POULSBO — There’s a second candidate for mayor of Poulsbo. He’s a newly registered voter in the city — like, as of May 18. He’s also 61 years old and has lived in Poulsbo for 10 years.
Building contractor Ricky D. Moon registered as a voter in Poulsbo on May 18, the same day he filed his declaration of candidacy for mayor. Until that day, he was registered to vote as a resident of 12311 NE Douglas Drive, Kingston, according to the Kitsap County Auditor Elections online database. He last voted with that address in the 2016 election, according to the database.
State law requires that a candidate for mayor be “a registered voter of the city at the time of filing his or her declaration of candidacy” and “a resident of the city for a period of at least one year next preceding his or her election.”
On his declaration of candidacy, Moon gave his home address as 20045 Pugh Road, Poulsbo, which he rents, according to ownership records on the county assessor’s online database. Contacted late May 18, Moon said he has lived at 20045 Pugh Road since 2007, when he and his wife divorced. While it’s legal to do so, it means he was registered to vote elsewhere in the county other than where he actually lived. It also means this election will be the first in which he’ll cast a ballot in a Poulsbo election.
According to the assessor’s office online database, Moon’s ex-wife is listed as the owner of 12311 NE Douglas Drive, Kingston.
Moon said he was approached by people in the community to run. He is challenging Becky Erickson, who is seeking a third term. She was unopposed four years ago.
Another mayoral election in Kitsap is shaping up to be a forum for the discussion of ideas and issues. Bremerton Mayor Patty Lent is seeking reelection. Her predecessor, Cary Bozeman (he’s a current Port of Bremerton commissioner and a former mayor of Bellevue), is seeking a return to the mayor’s office. Council member Greg Wheeler is also running for mayor.
All told, there are 72 offices up for election in Kitsap County this year, including a majority of positions on the Bremerton City Council, Port Orchard City Council, South Kitsap School Board, Central Kitsap Fire Commission, and the Eglon, Illahee, Manchester, and Tracyton port commissions.
The candidate filing period began May 15 and ends May 19 — today. The primary election is Aug. 1; the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, will advance to the Nov. 7 general election.
Kitsap News Group and this newspaper will produce voter guides for the primary and general elections, featuring profiles on each of the candidates. Get updated campaign coverage in Kitsap News Geoup’s newspapers and on KitsapDailyNews.com.
