Data · Democracy · Accountability

Democracy Watch

Every claim on this page has a named, dated, public source. This isn't an argument. It's a dataset. Draw your own conclusions.

64.5%

of all U.S. elections in 2024 went uncontested.

Source: Ballotpedia. This is not a Kitsap-specific problem — it's a democracy problem.

The Office Right Now

28 Years. Three Contested Races.

5Years the incumbent ran unopposed
0Competitive countywide elections won by the current incumbent
3rdContested Clerk race in 28 years

Most people in our county have voted for this office multiple times without ever having a real choice. In 2014, the last contested race, voters had a real choice for the first time in 16 years. The full year-by-year dataset lives on Democracy Watch.

The Clerk's Race, 1998–2026

Three contested races in 28 years. This is the office Brien is running for.

YearStatusResultDetail
1998ContestedDean Logan (D) defeats Rocky Brannan (R)Logan: 58.9% · Brannan: 41.0% · This is where the verified record begins.
2002UnopposedDave Peterson (D) — 98.35% vs write-ins onlyNo real opponent. No accountability. The office ran on autopilot.
2006UnopposedDave Peterson (D) — 98.63% vs write-ins onlyWrite-in candidates are not real opponents. The office ran on autopilot.
2010UnopposedDave Peterson (D) — 96.9% vs write-ins onlyThree consecutive unchallenged terms. No scrutiny. No accountability.
2014ContestedDave Peterson (D) defeats Gerald "Gary" Chaney (R)Peterson: 59.9% · Chaney: 41.9% · First real contest in 16 years. Source: Kitsap Daily News, November 2014.
2018UnopposedAlison Sontag (D) — no opponent filedPeterson retired in 2017. Sontag was appointed by commissioners, then ran unopposed in 2018. The office stayed invisible.
2021Appointed — Not ElectedDavid T. Lewis III appointed mid-termSome offices change hands without anyone outside the building noticing.
2022UnopposedDavid T. Lewis III (D) — no opponent filedThe office stayed invisible.
2026Contested · Current RaceBrien Kennedy (D) vs. David T. Lewis III (D) — general election, November 3The 3rd contested Clerk race since 1998. Both candidates advanced from the primary to the November general under Washington’s top-two primary system — primary results are certified by the Canvassing Board on August 21, 2026; this page will be updated with the certified count once available. The first time the incumbent has had to make their case to voters in a competitive countywide race.

Source: Kitsap County Auditor official election results (kitsap.gov/auditor), cross-checked against Kitsap Daily News reporting. All data independently verified.

My opponent is registered as the Committee to Retain David Lewis.

The Bigger Picture

The Clerk's race is one data point. Across Kitsap County, school boards, fire districts, port commissions, water districts, and city councils all run without opposition — in the same election cycles, managing the same public money.

OfficeYearStatus
County Offices
County Clerk2022Contested
County Assessor2022, 2018Unopposed
County Treasurer2022, 2018Unopposed
County Commissioner — District 32018Unopposed
District Court Judge — Dept. 12022Unopposed
District Court Judge — Dept. 22022Unopposed
District Court Judge — Dept. 42022Unopposed
School Boards
Bremerton School District — Director2023Unopposed
Bremerton School District — Director2023Unopposed
Fire Districts
Central Kitsap Fire — Commissioner2023Unopposed
Central Kitsap Fire — Commissioner2023Unopposed
North Kitsap Fire & Rescue — Commissioner2023Unopposed
North Kitsap Fire & Rescue — Commissioner2023Unopposed
Poulsbo Fire — Commissioner2023Unopposed
Poulsbo Fire — Commissioner2023Unopposed
Port Districts
Port of Indianola — Commissioner2023Unopposed
Port of Eglon — Commissioner2023Unopposed
Port of Kingston — Commissioner2023Unopposed
Port of Poulsbo — Commissioner2023Unopposed
Port of Bremerton — Commissioner2023Unopposed
Port of Brownsville — Commissioner2023Unopposed
Port of Illahee — Commissioner2023Unopposed
Port of Tracyton — Commissioner2023Unopposed
Port of Waterman — Commissioner2023Unopposed
Water Districts
Silverdale Water District — Commissioner2023Unopposed
North Perry Water District — Commissioner2023Unopposed
Manchester Water District — Commissioner2023Unopposed
Sunnyslope Water District — Commissioner2023Unopposed
City Councils
Bremerton City Council — Position 12024Unopposed
Bremerton City Council — Position 52024Unopposed
Poulsbo City Council — Position2024Unopposed
Poulsbo City Council — Position2024Unopposed

Sources: Kitsap Daily News general election reporting (2023, 2024) · Kitsap County Auditor official results · Washington Secretary of State. Not exhaustive — a representative sample across a single two-year cycle.

Methodology: every figure above is sourced to a named public document — county election results or independent press coverage — linked inline. Nothing here is estimated or restated from memory. This page is maintained and re-verified on an ongoing basis, not published once and forgotten.Download the full dataset as CSV →