GOP Franklin County commissioner draws Republican challenger on Day 2 of WA filing
A Franklin County commissioner looking to be elected to his first term attracted a challenger on Tuesday.
Paul Frenzel has jumped in the race for District 1, the seat currently occupied by county Republican Party Chair Stephen Bauman.
Bauman was appointed to the seat earlier this year in the wake of longtime Commissioner Brad Peck’s resignation, who left citing a toxic environment and workplace bullying.
Frenzel, also a Republican, filed paperwork with the Washington Secretary of State.
He was previously among the U.S. Department of Energy workers who had challenged the federal government’s COVID-19 vaccination requirements in the wake of the pandemic.
Bauman works as a development consultant and is owner of Pasco-based B4 Development and Consulting.
The state’s candidate filing period opened Monday. Candidates running for public office this year have until 5 p.m. Friday to submit their paperwork online or by mail to get their name on the ballot.
All partisan positions will appear on the Aug. 6 primary ballot, regardless of how many candidates file. Non-partisan races need to attract three or more candidates to appear in the primary, in most cases.
The top-two vote recipients will move on to the Nov. 5 general election.
Dozens of Tri-City candidates registered to run on Monday, while only a few trickled in on Tuesday.
One big development so far this week was yesterday’s announcement that Pasco veterans advocate and former U.S. Senate hopeful Tiffany Smiley was challenging Newhouse, a fellow Republican, for his seat in U.S. House of Representatives.
Jerrod Sessler, the Trump-endorsed Republican in the race, is also looking to unseat Newhouse. He filed for the position late Monday night.
Several other candidates filed to run so far this week, including:
This story was originally published May 7, 2024 at 6:57 PM.
