Gabriel Frase and Tracy Murphy were leading the all-Republican field in the Lewis County sheriff’s primary race Tuesday night, according to preliminary election results.
As of 8:06 p.m. Tuesday, Frase, special services chief with the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, led all candidates with 36.30% of the 14,627 votes cast in the race, or 5,309 votes.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the support we’ve received from voters across Lewis County,” Frase told The Chronicle Tuesday night. “Tonight’s results are very encouraging, and I’m proud of the campaign we’ve run and the message we’ve brought to voters. There are still votes to be counted, and we respect that process. Thank you to everyone who has supported us and put their trust in me. I’m looking forward to the work ahead and continuing to earn the trust of Lewis County.”
Murphy, a former Centralia police sergeant, was second with 34.17% of the votes, or 4,998 votes.
“I am deeply honored and humbled by the trust the citizens of Lewis County have placed in me by advancing our campaign to the General Election,” Murphy said in a statement released at about 8:45 p.m. Tuesday.
Despite acknowledging the primary as an “important milestone,” Murphy said the “work is far from over.”
“The General Election is just three months away, and I look forward to continuing to earn the trust and support of voters across Lewis County,” Murphy said.
Matt McKnight, deputy chief of the Chehalis Police Department, was a distant third with 16.07% of the votes, or 2,351 votes.
Danny Riordan, a deputy with the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, trailed all candidates with 11.91% of the votes, or 1,742 votes.
Write-in candidates received 227 votes, 1.55% of the total.
If the results hold, Frase and Murphy will face off in the November general election. McKnight and Riordan will be out of the race.
This is Frase’s first time running for Lewis County sheriff. Murphy previously ran in 2022, losing to incumbent Sheriff Rob Snaza in the general election.
Murphy was the first candidate to file with the Washington state Public Disclosure Commission for the 2026 election in May 2025. He is the only candidate not employed by a law enforcement agency. Murphy was fired by Centralia Police Chief Andy Caldwell on April 29 following an internal investigation.
Murphy is currently protesting his termination through a grievance process with his union.
Frase was the last candidate to join the primary field. He registered for the ballot during candidate filing week in May.
Snaza announced his decision to retire as sheriff 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.
As of Tuesday night, a total of 15,984 voters had cast ballots in Lewis County, 27% of the 59,806 registered voters.
The next tally was expected to be released at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 5.
