Gabriel Frase appears to have defeated fellow Republican Tracy Murphy in the race for Lewis County sheriff, according to preliminary election results.
As of 8:04 p.m. Tuesday, Frase, special services chief with the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, had earned 56.53% of the 29,999 votes cast in the race, a total of 16,959 votes.
Murphy, a former Centralia police sergeant, had earned 41.53%, a total of 12,460 votes.
Write-in candidates received 580 votes, 1.93% of the total.
There were 33,294 ballots cast in the county for a voter turnout of 55% as of election night.
Frase is a first-time sheriff candidate. Murphy previously ran in 2022, losing to incumbent Sheriff Rob Snaza in the general election.
“We are very optimistic,” Frase told The Chronicle Tuesday night shortly after the preliminary results were posted. “And if things hold as they are, we are looking forward to serving the citizens of Lewis County for many years.”
In a statement posted to his campaign Facebook page, Frase said he was proud of his message and “thankful for the trust voters have placed in me.”
“It is clear that Lewis County expects its Sheriff’s Office to be led with integrity, experience, and a commitment to putting public safety first,” Frase said.
The presumed next sheriff acknowledged outstanding ballots remained to be counted.
“To my family, friends, volunteers, and everyone who has stood beside me, your time, hard work, and belief in what we can accomplish together have meant more than you know. I’m grateful for your support and excited about the future of the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office,” Frase said.
Murphy was the first candidate to file with the Washington state Public Disclosure Commission for the 2026 election in May 2025. Frase was the last to join the primary field. He registered for the ballot during candidate filing week in May.
Frase and Murphy prevailed in the August primary election after outgaining Matt McKnight, deputy chief of the Chehalis Police Department, and Danny Riordan, a deputy with the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.
Riordan would later publicly endorse Murphy.
Murphy has remained a candidate during the election cycle, despite being fired by Centralia Police Chief Andy Caldwell in April following an internal investigation. The investigation stemmed from an anonymous complaint submitted to the Washington state Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) in January.
The complainant alleged Murphy had made “repeated statements” claiming Lewis County Sheriff Rob Snaza acquires and protects drug dealers, who then distribute cocaine to prominent area Republicans.
The police chief ultimately fired Murphy for exhibiting “dishonesty” during the investigation itself, as he noted in a subsequent memorandum. Caldwell has continued to add memorandums to the file, documenting others, including McKnight, who have come forward to corroborate the complainant’s original claims.
Murphy is protesting his termination through a grievance process with his union. An arbitration hearing with the City of Centralia is scheduled for Nov. 19 and 20.
“I know that the union wouldn’t be spending as much money as they’re spending to defend me and get my job back if they even thought that I was in the wrong,” Murphy said in a video posted to his campaign’s Facebook page in September. “So, we know the truth, and we know that it will come out.”
Snaza has publicly denied allegations that he protects drug dealers. In July, he announced he’d requested state and federal investigations into his own alleged involvement in crime and narcotics trafficking.
The longtime sheriff announced his decision to retire following the end of his term in a November 2025 memorandum sent to office staff.
Snaza was first elected sheriff in Lewis County in 2014 after considering a run in 2010.
He was reelected in 2018 and again in 2022.
