6 days ago
Richland mayor pro tem knocked out of office by ineligible candidate. Here's why
Richland voters handed Mayor Pro Tem Sandra Kent, their longest-serving city council member, a defeat in the Aug. 5 primary.
Kent placed a distant third in the three-way primary to challengers Patricia 'Pat' Holten and Robert Walko, according to preliminary Benton County vote results.
Kent, a Hanford attorney who did not campaign or participate in the voter's pamphlet, received just 19% of the vote.
That is nearly 550 fewer votes than Walko, who attempted to withdraw from the race after realizing he doesn't meet the city's eligibility requirements.
Kent could not be reached Wednesday about the results.
Holten and Walko will face off in November, with Holton enjoying a commanding lead.
Walko, a cybersecurity professional at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, told the Tri-City Herald he realized too late that he hadn't lived in the city at least two years, a requirement for office under the Richland city charter.
He realized the problem after the deadline had passed to remove his name from the primary ballot. He announced early on that he was no longer actively running.
Regardless, his name will automatically be on the November ballot and Kent is out, according to the county's top election officer.
Benton County Auditor Brenda Chilton said ineligible candidates survive primaries every few election cycles. Their names go on the November ballot anyway.
If the candidate wins, they can take office and be declared ineligible by a court, or decline to take office. Either way, the seat becomes vacant and an appointee is selected by the rest of the council.
The candidate that lost does not win by default and take office.
Chilton said Washington election law is clear: Auditors do not determine if candidates meet all eligibility requirements, and they don't have the authority to remove names from ballots.
'We're not the eligibility police,' she said.
Primary results will be updated Wednesday afternoon. However, it is unlikely Kent can overcome a 500+ vote deficit and pull ahead of Walko.
Chilton confirmed that Walko reached out after realizing he didn't meet the eligibility criteria. She advised him to consult with the city about his next steps.
He could not be reached Wednesday morning to comment on how he plans to proceed.
Kent is one of three Richland council incumbents who filed for election in 2025. She is the only one who did not survive the primary.
Kurt Maier and Ryan Whitten both faced multiple challengers and secured enough votes to advance to the November general election. A fourth seat is open after the incumbent, Ryan Lukson, opted not to seek another term.
Maier will face Kyle Saltz in the race for Position 6 and Whitten will face Colin Michael in the race for Position 7.
Donald Landsman and John Maier, son of Kurt Maier, will square off for the Position 4 seat being vacated by Lukson.
Richland council members are elected at-large from across the city. In November, the city's voters will be asked to alter the charter to adopt council districts.
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