6 vie for open Pasco seat. 1 lost election in Nov. Another’s dad served for years
A longtime Pasco businessman with a family legacy on the Pasco City Council is in the running for a vacant at-large position.
For the last month, there has been an empty seat on the council. Peter Harpster stepped down Oct. 26 after buying a new home outside the city limits, making him no longer eligible to serve in Pasco.
The new council member will serve for the next two years through mid-November 2027.
There were 28 applicants for the post, and the council narrowed the list to six. They will be interviewed by the council on Monday afternoon during a special meeting that is open to the public.
They are:
- Charlie Grigg — He and his family own and operate the Griggs Ace Hardware stores in the Tri-Cities. His father Charles Grigg served on Pasco City Council for eight years.
- Melissa Blasdel — Blasdel is a former council member for District 6. She lost her seat in a close race last month with Calixto Hernandez, who was sworn into office this week.
- Bradford Gregory — He is a former detective sergeant for the Pasco Police Department.
- Patrick Jones —He is a current member of the Pasco Planning Commission.
- Jerry Cochran — He is chairman of the Pasco Planning Commission, chair of the Domestic Violence Services of Benton & Franklin Counties and associate laboratory director & chief digital officer (interim) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
- Abel Campos – He is a former member of the planning commission.
On Dec. 1, newly elected council members Calixto Hernandez and Mark Figueroa were sworn into office.
Hernandez will fill the seat through the end of this year, plus a four-year term. He’ll have a vote on whether the incumbent he just defeated, Melissa Blasdel, is returned to the council.
Figueroa’s term on the council begins on Jan. 1.
