Commissioner District 4 6-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Leslie McRoberts – Lynden Regional Park and Recreation District 3 Commissioner Position 1 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Rick Lair – Lynden Regional Park and Recreation District 3 Commissioner Position 4 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Bob Johnson – LYNDEN SCHOOL DISTRICT 504 Director Position 4 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Stephan Jilk – LYNDEN SCHOOL DISTRICT 504 Director Position 5 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Kelli Kettels – Meridian School District 505 Director District 2 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Renier (Beaver) Elenbaas – Meridian School District 505 Director District 3 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Emily Norton – MT BAKER SCHOOL DISTRICT 507 Director District 1 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Brian Kelly – MT BAKER SCHOOL DISTRICT 507 Director District 4 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Kelly Zender – Nooksack Valley School District 506 Director District 1 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Randall Wright – Nooksack Valley School District 506 Director District 2 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Stephen A. Jones – Point Roberts Park and Recreation District 1 Commissioner Position 3 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Holly Robinson – Point Roberts Park and Recreation District 1 Commissioner Position 4 4-year Short & Full term, Nonpartisan Daniel Schroeder – Point Roberts Park and Recreation District 1 Commissioner Position 5 2-year Unexpired term, Nonpartisan Stephen Falk – Point Roberts Public Hospital District Commissioner Position 3 6-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Kandace (Kandy) Harper – Point Roberts Water District 4 Commissioner Position 1 6-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Madeleine Anderson – PORT OF BELLINGHAM Commissioner District 1 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Michael Alvarez Shepard 84.00 PORT OF BELLINGHAM Commissioner District 2 4-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Ken Bell 84.00 Samish Water District Commissioner Position 1 6-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Gordon J. Nolan – South Whatcom Fire Authority Commissioner District 1 6-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Brian Martin – Water District 13 Commissioner Position 1 6-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Robert Vandenhaak – Water District 13 Commissioner Position 5 6-year Short & Full term, Nonpartisan Anthony Ay – Water District 2 Commissioner Position 1 6-year Regular term, Nonpartisan Chuck Foster – Water District 7 Commissioner Position 1 6-year Short & Full term, Nonpartisan Tessa Ebbesen –
According to Washington State law, “The name of a candidate for an office shall not appear on a ballot for that office unless … the candidate is, at the time the candidate’s declaration of candidacy is filed, properly registered to vote in the geographic area represented by the office.” Each office may include additional eligibility requirements for candidates.
For additional information, contact County Auditor Diana Bradrick at (360) 778-5105.