Tharinger to face GOP challenger

Friday, June 15, 2007

Peninsula News Network

Clallam County, WA - Clallam County Commissioner Steve Tharinger won’t have a free ride into a third term, after Republican Bob Forde of Sequim filed Friday.

Forde’s filing comes after no one filed against the incumbent Democrat during the official filing week June 4th through 8th. However, state law allows the major parties an initial week to recruit a candidate, giving Forde the opportunity to enter the contest.

Forde is a long-time car salesman who is best known in local political circles for his fight against Clallam County over the Critical Areas Ordinance and other government land use regulations. That led to several legal battles in the early 1990s during the initial implementation of the Growth Management Act. More recently he’s been pressing the county Charter Review Commission for measures such as regular performance audits of county government.

Forde’s wife Sue ran against Tharinger but was defeated four years ago.