The Ballot Brief
98516

Who is on the ballot in 98516?

Thurston County, WA

Reported by The Ballot Brief Editorial Team. Updated as public election and video sources change.

Fields below reflect the November 3, 2026 general election ballot as races are certified.

18 races on your November 3 ballot. Jump to:
U.S. House1Statewide5Local10Measures2
About this preview
County and municipal contests depend on your exact address — use the address lookup below for the full slate. Every race links to official sources on the Washington voter hub.
Sample Ballot Preview

98516 sample ballot preview: statewide, congressional and Thurston County races

U.S. House, Washington District 10
2 candidates
Federal ▾
Marilyn Strickland portrait
MS
Marilyn Strickland
DEM INCUMBENT
Biography
Marilyn Strickland is the sitting U.S. Representative for this district, a former two-term mayor of Tacoma, and a former CEO of the Seattle Metro Chamber, per her campaign site.
Top Priorities
  • Affordable housing and good jobs
  • Health care affordability
  • Safe neighborhoods and secure retirement
Key voting record
Voted no on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the 2025 tax-and-spending package, which passed the House 218-214 in July 2025. Opposed
Voted no on the Laken Riley Act, expanding federal detention of certain immigrants charged with theft or violent crimes, which passed the House 263-156 in January 2025. Opposed
Voted no on the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2026, which passed the House 231-196 in September 2025. Opposed
Campaign siteFull profile
CD
Chris D. Chung
REP
Biography
Chris D. Chung is a pharmacist who has operated a community pharmacy in the Lakewood area for more than 30 years, per Associated Press reporting on the 2026 primary results. He previously ran for Washington insurance commissioner in the 2024 primary, and in 2026 he advanced from the primary as the Republican candidate for the U.S. House in Washington's 10th Congressional District, per the same report. No campaign website or voters' pamphlet statement was found as of September 7, 2026.
Full profile
About this race
August 4 top-two primary result: Marilyn Strickland (Democratic, 47.37 percent) and Chris D. Chung (Republican, 31.47 percent) advance to the November 3 ballot, per the Washington Secretary of State's certified results.
Supreme Court Justice Position 4
2 candidates
Statewide ▾
IB
Ian Birk
Biography
Ian Birk is a judge with prior experience as a lawyer and appellate practitioner and is a candidate for Washington State Supreme Court, Position 4, per his campaign site.
Campaign siteFull profile
SO
Sean O'Donnell
Biography
Sean P. O'Donnell is a King County Superior Court Judge who has served 13 years on the bench, including as Chief Family Court Judge and Chief Criminal Judge, per his campaign site. He previously spent 12 years as a King County Senior Deputy Prosecutor, including service on the Green River Task Force, and is president of the Washington State Superior Court Judges' Association, per his campaign site.
Campaign siteFull profile
Supreme Court Justice Position 1
2 candidates
Statewide ▾
Colleen Melody portrait
CM
Colleen Melody
INCUMBENT
Biography
Colleen Melody is the sitting justice for Washington Supreme Court Position 1, appointed by Gov. Bob Ferguson in January 2026, per the Washington Courts website. Before joining the court she spent 11 years as chief of the Civil Rights Division in the Washington Attorney General's Office and worked as a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division, per the same source. She is a University of Washington School of Law graduate who clerked for a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, per her official court biography.
Top Priorities
  • Keeping the court free from the influence of special interests and political bias
  • Running a grassroots campaign funded by individual donors rather than special interests
Per the campaign site (melodyforjustice.com).
Campaign siteFull profile
Scott Edwards portrait
SE
Scott Edwards
Biography
Scott Edwards is an attorney who has practiced constitutional, appellate, and state tax law in Washington for about three decades, per his campaign website. He has worked at Bogle & Gates, Perkins Coie, Ballard Spahr, and, since 2025, Lane Powell, and holds an economics degree from Princeton University and a law degree from the University of Washington, per the same source. This is his first run for elected office, per his campaign website.
Top Priorities
  • Deciding cases based on the law and the record rather than politics or outside pressure
  • Applying clear, principled legal reasoning to strengthen public confidence in the courts
  • Bringing decades of complex litigation experience to the court
Per the campaign site (votescottedwards.com).
Campaign siteFull profile
Supreme Court Justice Position 3
2 candidates
Statewide ▾
DS
David Stevens
Biography
David Stevens is a Mason County Superior Court judge, first elected in 2023 and reelected in 2024, per his campaign website. He has worked for more than two decades as a prosecutor and defense attorney in state, federal, tribal, and international courts, including as a Spokane County deputy prosecutor and a U.S. State Department rule-of-law adviser in Afghanistan, per the same source. He holds a law degree from the University of Washington School of Law and served in the U.S. Navy from 1983 to 1989, per his campaign website.
Top Priorities
  • Applying the law consistently and treating court processes, including jury selection, equally for all parties
  • Keeping the Supreme Court to its constitutional role of interpreting law rather than making policy
  • Requiring that constitutional changes go through formal amendment rather than judicial reinterpretation
Per the campaign site (judgestevensforwa.com).
Campaign siteFull profile
JM
Jaime Michelle Hawk
Biography
Jaime Michelle Hawk is a King County Superior Court judge, appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee in 2022, per her campaign website. Her earlier legal career included work as a juvenile public defender in Grant County, a federal public defender for Eastern Washington and Idaho, and legal strategy director for the ACLU of Washington, per the same source. She earned her law degree from Gonzaga University in 2004 and has since taught as an adjunct professor there, per her campaign website.
Top Priorities
  • Protecting rights and freedoms and applying the rule of law fairly, per her campaign site (judgehawk.com)
  • Serving on a Washington Supreme Court commission working to reduce bias in the courts and improve access for working families, per her campaign site (judgehawk.
  • Bringing more than 20 years of experience as a public defender, civil rights attorney, and trial judge to the court, per her campaign site (judgehawk.com)
Campaign siteFull profile
Supreme Court Justice Position 5
2 candidates
Statewide ▾
Theo Angelis portrait
TA
Theo Angelis
INCUMBENT
Biography
Theo Angelis is the sitting justice for Washington Supreme Court Position 5, appointed by Gov. Bob Ferguson in March 2026, per the Washington Courts website. He spent 26 years as a partner at K&L Gates, where he led the firm's appellate practice and later its intellectual property practice, per his official court biography. He holds degrees from Claremont McKenna College, Oxford University, the London School of Economics, and Yale Law School, per the same source.
Top Priorities
  • Faithfully interpreting and applying Washington's constitution and laws
  • Maintaining judicial independence and impartiality to strengthen public trust in the courts
  • Expanding equal access to the legal system, drawing on his pro bono work for asylum seekers and children
Per the campaign site (justiceangelis.com).
Campaign siteFull profile
Dave Larson portrait
DL
Dave Larson
Biography
Dave Larson is a retired judge who served on the Federal Way Municipal Court from 2008 to 2026, including as presiding judge starting in 2009, per his campaign website. He worked as a civil trial lawyer for 23 years before joining the bench and has previously run for the Washington Supreme Court in 2016, 2020, and 2024 without winning a seat, per the same source. He holds a public administration degree from the University of Puget Sound and a law degree from Seattle University School of Law, per his campaign website.
Top Priorities
  • Holding to the guiding principle that 'it is more important to do right than it is to be right'
  • Valuing the freedoms of others as much as one's own
  • Supporting public legal education and youth civic engagement programs
Per the campaign site (larsonforjustice.com).
Campaign siteFull profile
Supreme Court Justice Position 7
2 candidates
Statewide ▾
Debra L. Stephens portrait
DL
Debra L. Stephens
INCUMBENT
Biography
Debra L. Stephens is the sitting Chief Justice of the Washington Supreme Court, a seat she has held since 2008, per the Washington Courts website. She previously served as a Court of Appeals, Division Three judge and as an adjunct professor at Gonzaga University School of Law, and she is the first woman from Eastern Washington to reach the state's highest court, per her official court biography. A Spokane native, she also spent more than a decade as a local school board director, per the same source.
Top Priorities
  • Serving as 'a fierce advocate for an independent judiciary'
  • Keeping courts open and accessible to everyone
  • Basing judicial decisions on law rather than politics
Per the campaign site (justicestephens.com).
Campaign siteFull profile
Todd A. Bloom portrait
TA
Todd A. Bloom
Biography
Todd A. Bloom is an attorney, certified public accountant, and financial planner who has spent more than two decades providing legal and tax services to private and public companies, per his campaign website. He served as an active-duty U.S. Navy officer from 2002 to 2013 after earlier service in the Naval Reserve, and he has worked as a FINRA arbitrator, per the same source. He holds a law degree and MBA from Tulane University and a tax law master's degree from the University of Washington, per his campaign website.
Top Priorities
  • Applying the law as written rather than as judges might prefer it to read
  • Upholding the state and federal constitutions
  • Ensuring every person who appears in court receives a fair and impartial hearing
Per the campaign site (electtoddbloom.com).
Campaign siteFull profile

Countywide races in Thurston County

ZIP 98516 sits in Thurston County, per the Census crosswalk. These seats are voted countywide; district seats, city races and school boards need a street address. All Thurston County races (25).

Thurston County Assessor
2 candidates
County ▾
JO
JJ Olson
DEM
Biography
Olson serves as the Thurston County Assessor's Office Business Applications Administrator, managing appraisal and tax software systems for the county, per the county's official voters' pamphlet. He previously worked as a senior field appraiser and appraisal analyst and holds a Washington Real Property Assessment accreditation, per the same source. JJ Olson appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Thurston County Assessor, per the county elections office's certified candidate list.
Top Priorities
  • Ensure fair, accurate and transparent property appraisals for every taxpayer
  • Modernize the Assessor's office and expand online tools so residents can understand valuations and the appeals process
Per the campaign site.
Campaign siteFull profile
LN
Lynda Nashed Zeman
DEM
Biography
Zeman has worked in executive administrative roles for Thurston County, including budget and fiscal management work in the Assessor's Office and the county commissioners' office, per the county's official voters' pamphlet. She previously owned a small business and was appointed to the Lacey City Council in 2019, per the same source. Lynda Nashed Zeman appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Thurston County Assessor, per the county elections office's certified candidate list.
Top Priorities
  • Keep the Assessor's office clear, fair and accessible to every household
  • Strengthen staff training and modernize systems as workloads and county budgets grow tighter
  • Improve communication so property owners get clear answers before frustration turns into appeals
Per the campaign site.
Campaign siteFull profile
About this race
JJ Olson (Democratic) and Lynda Nashed Zeman (Democratic) meet on the November 3 ballot for Thurston County Assessor, per the Secretary of State's VoteWA general-election candidate list. August 4 top-two primary: JJ Olson 56.7 percent, Lynda Nashed Zeman 43.3 percent, per the county's official results. Washington's top-two primary sends the two leading candidates to November regardless of party; party labels are stated preferences.
Thurston County Auditor
1 candidate
County ▾
TN
Tillie Naputi-Pullar
DEM
Biography
Naputi-Pullar has worked in the Thurston County Auditor's Office since 1999 and has served as the county's Elections Manager since 2013, per the county's official voters' pamphlet. She is a certified Election and Registration Administrator and was named Washington State Elections Administrator of the Year in 2014 and 2021, per the same source. Tillie Naputi-Pullar appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Thurston County Auditor, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026.
Top Priorities
  • Lead the Auditor's office with proven elections administration experience
  • Protect transparency, accountability and public trust in county elections
Per the county's voters' pamphlet.
Full profile
Why only one name?
Only one name is on the ballot for this office: no other candidate qualified. An unopposed candidate is elected unless a write-in outpolls them where write-ins are allowed, so this line still counts as a vote.
About this race
Tillie Naputi-Pullar (Democratic) is the only candidate on the November 3 ballot for Thurston County Auditor, per the Secretary of State's VoteWA general-election candidate list. August 4 top-two primary: Tillie Naputi-Pullar 100.0 percent, per the county's official results. Washington's top-two primary sends the two leading candidates to November regardless of party; party labels are stated preferences.
Thurston County Clerk
2 candidates
County ▾
NM
Nicole Miller
DEM
Biography
Miller works as an independent child welfare consultant and previously served as Thurston County's Racial Equity Program Manager, per the county's official voters' pamphlet. She has nearly 30 years of public service experience in child welfare and juvenile justice at the local, state and national level, per the same source. Nicole Miller appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Thurston County Clerk, per the county elections office's certified candidate list.
Top Priorities
  • Restore public trust and in-person access at the Clerk's office
  • Address case backlogs and restore domestic violence assistance services
Per the county's voters' pamphlet.
Campaign siteFull profile
Garrett Cady portrait
GC
Garrett Cady
Biography
Cady currently works as a Proceedings Specialist in the Thurston County Clerk's Office and has also served there as a Judicial Support Specialist and Records Auditor, per the county's official voters' pamphlet. He was appointed to the county's Treatment Sales Tax Advisory Committee by the Board of County Commissioners, per the same source. Garrett Cady appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Thurston County Clerk, per the county elections office's certified candidate list.
Top Priorities
  • Restore services cut in prior budget reductions, including the Domestic Violence Liaison Program and in-person counter support
  • Keep the Clerk's office free of political influence and focused on nonpartisan service
  • Retain experienced staff while looking for efficient administrative improvements
Per the campaign site.
Campaign siteFull profile
About this race
Nicole Miller (Democratic) and Garrett Cady (Independent) meet on the November 3 ballot for Thurston County Clerk, per the Secretary of State's VoteWA general-election candidate list. August 4 top-two primary: Nicole Miller 51.0 percent, Garrett Cady 49.0 percent, per the county's official results. Washington's top-two primary sends the two leading candidates to November regardless of party; party labels are stated preferences.
Thurston County Coroner
1 candidate
County ▾
GW
Gary Warnock
DEM INCUMBENT
Biography
Warnock has served as Thurston County Coroner since 2007 and previously worked as the county's Deputy Coroner from 2001 to 2006, per the county's official voters' pamphlet. He earlier worked as a funeral director and embalmer and is a U.S. Navy veteran, per the same source. Gary Warnock appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Thurston County Coroner, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026.
Top Priorities
  • Continue expanding death-investigation training and restored the Chief Deputy Coroner position
  • Pursue state certification and national accreditation for the office
Per the county's voters' pamphlet.
Full profile
Why only one name?
Only one name is on the ballot for this office: no other candidate qualified. An unopposed candidate is elected unless a write-in outpolls them where write-ins are allowed, so this line still counts as a vote.
About this race
Gary Warnock (Democratic) is the only candidate on the November 3 ballot for Thurston County Coroner, per the Secretary of State's VoteWA general-election candidate list. August 4 top-two primary: Gary Warnock 100.0 percent, per the county's official results. Washington's top-two primary sends the two leading candidates to November regardless of party; party labels are stated preferences.
Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney
1 candidate
County ▾
Christy Peters portrait
CP
Christy Peters
DEM
Biography
Peters has served as Chief of Staff for the Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney's Office since 2011, per the county's official voters' pamphlet. She previously spent 16 years as a deputy prosecuting attorney handling homicide, domestic violence and violent crime cases, per the same source. Christy Peters appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney, per the county elections office's certified candidate list.
Top Priorities
  • Prioritize violent crime and crimes against children
  • Expand victim advocacy and the county's therapeutic and specialty courts
  • Pursue evidence-based approaches to reduce repeat offenses
Per the campaign site.
Campaign siteFull profile
Why only one name?
Only one name is on the ballot for this office: no other candidate qualified. An unopposed candidate is elected unless a write-in outpolls them where write-ins are allowed, so this line still counts as a vote.
About this race
Christy Peters (Democratic) is the only candidate on the November 3 ballot for Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney, per the Secretary of State's VoteWA general-election candidate list. August 4 top-two primary: Christy Peters 100.0 percent, per the county's official results. Washington's top-two primary sends the two leading candidates to November regardless of party; party labels are stated preferences.
Thurston County Sheriff
2 candidates
County ▾
DS
Derek Sanders
INCUMBENT
Biography
Sanders has served as Thurston County Sheriff since 2022, per the county's official voters' pamphlet. He previously spent 12 years in law enforcement, including as a Lacey Police Department community service officer and a Thurston County deputy sheriff, per the same source. Derek Sanders appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Thurston County Sheriff, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026.
Top Priorities
  • Continue a community-centered approach to public safety and de-escalation training
  • Build regional law enforcement partnerships across the county
  • Keep the sheriff's office visible and active in the community
Per the county's voters' pamphlet.
Full profile
KB
Kevin Burton-Crow
DEM
Biography
Burton-Crow currently serves as a Special Victims Detective with the Thurston County Sheriff's Office and previously worked as a patrol deputy, per the county's official voters' pamphlet. He is a retired U.S. Army Sergeant First Class with deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates, per the same source. Kevin Burton-Crow appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Thurston County Sheriff, per the county elections office's certified candidate list.
Top Priorities
  • Seek outside accreditation and publish department policies for transparency
  • Expand victim-centered and harm-reduction training for deputies
  • Publish clear annual budget disclosures for taxpayers
Per the campaign site.
Campaign siteFull profile
About this race
Derek Sanders (Independent) and Kevin Burton-Crow (Democratic) meet on the November 3 ballot for Thurston County Sheriff, per the Secretary of State's VoteWA general-election candidate list. August 4 top-two primary: Derek Sanders 70.9 percent, Kevin Burton-Crow 29.1 percent, per the county's official results. Washington's top-two primary sends the two leading candidates to November regardless of party; party labels are stated preferences.
Thurston County Treasurer
1 candidate
County ▾
Jeff Gadman portrait
JG
Jeff Gadman
DEM INCUMBENT
Biography
Gadman has served as Thurston County Treasurer since 2017, after previously working more than 30 years in the county Assessor's Office and serving on the Lacey City Council, per the county's official voters' pamphlet and his campaign site. Jeff Gadman appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Thurston County Treasurer, per the county elections office's certified candidate list.
Top Priorities
  • Reduce the cost of government and help delinquent taxpayers get current
  • Continue cost-saving measures such as paperless statements and electronic filing
  • Maintain a diversified investment strategy that has returned over $43 million to local governments
Per the campaign site.
Campaign siteFull profile
Why only one name?
Only one name is on the ballot for this office: no other candidate qualified. An unopposed candidate is elected unless a write-in outpolls them where write-ins are allowed, so this line still counts as a vote.
About this race
Jeff Gadman (Democratic) is the only candidate on the November 3 ballot for Thurston County Treasurer, per the Secretary of State's VoteWA general-election candidate list. August 4 top-two primary: Jeff Gadman 100.0 percent, per the county's official results. Washington's top-two primary sends the two leading candidates to November regardless of party; party labels are stated preferences.
Thurston County District Court Judge Pos. 1
1 candidate
County ▾
KW
Kalo Wilcox
INCUMBENT
Biography
Wilcox has served as a Thurston County District Court judge for 16 years, per the county's official voters' pamphlet. She previously spent 20 years as a trial attorney with the King County and Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney's Offices and the Washington State Attorney General's Office, per the same source. Kalo Wilcox appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Thurston County District Court Judge Pos. 1, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026.
Top Priorities
  • Improve public access to the court, including remote and online hearings
  • Support the county's mental health and veterans therapeutic courts
Per the county's voters' pamphlet.
Full profile
Why only one name?
Only one name is on the ballot for this office: no other candidate qualified. An unopposed candidate is elected unless a write-in outpolls them where write-ins are allowed, so this line still counts as a vote.
About this race
Kalo Wilcox (Nonpartisan) is the only candidate on the November 3 ballot for Thurston County District Court Judge Pos. 1, per the Secretary of State's VoteWA general-election candidate list. No August 4 primary contest for this office appears in the county's official results feed (two or fewer filers advance directly). Washington's top-two primary sends the two leading candidates to November regardless of party; party labels are stated preferences.
Thurston County District Court Judge Pos. 2
1 candidate
County ▾
SM
Sam Meyer
INCUMBENT
Biography
Meyer has served as a Thurston County District Court judge for the past 18 years, per the county's official voters' pamphlet. He previously worked as a law clerk for the Washington State Supreme Court and as a staff attorney with the county's Office of Assigned Counsel, per the same source. Sam Meyer appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Thurston County District Court Judge Pos. 2, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026.
Top Priorities
  • Continue supporting the court's mental health court and veterans court programs
  • Maintain expanded municipal court services now covering more county cities
Per the county's voters' pamphlet.
Full profile
Why only one name?
Only one name is on the ballot for this office: no other candidate qualified. An unopposed candidate is elected unless a write-in outpolls them where write-ins are allowed, so this line still counts as a vote.
About this race
Sam Meyer (Nonpartisan) is the only candidate on the November 3 ballot for Thurston County District Court Judge Pos. 2, per the Secretary of State's VoteWA general-election candidate list. No August 4 primary contest for this office appears in the county's official results feed (two or fewer filers advance directly). Washington's top-two primary sends the two leading candidates to November regardless of party; party labels are stated preferences.
Thurston County District Court Judge Pos. 3
1 candidate
County ▾
Paul Wohl portrait
PW
Paul Wohl
Biography
Wohl has served as a Thurston County District Court Commissioner for the past 12 years, per the county's official voters' pamphlet. He previously worked as a prosecutor for the cities of Olympia and Federal Way, a deputy prosecutor for Pierce County, and a public defender in King County, per the same source. Paul Wohl appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Thurston County District Court Judge Pos. 3, per the county elections office's certified candidate list.
Top Priorities
  • Bring courtroom experience from both prosecution and defense practice, per the campaign site
  • Preside over the county's Veterans Court beginning in 2027, per the county's voters' pamphlet
  • Maintain a modern, efficient and respectful court system, per the campaign site
Campaign siteFull profile
Why only one name?
Only one name is on the ballot for this office: no other candidate qualified. An unopposed candidate is elected unless a write-in outpolls them where write-ins are allowed, so this line still counts as a vote.
About this race
Paul Wohl (Nonpartisan) is the only candidate on the November 3 ballot for Thurston County District Court Judge Pos. 3, per the Secretary of State's VoteWA general-election candidate list. No August 4 primary contest for this office appears in the county's official results feed (two or fewer filers advance directly). Washington's top-two primary sends the two leading candidates to November regardless of party; party labels are stated preferences.

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See your full ballot for 98516

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Ballot info questions for 98516

Who is running for mayor in 98516?

Mayor races depend on the city tied to your address. Use the full-address lookup, then confirm with your city or county election office.

When is the primary election in this state?

Primary dates vary by state. Use this page's official election links to confirm the next primary deadline for your address.

Can I vote early in 98516?

Early voting rules vary by state and county. Check your official election links for dates, locations, and ID rules.

Where can I see a sample ballot for 98516?

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Data sources

Where does The Ballot Brief verify ballot info for 98516?

Vote.gov Official federal voter registration and voting information gateway.State election offices Official directory for state election deadlines, ballot rules, and voter resources.Federal Election Commission Federal candidate filings and campaign finance data.Congress.gov members Official congressional member records and identifiers.