POULSBO — Barring a challenge from a write-in candidate, you can start referring to John R. Bukowsky of Poulsbo as councilman-elect. And the election is not until Nov. 7.
Bukowsky, the lone candidate to succeed longtime council member Jim Henry, who is retiring, is one of 43 candidates countywide who were unopposed for election at the end of the candidate filing period May 19.
All told, there are 72 offices up for election in Kitsap County this year, including a majority of positions on the Bremerton City Council, Port Orchard City Council, South Kitsap School Board, Central Kitsap Fire District Commission, and the Eglon, Illahee, Manchester, and Tracyton port commissions.
The primary election is Aug. 1; the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, will advance to the Nov. 7 general election.
Henry, a retired Navy chief warrant officer, served on the planning commission from 1991-2000 and, with the exception of two years, on the city council since then. He’s been a longtime member of the Poulsbo/Suquamish Tribe Intergovernmental Committee and is active with the Suquamish Warriors veterans group.
Mayor Becky Erickson said she wants to bestow on Henry the title of “council member emeritus” and give him the access to City Hall that he now has.
“He’s been a steady hand, he’s level-headed, he was always deliberative in his decision making,” Erickson said. “He was the more conservative voice on the council, very cautious in his decision making. That I’ll miss about Jim.”
Noting the value of his continued presence in City Hall, she said, “He was on the council since the early 2000s and on the planning commission for 10 years before that, so this is a real body of work.”
Council member Jeff McGinty, the longest-served member of the council, said Henry was never shy about speaking out on an issue. “He’s outspoken [with] his own opinions, which kind of makes us think about some things. He’s always been reasonable in our discussions and pretty thoughtful about the right direction to take.”
Council member Ed Stern, who is unopposed for a sixth term, said Henry was “a champion for improved transportation” in the city, recalling Henry’s support for a Maglev — magnetic levitation — train along the 305 corridor from the Kitsap Peninsula to Bainbridge Island. With magnetic levitation, a vehicle travels along a guideway using magnets to create both lift and propulsion and can travel at high speeds. Maglev technology has no moving parts.
Here’s the list of all candidates who filed.
Here’s the list of all offices that will be on the ballot.
Kitsap News Group will produce voter guides before the elections.
Here are the races that attracted two or more candidates.
CITY OF BAINBRIDGE ISLAND
Council District 3 South Ward
- Theodore (Ted) Jones
- Kirsten Hytopoulos
- Gloria Reeg
- Matthew Tirman
Council District 5 Central Ward
- Wayne Roth
- Rasham Nassar
Council District 7 North Ward
- Joe Deets
- J. Mack Pearl
- Kevin Fetterly
CITY OF BREMERTON
Mayor
- Cary Bozeman
- Patty Lent
- Greg Wheeler
Council District 1
- Allen Mathews
- Patricia (Pat) Sullivan
- Suzanne Griffith
Council District 3
- Adam C. Brockus
- Deborah McDaniel
- Kevin Gorman
Council District 5
- Michael Goodnow
- Melissa Kinzer
CITY OF PORT ORCHARD
Council Position 6
- Fred J. Chang
- Maureen Wheeler
Council At-Large
- Jay Rosapepe
- Clancy Donlin
CITY OF POULSBO
Mayor
- Becky Erickson
- Ricky (R D M) Moon
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT
Director District 2
- Mike Spence
- Judith McLaughlin
Director District 5
- Sheila Jakubik
- Jesse Burns
- Christina Wakefield
NORTH KITSAP SCHOOL DISTRICT
Director District 1
- Daron Jagodzinske
- Rick Eckert
- Paul Nash
Director District 3
- April Ferguson
- Beth Worthington
- Richard (Dick) Lockwood
CENTRAL KITSAP SCHOOL DISTRICT
Director District 5
- Eric Greene
- Jason Skifstad
- Robert (Bob) Grady
SOUTH KITSAP SCHOOL DISTRICT
Director District 3
- Christopher John Lemke
- Elizabeth Sebren
NORTH MASON SCHOOL DISTRICT (Kitsap, Mason)
Director District No. 2
- Leanna K. Krotzer
- Mike Sammons
KITSAP COUNTY FIRE DISTRICT
Commissioner Position 3
- Jeff Uberuaga
- Steve Garfein
PORT OF BREMERTON
Commissioner District 3
- Axel Strakeljahn
- Robert C. Perkins
PORT OF ILLAHEE
Commissioner Position 2
- Mike Mantzke
- Jonathan (Jon) Buesch
PORT OF KINGSTON
Commissioner District 3
- Laura Gronnvoll
- Walt Elliott
PORT OF MANCHESTER
Commissioner Position 3
- Shawn Murphy
- Robert (Bob) Ballard
KITSAP COUNTY SEWER DISTRICT NO. 7
Commissioner Position 2
- Christopher Dew
- Matt Blossom
WEST SOUND UTILITY DISTRICT
Commissioner Position 2
- Jerry Lundberg
- David Helland
NORTH PERRY WATER DISTRICT
Commissioner Position 3
- Ray Foley
- Dave Turnquist
SILVERDALE WATER DISTRICT
Commissioner Position 3
- Marcus Hoffman
- Michelle Hodges
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND PARK AND RECREATION
Commissioner Position 5
- Kirk B. Robinson
- Michael Pollock
