An Action-Packed Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer Race

Friday was the filing deadline for candidates looking to be on the primary ballot in August. Now the fun can begin … And where do we look first for “fun” but the Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer race, which we’re anticipating will be slightly more action-packed than usual.

There are five candidates, including three experienced elected officials and one non-politician with years of experience in the office. Then, on the last day of filing, the incumbent Dale Washam filed to join the festivities.

(In alphabetical order)

• Tim Farrell – County Council member since 2005. Chief of Staff to state Senator Kastama prior to joining the County.


• Mike Lonergan – Tacoma City Council member from 2001 to 2009. Tacoma Rescue Mission director from 1993 to 2005. In his words:


• Spiro Manthou – Tacoma City Councilmember from 2003 to 2011. Manager at Bates Technical College since 1992.


• Billie O’Brien – 21+ years working in the Assessor-Treasurer’s office.


• Dale Washam – Current Assessor-Treasurer … and the subject of a lot of newspaper ink.

As we look back over the previous decade, this position has never received this much interest from professional politicos like those we see on the list now. The 2008 election saw about $43k spent by candidates for the seat (Washam won with $0 claimed expenses). The 2000 and 2004 elections saw $33k and $29k in total campaign spending. Jump ahead to 2012 where Farrell alone has already raised $22k and we have several months to go before the primary and general elections.

And with Washam’s hat officially back in the ring, we’re guessing voters can expect to hear a good deal about ethics. In light of his recent conflicts with the County Council, with his staff, with the County Ethics Board, an ongoing investigation by the US Department of Justice, and pending lawsuits, ethics and job performance are guaranteed to be hot topics.

The top two candidates leaving the primary will battle it out in the November general election. Familiar names and faces. Potential for some big spending. Ethics … conversations. This could get interesting.

p.s. Here’s the first campaign video we’ve seen in this race: