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  • County voters choose rematch

    Gordon Weeks|Mar 14, 2024

    On Tuesday, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump clinched their party’s nomination for a 2024 election rematch, and their dominance was reflected in Mason County’s presidential primary tallies that evening. In the first ballot count released at 8 p.m. by the Mason County Auditor’s Office, Biden had 4,003 votes for 89.21% among the Democratic candidates. He was followed by Dean Phillips with 183 votes for 4.08% and Marianne Williamson with 126 votes for 2.81%. Uncommitted delegates received 135 votes for 3.01% and write...

  • County commissioner races begin to take shape

    Gordon Weeks|Feb 15, 2024

    Two races for the Shelton County Commission are taking shape. Commissioner Kevin Shutty announced he will not seek another term in the fall representing District 2, and Commissioner Randy Neatherlin told the Journal on Tuesday he's still considering whether to run for another term representing District 3. Richard Beckman, owner of Richard Beckman Realty Group in downtown Shelton, announced last week he is running to replace Shutty. William Harris, a Republican who lives at LakeLand Village,...

  • Mason County Republicans host county convention

    June Williams|Feb 15, 2024

    Mason County Republicans elected 29 delegates and seven alternates at the county convention Feb 10 in the Shelton Civic Center. State Sen. Drew MacEwen served as chairman and Pastor Bill Baker from Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Shelton gave opening remarks and a prayer. "If I can quote a Democrat, Kennedy said, 'Ask what you can do for your country,' " Baker said. "What do we choose to do with this day?" he asked. Delegates will attend the Washington State Republican Convention in Spokane...

  • Realty owner running for commission

    Gordon Weeks|Feb 8, 2024

    Richard Beckman, owner of Richard Beckman Realty Group in downtown Shelton, is running for the seat on the Mason County Commission occupied by Kevin Shutty, who told the Journal on Tuesday he won't run for re-election. This is the first campaign for public office by the 55-year-old Beckman, who is running as a Republican. Shutty, also a Republican, won the District 2 seat in 2017. Beckman was a member and chair of the Mason County Realtors Government Affairs Committee and pointed out he...

  • Shelton mayor will run for state House

    Gordon Weeks|Jan 11, 2024

    Shelton Mayor Eric Onisko announced he will run on the August primary ballot for a seat in the state House of Representatives. Onisko will be running as a Republican in a bid to unseat fellow Republican Travis Couture, who is in his first term in Position 2 representing District 35. Onisko, a 56-year-old retired businessman, last week was unanimously elected for a second term as mayor of Shelton by the other six members of the Shelton City Council. In an interview with the Journal, Onisko said...

  • MacEwen formally enters 6th District race

    Journal Staff|Dec 14, 2023

    State Sen. Drew MacEwen, R-Shelton, formally announced Monday that he is running for Washington’s 6th Congressional District seat. The seat is held by Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, who announced last month that he would not seek reelection in 2024. “After spending the past month listening to voters, prayer, and discussing with my family, I am excited to announce I am running to represent the 6th Congressional District in the 2024 election,” MacEwen wrote in a statement. “I have a proven track record of winning elections, working on biparti...

  • Primary certified

    Justin Johnson|Aug 18, 2022

    The 2022 primary election reached its official conclusion Tuesday when Mason County’s election canvassing board voted to certify the results. A total of 20,413 ballots were cast out of 43,369 registered voters in the county — a turnout of 47.07% for the Aug. 2 election. In the race for Mason County Commissioner District No. 3, Miguel Gutierrez was the top vote-getter with 2,387 votes (43.06%). Incumbent commissioner Sharon Trask advanced to the Nov. 8 general election with 1,666 votes (30.05%). Mark Carlson was third in the race with 1,487 vote...

  • General election nearly set

    Matt Baide|Aug 11, 2022

    Sharon Trask and Miguel Gutierrez will be facing off in the general election in November with the primary election results set to be certified next week. The last update was Aug. 5 and the results will be certified Aug. 16. Gutierrez leads all candidates for commissioner District 3 with 2,350 votes for 43.09%. Trask, the incumbent, is second in the race with 1,638 votes for 30.03%. Fellow Republican candidate Mark Carlson is still third with 1,462 votes for 26.81%. Only people in District 3...

  • Kaiser, Couture advance in 35th

    Gordon Weeks|Aug 4, 2022

    NOTE: This story has been updated to include Wednesday's 4:30 p.m. second ballot count. Democrat Sandy Kaiser and Republican Travis Couture will advance to the Nov. 2 general election in their bid for a two-year term representing District 35 Position 2 in the state House of Representatives. In the initial results in Tuesday's primary race, Couture and Kaiser outpolled Republicans Patti Case and Tiffany Sevruk to face off in their bid to replace incumbent Drew MacEwan of Union, who is running...

  • Gutierrez, Trask lead initial commissioner primary vote

    Matt Baide|Aug 4, 2022

    Note: This story has been updated to reflect Wednesday's 4:30 p.m. second ballot count. Miguel Gutierrez and Sharon Trask are leading the race for Mason County Commissioner District 3. Gutierrez, a Democrat, received a majority of the votes with 2,119, or 43.93%. Trask, a Republican, accumulated 1,500 votes, or 30.27%. Mark Carlson, a Republican, trails Trask by 3.5% of the vote at 26.90%, which is 1,333 votes. Only residents of Mason County Commissioner District 3 were able to vote in the...

  • Tuson, Lewis advance in PUD 3 Commission race

    Gordon Weeks|Aug 4, 2022

    Note: This story has been updated to include Wednesday’s 4:30 p.m. second ballot count. Juli Tuson and Randy Lewis will advance to the Nov. 8 general election in a bid to represent District 3 on the Mason PUD 3 Commission. Tuson and Lewis were the top two vote-getters of the four candidates competing in Tuesday’s primary election. They are seeking a six-year term as the commissioner of District 1 on the three-member board. Linda Gott, who is not seeking re-election, has served in that position since 1999. In the ballot results released at 4:30...

  • Four compete to represent 35th Legislative District

    Gordon Weeks|Jul 7, 2022

    Republicans Patti Case, Travis Couture and Tiffany Sevruk, and Democrat Sandy Kaiser are competing in the Aug. 2 primary to replace Union resident Drew MacEwen in representing District 35, position 2 in the state Legislature. The top two vote-getters will advance to the Nov. 8 general election. MacEwen is running for the state Senate in a bid to replace Tim Sheldon, who is retiring. Patti Case What are the biggest challenges facing Mason County? Mason County faces many issues brought on by...

  • County commissioner faces two primary challengers

    Gordon Weeks|Jul 7, 2022

    Mason County Commissioner Sharon Trask, a Republican, faces a challenge from fellow Republican Mark Carlson and Democrat Miguel Gutierrez, a first-term member of the Shelton City Council, in the Aug. 2 primary election. The top two vote getters advance to the Nov. 8 regular election in a bid for a four-year term representing Commissioner District 3. The ballots will be mailed July 12. The three candidates answered five questions sent by the Shelton-Mason County Journal. Sharon Trask What are...

  • Four compete for PUD 3 Commission seat

    Gordon Weeks|Jul 7, 2022

    Four people are on the Aug. 2 primary ballot competing to replace Linda Gott on the Mason PUD Commission representing District 1, with the top two vote-getters advancing to the Nov. 8 general election. Juli Tuson, Marty Crow, Randy Lewis and Brianna Sheetz are seeking a six-year term as the commissioner of District 1 on the three-member PUD 3 Commission. Gott, who is not seeking re-election, has served in that position since 1999. The ballots will be mailed July 12. The four candidates answered...