Repeat and hopeful politicians can file for elections this week

EVERETT — Ever thought you could do a better job than the politicians in power today?

This week, you can choose to run against them.

Starting Monday at 8 a.m., residents across the state can file for hundreds of offices up for election in 2024.

Over a dozen statewide offices will be on the ballot, including an open seat for governor, attorney general and commissioner of public lands. Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, of Lake Stevens, will be on the ballot after holding office since 2021.

All seats in the state House are up for election. And in the state Senate, legislative districts 1, 10, 12 and 39 that represent Snohomish County will be up for election.

In the past few months, a slew of lawmakers announced they won’t seek re-election to the Legislature. Sen. Brad Hawkins, a Republican from the 12th Legislative District, is the only one who represents Snohomish County. Hawkins, whose district includes Monroe, Sultan and Gold Bar, said he plans to run for the Chelan County Commission instead.

Others around the county have already announced intentions to run for seats in the Legislature or elsewhere.

In the 10th Legislative District, including Arlington, Stanwood and Whidbey Island, Arlington City Council member Yvonne Gallardo-Van Ornam announced her intention to run for Rep. Clyde Shavers’ seat in the House.

The 10th District is a rarity in Washington because of its mixed partisan representation. Sen. Ron Muzzall is a Republican while both House members are Democrats. Island County Commissioner Janet St. Clair is looking to change that. St. Clair, a Democrat from Camano Island, announced her intention to run for the Senate seat in January.

In the 39th District, encompassing Lake Stevens, Granite Falls and Darrington, a former state rep wants his seat back. Robert Sutherland, a Republican from Lake Stevens, held the post for four years, until losing an election to Republican Snohomish County Council member Sam Low in 2023. Since then, Sutherland made an unsuccessful bid for the auditor’s office, but is back to try and reclaim his seat in the Legislature this year.

On the national level, seats in congressional districts 1, 2 and 8 are up for election in Snohomish County. Lynnwood City Council member Josh Binda announced in January he will challenge 23-year incumbent U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen in Congressional District 2. Other candidates expected to file for that race are Marysville Green Party candidate Jason Call and Whidbey Island Republican Leif Johnson.

All 17 Snohomish County Superior Court judge posts will be up for election as well as three seats on the state Supreme Court.

Want to run for office? Here’s what you’ll need to do.

Most candidates will file online with the Secretary of State’s Office. For those interested in becoming a local precinct committee officer, district court judge or public utility district commissioner, they will have to file with the Snohomish County Auditor’s Office. Potential candidates must be registered to vote within the jurisdiction of the office they are vying for.

Most seats up for grabs will require a filing fee.

Filing fees are equivalent to 1% of the office’s salary.

For a seat in the Legislature, that fee is $601.91. Running for Congress will set you back $1,740.

This year, a seat on the bench of the state Supreme Court is the most expensive to file for, requiring hopeful candidates to cough up $2,398.68.

If a candidate can’t pay the fee, they can take a far less common route and file a petition with enough signatures. The petition requires the hopeful candidate to collect enough signatures equal to the dollar amount required to file for the specific office. To file for the Legislature, one would have to collect 601 signatures.

A few seats have exceptions — running for a precinct committee officer seat or for president are free.

Filing closes at 5 p.m. May 10. Candidates have until Monday, May 13 to change their minds and withdraw their candidacy.

The primary election is Aug. 6. The top two vote-getters in each race will move on to the Nov. 5 general election.

Jenelle Baumbach: 360-352-8623; baumbach.jenelle@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @jenelleclar.