POULSBO — A Poulsbo man who has filed to run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Patty Murray said he will not be accepting private donations for his campaign.

Schalk Leonard, 50, was among an early wave of candidates filing for open positions in federal, state and local government on Monday. The candidate filing period will continue until 5 p.m. today.

Leonard, a lawyer and retired member of the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps, said he wants to promote job growth and energy independence, and transparency will be an overarching theme of his campaign. He said he is not accepting donations because he wants to avoid the label of “career congressman.”

“That’s why people don’t trust congress, because they don’t think their congressmen are busy representing their values,” said Leonard, who did not list a party preference.

As of Wednesday, one candidate had stepped forward for each of the five seats on the proposed Kingston Village Green metropolitan park district board, according to a list of unofficial candidate filings released by the Kitsap County Auditor’s Office. Bobbie Moore, Tracy Darlene Harris, Jason Manges, Patrick Pearson and Jim Moore filed their candidacies for the board, which will be elected in an Aug. 17 primary election.

The accompanying proposition to create a Village Green park district will also be decided Aug. 17. If the proposition fails, the board will not be seated. The park district would pay for operations at a planned community center off West Kingston Road. Board seats are voluntary.

Candidate Patrick Pearson, a North Kitsap School District former teacher, said he wants to support the community center as a place for people young and old to gather.

“I have a great interest in having a place for people to go,” he said.

State Representatives Sherry Appleton (D-Poulsbo) and Christine Rolfes (D-Bainbridge Island) are up for reelection in the 23rd Legislative District, which represents parts of Central Kitsap, North Kitsap and Bainbridge Island.

Port of Kingston Commissioner Pete DeBoer has filed to run against Appleton. DeBoer, who listed Republican Party as his party of preference, announced his candidacy in January. No challenger had filed against Rolfes as of Thursday afternoon.

U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee appears to have three opponents for his Congressional District 1 seat, which represents North Kitsap, along with portions of King and Snohomish Counties.

Independent David D. Schirle of Olympia and Republican Matthew Burke of Redmond have filed with the Secretary of State’s office. Republican James Watkins, a Redmond business development consultant, has announced his intention to run but had not filed as of Thursday.

U.S. Sen. Patty Murray has 11 registered opponents, including Leonard and former gubernatiorial candidate Dino Rossi.

For more candidate filing and election information, see the the Kitsap County Auditor’s website — www.kitsapgov.com/aud — and the Secretary of State website www.sos.wa.gov.