Five Lewis County residents have filed with the Washington state Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) in preparation to run for Lewis County sheriff in the first race for the position in many years that will not include incumbent Sheriff Rob Snaza.
More than three months away from the county's candidate filing week in May — when Lewis County residents will be able to officially put their name on the 2026 ballot — some candidates have already made their plans clear through their registration with the PDC.
While the race for Lewis County sheriff promises to be one of the most closely watched races in the county, other competitions are also beginning to take shape.
Both current Lewis County Commissioner Scott Brummer and Lewis County Public Utility District Commissioner Mike Hadaller filed disclosures with the PDC earlier this month. The two are the first to reveal their plans to run for the Lewis County Board of Commissioners District 3 seat — the only seat on the commission up for reelection this year.
Candidates have filed disclosures for five other elected county positions, and all but one are, as of Friday afternoon, unopposed. All of the candidates who have so far filed reports are planning to run as Republicans.
Lewis County sheriff
Candidates for the top law enforcement spot in the county represent each of the three law enforcement agencies in the area, with all five being either current or former officers with the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, the Centralia Police Department or the Chehalis Police Department.
A former candidate for the position and current member of the Centralia Police Department, Tracy Murphy filed his disclosure all the way back in May 2025. Murphy lost to Snaza in the most recent election for the office held in 2022.
Kenneth Cheeseman, a longtime member of the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office and former patrol deputy, filed his disclosure in June and updated a Facebook page dedicated to his campaign earlier this month.
In July, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Justin Kangas filed a disclosure announcing his plans to run for the top job.
Another longtime Lewis County Sheriff’s Office Deputy, Daniel “Danny” Riordan, threw his hat in the ring in October and has since been active on a campaign-related Facebook account titled “Elect Daniel ‘Danny’ Riordan for Lewis County Sheriff.”
Finally, Deputy Police Chief Mathew McKnight with the Chehalis Police Department filed his disclosure in November and has also been active on a Facebook account for his campaign.
Lewis County commissioners
It appears Brummer and Hadaller will go head-to-head in the fall of 2026 in a somewhat expected showdown. The two rural Republicans come from opposite ends of the county, despite both residing within Lewis County’s Commissioner District 3. Brummer comes from the south end of Winlock while Hadaller comes from Morton.
The two filed their financial disclosures on the same day this month and are so far the only two candidates running for the commissioner seat. Hadaller has not yet responded to requests for comment on his campaign. Brummer responded to a request for comment earlier this month. In that statement, he touted the experience he has gained in the position in the last four years serving as commissioner and added that, if reelected, he would remain focused on transparency and the county budget.
Other races
Two Lewis County residents, former Lewis County Republicans Chair Mitchel Townsend and former Chehalis City Councilor Michael Bannan, have filed disclosures for campaigns to become the next Lewis County auditor. According to the filings, Townsend filed earlier this month, just after the start of the new year. No additional information is available about Bannan’s registration.
The incumbent and longtime Lewis County Auditor Larry Grove has not filed a disclosure and it's unclear if he will seek reelection.
Kevin M. Emerson, a former Lewis County PUD commissioner candidate who failed to beat out Hadaller in a 2022 bid, has filed a disclosure for his campaign for Lewis County assessor. He is currently the only candidate who has filed to run for the job. The incumbent and current assessor, Ross Nielson, has not yet filed a disclosure and it is unclear if he will seek to retain his spot in the county.
Current and longtime Lewis County Treasurer Arny Davis, who has filled the role for around 10 years after first winning election in 2015, filed for his reelection campaign in October. He is currently the only candidate.
Another longtime Lewis County official, Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer, filed a disclosure for his reelection bid on Tuesday, Jan. 20. He currently faces no challengers.
Two more longtime incumbents have filed disclosures with the state, presumably to run for reelection. That's Scott Tinney, who serves as the Lewis County clerk, and Warren McLeod, the current Lewis County coroner.
