Unopposed Races Aren't a Kitsap Problem. They're an American Problem.

I built the Unopposed Race Tracker on this website because I wanted Kitsap County residents to see the local data. But the more I researched it, the more I realized: this isn’t a Kitsap problem. It’s an American problem.

And it’s getting worse.

The national picture

In any given election cycle, roughly 30 to 40 percent of state legislative races across the country feature only one candidate on the general election ballot. In some states it’s higher. In local races — school boards, water districts, county clerks, judges, prosecutors — the numbers are even more stark. Most of these offices never make the news. Most voters couldn’t name the person holding them.

The result is a self-reinforcing cycle: low visibility leads to no challengers, which leads to no accountability, which leads to lower visibility. The office becomes invisible. The incumbent becomes permanent. And the voters who would benefit most from a competitive race — the ones who need the court system to work, who need their school board to be responsive, who need their county government to be fiscally responsible — are the ones who lose.

What drives it

Several things converge to produce this problem.

First, most people genuinely don’t know these offices exist or what they do. The county clerk manages the entire court record system, processes jury pools, handles passport applications, and maintains decades of legal documents. It’s one of the most operationally significant offices in county government. Most Kitsap residents couldn’t tell you who holds it.

Second, running for local office is harder than it looks. Navigating PDC filings, campaign finance rules, sign ordinances, and voter targeting takes time and knowledge that most people don’t have. The barrier to entry isn’t high in dollar terms — my campaign is self-funded at under $10,000 — but it’s high in complexity and unfamiliarity.

Third, appointed officials have a structural advantage. When someone is appointed to fill a vacancy — as happened with the Kitsap County Clerk in 2021 — they build incumbency before they ever face voters. Name recognition, institutional relationships, and the appearance of legitimacy all accumulate before a single vote is cast.

Why local races are where it matters most

Federal elections get all the attention. But the offices that most directly affect your daily life are local. Who manages the court records when you’re going through a divorce. Who coordinates the jury pool when you’re called to serve. Who oversees the budget when the county is facing a projected $9.8 million shortfall. Who sets the curriculum in your kid’s school district.

These are not abstract policy questions. They’re operational decisions made by people who were, in many cases, never truly chosen by the voters they serve.

What you can do about it

Vote in primary elections. August primaries in Washington State — like the one on August 4th — are decided by a fraction of registered voters. High-propensity primary voters have disproportionate influence precisely because turnout is low. Your vote in a local primary carries more weight than your vote in a presidential general election.

Run for something. Seriously. The barrier is lower than you think. Most local offices have no serious opposition. A school board seat, a water district commission, a port authority position — these are winnable with a few hundred hours of effort and a genuine desire to serve your community. You don’t need a political background. You need a skill set and a reason.

Pay attention to the races at the bottom of the ballot. The clerk. The assessor. The prosecuting attorney. The judges. These positions shape how the system works for everyone — and they almost never get scrutinized.

I’m running for County Clerk because I saw an office that wasn’t living up to its potential and a race that had gone uncontested for years. That combination felt like an invitation.

Unopposed races must stop. But they won’t stop on their own. They stop when people decide to participate.