With candidate filing week starting Monday, Centralia Mayor Kelly Smith Johnston announced this week she is running for re-election for her at-large city council position in a campaign news release.
“As a city councilor, I will continue to be involved, listen and take action on behalf of Centralians.” Smith Johnston said in the release. “Our future is bright, but we need to protect the quality of life here that we all value as Centralia grows. I will fight for our community and make sure that Centralia has a strong, respected voice with our local and state partners.”
Smith Johnston’s first term coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent shutdowns, and she is proud to have been a part of the city council that had to navigate during those tough times while still ensuring state and federal dollars were invested responsibly according to the release.
She also helped organize the first countywide housing summit toward the end of the shutdowns to help spark action surrounding the affordable housing crisis.
Candidate filing week is from May 15 to May 19. Those wishing to run for government positions in the next election can do so in a variety of ways.
In Lewis County, candidates should file with the Lewis County Auditor’s Office, either online, in person or by mail.
Candidates seeking to file online in Lewis County can do so by going to https://elections.lewiscountywa.gov and selecting “Online Candidate Filing.” Those filing online must pay their filing fee online with a credit card.
Those wishing to file in person can do so at the Lewis County Auditor’s Office from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. during filing week. Candidates will be required to file using the online filing system at a customer kiosk. Assistance will be provided as needed.
For those filing by mail, the Lewis County Elections mailing address is P.O. Box 29, 351 NW North St., Chehalis, WA 98532. Mailed candidate declarations must be received by 4:30 p.m. on May 19.
To see which offices are open for candidate filing, current incumbents and filing fees, go to https://elections.lewiscountywa.gov/candidate-filing-information/ and select “Offices Open for Election.”
