Friday, October 2, 2026
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A three-way race for the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners District 5 seat won’t end well for one of the contestants in the Aug. 4 Primary Election.
The District 5 contest pits incumbent Emily Clouse against Lacey City Councilman Nicolas Martinez- Dunning and South Sound YMCA Senior Director of Branch Operations Michelle Gipson. The top two finishers will move on to face each other in the Nov. 3 General Election.
At stake is a four-year term on the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners, which comes with an annual salary of $147,936 or $12,328 per month, plus benefits.
Emily Clouse (Democrat): She is seeking reelection for a second term in office. Clouse is a U.S. Army veteran, who calls herself a “pro-democracy” candidate. She represents Thurston County on several boards and committees, such as Thurston Climate Mitigation Collaborative, Joint Animal Services Commission, Olympic Regional Clean Air Agency Regional Housing Council. Clouse is also the Co-Founder and Executive Director of CARE Olympia.
If elected to a second term, Clouse said she will look to continue the progress that she’s made from her first term by expanding and supporting housing opportunities for individuals, protecting the local climate, and advancing clear budget processes so residents understand where their tax dollars go.
Michelle Gipson (Democrat): She is the Senior Director of Branch Operations at South Sound YMCA, where she oversees youth, family and community programming. Gipson is also a member of North Thurston Public Schools Board of Directors, a position that she’s held since 2023. She’s involved in several boards and committees, including the PARC Foundation, Lacey Parks Advisory Committee, and the Thurston County Racial Equity and Inclusion Committee.
If elected, Gipson aims to protect renters and homeowners from unfair practices, advocate for safer learning environments in schools, and protect the local environment by supporting sustainable development and encouraging responsible environmental stewardship. Furthermore, Gipson supports prevention programs that keep young people engaged, and she’s committed to building a transparent government.
Nicolas Martinez-Dunning (Moderate Democrat): He is an award-winning business owner and a Lacey City Council member for the past three years. He sits on several committees, such as the Solid Waste Advisory Committee, the Economic Development Council, and Law Enforcement and Firefighter Pension Committee. Martinez-Dunning is a disabled military combat veteran with 10 years of service between the U.S. Marine Corps and Washington National Guard.
In a statement made in the Thurston County Voter’s Pamphlet, Dunning said, “It’s time to move beyond political fighting and unite around practical solutions that improve safety, affordability, opportunity, and transparency for everyone in Thurston County.”
Voting is underway for the Aug. 4 Primary Election. The Thurston County Auditor’s Elections Division mailed out more than 207,000 ballots to registered voters about two weeks ago.
Any registered voter who thinks they should have received a ballot but hasn’t as of yet, should contact the Elections Division at 360-786-5408 or elections@co.thurston.wa.us, said the auditor's office in an announcement.
The Elections Division has also opened 31 secure ballot drop boxes. A list of ballot drop boxes and addresses is included in mailed ballot materials, but can also be found here. Drop boxes are open until 8 p.m. on Aug. 4.
The Elections Division is a designated voting center during business hours. Voters may register to vote, update their current registration, obtain a ballot, or use a voting assistance device at the Voting Center.
The Elections Division Voting Center is located at 2915 29th Ave. SW in Tumwater.
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Claire
Clouse, OUT! Dunning, IN! Clouse owes the voters of Thurston County $300,000.00. Despite her claiming to be a "pro-democracy" candidate, she has done the complete opposite by advocating for 'executive sessions' frequently. Out!
Monday, July 27 Report this
JW
Elect a Clouse, get a circus
Monday, July 27 Report this
Boatyarddog
Claire. The Scammer that Clouse got involved with had done the same to another "employer" in the past. He originally tried to get 750k, due to the lawsuit settled for 300k. not chump change but Clouses fought the bogus suit, won and Learned a lesson. Mistakes were made E. CLOUSE is a good Commissioner and stands her ground when wronged. Nothing wrong with that, she advocates for Homeless People, Environment, Community. Dunning wouldn't do that. He's the wrong person to have on TC commission. Has the wrong values and lack any experience in being a elected official, ZERO EXPERIENCE!
Monday, July 27 Report this
WhamboMPS
I respectfully disagree with @Boatyarddog. What they wrote about whomever the person was that sued the county may indeed be true - I don't know. But what I do believe is that Clouse had a personal relationship with a subordinate. While she may (and only may) have walked into a trap, she still made an unacceptable decision that cost the residents of the county hundreds of thousands of dollars. Because she was elected, the county was unable to fire her. Any other employee of the county would have been terminated immediately, as would any private sector employee.
Bottom line, you don't date someone who works for you. This should be common knowledge. Clouse displayed terrible judgment in breaking this rule. She should be punished by the voters for this blatantly unprofessional conduct that cost every man, woman, and child in the county approximately $0.75.
Tuesday, July 28 Report this
RondaLarsonKramer
When a candidate says they support "sustainable development," we should ask them to define it. In politics, the phrase is often used as a slogan. In land-use planning, it has a much more specific meaning: building up, not out—directing growth into existing urban areas rather than sprawling into forests, farmland, and other undeveloped lands. If a candidate simply says they support "sustainable development" without explaining what that means in practice, it's difficult to know what they actually support. The same is true of the word "balance." Candidates often talk about balancing growth and environmental protection, but that framing assumes the two are in conflict. When growth occurs in the right places, protecting the environment and accommodating new housing reinforce one another rather than compete.
Tuesday, July 28 Report this
Boatyarddog
WhamboMPS, I don't believe she knew this fact of not dating an "employee". Truth is "you can't know what you don't know. SHE GOT SCAMMED. Aside of that she's fighting for just causes. Can you truthfully say Others in her position have not made mistakes? I believe the judge that heard the FACTS of the case made good judgements. The FACT that the scammer knew they did wrong, and had done it before. Settled for less than half of what he attempted to get. Move On.
Tuesday, July 28 Report this
Gigi319
Clouse is for the people. She goes out of her way to show up for our community members who have less, are struggling with mental health challenges, and is a huge advocate for unheard voices being given a platform to talk and give input. To me, she's a real one, makes mistakes, but who the **** doesn't. When it comes to transparency she wants to the community to know where money is being spent. I can't say thar about the other candidates or current commissioners.
Tuesday, July 28 Report this
JS122471
I am looking into Gipson, more to see if she is viable, while I believe the allegations about Clouse are false, she still showed poor judgement in having a relationship with an employee. That opened her up to the false claims and cost us money. Dunning is by far the worst choice. Another hot head like Wayne on the board is not what we need. The guy is a joke and is a Fetterman type democrat, meaning really a republican.
Wednesday, July 29 Report this
Boatyarddog
It really Clear that Dunning is ANTI DEI. Hard to believe he would Attempt to Lead Voters to believe that a Specific Role in the military in a Known Hotbed of Violence would be Non Combat Experience, its clear that a Person capable of that level of misinformation that would attempt to mislead the Public is NOT deserving of a role where Transparency is a Requirement.
E.Clouse deserves and is capable of serving the peoples Trust. VOTING FOR E. Clouse
Sunday, August 2 Report this