A meeting of Republican Precinct Committee Officers (PCOs) from Kitsap and Pierce counties has been set slated for Wednesday, Dec. 4, in Port Orchard to select three candidates to replace Jan Angel in the 26th Legislative District.
Angel won a seat in the state Senate by beating Democrat Nathan Schlicher by more than 1,500 votes earlier this month, creating a vacancy in her House seat that needs to be filled.
By law and party rules, 26th Legislative District PCO’s will forward three candidates to the Washington State Republican Party Executive Board for review and ratification. From there, those names will then be submitted to commissioners in Kitsap and Pierce counties for the selection of one candidate to fill Angel’s vacancy in the House.
The special meeting of PCOs is slated to begin at 7 p.m. Dec. 4 at the Givens Community Center’s Kitsap Room, located at 1026 Sidney Road Port Orchard.
Per rules outlined Washington State Republican Party Chair Susan Hutchison, a vetting committee will be established to review each candidate’s eligibility and background. The county chairs from Kitsap and Pierce will each appoint two members to the committee. The remaining member, who will serve as chair of the committee, will be a non-voting member appointed by Hutchinson.
All nominations for Angel’s former State Representative seat will have to be called for and made from the floor from the list of candidates approved by the vetting committee. The PCO making the nomination will be permitted one minute to speak in favor of the nomination. Following the closing of nominations, each candidate will be permitted five minutes to address the PCO’s.
From there, PCOs will be able to vote for one choice on the ballot. The candidate receiving a majority of the vote on the first ballot will become the first choice candidate. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote, the candidate who received the lowest number of votes will be removed from the ballot.
After the first-choice candidate emerges, the same procedure will be used to determine who the second and third candidates will be. County commissioners will then make their selection.
