Ross Nielson will seek to retain his seat as Lewis County assessor

May 1-The Committee to Elect Ross Nielson announced Friday morning that the current Lewis County assessor will run for reelection. Nielson is currently serving his first term as the county assessor after many years of working as a fee appraiser in both public and private contexts.

In the recent news release, the Committee to Elect Ross Nielson celebrated Nielson for his experience in the appraisal and value assessment field, his involvement in the community and his involved role in the assessors office.

"His training and experience as an Independent Fee Appraiser, along with extensive management experience, prepared Ross in many ways to serve as Lewis County Assessor," reads the campaign announcement.

According to the release, Nielson is a lifelong resident of the county and has lived near Winlock for more than 25 years.

The release addressed a rise in county tax settlements in response to court and tax board appeal cases concerning the county's assessment of property values in the area.

"When Ross took office for his first term, there was a very large backlog of court and appeals cases, and he worked hard to open communication lines and to build trusted relationships where information is shared more freely with the goal of having fair and equitable values for all," reads the release.

The release also highlights Nielson's active role in the everyday functions of the office describing his approach as "hands-on."

"The thought of having a figurehead leading the department without daily participation and working in the office is not acceptable to him," the release stated.

According to the Washington state Public Disclosure Commission, Nielson filed his financial disclosure late last month. Assuming he registers as a candidate for this year's ballot during filing next week, he will seek to extend his time in the assessor's chair by another four years.

Nielson is running as a Republican and recently received an endorsement from the Lewis County Republican Party.

While the official ballot won't be confirmed for another few weeks, it appears based on state financial disclosures that Nielson has just one opponent in the race so far: Onalaska resident Kevin Emerson, who is also registered as a Republican.

Candidate filing week opens Monday morning and ends Friday, May 8.

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This story was originally published May 2, 2026 at 11:18 AM.