Incumbents faltered in key elections in Pacific County, Wash., Tuesday night.
Preliminary unofficial results for the mayoral race in the small city of Ilwaco show 24-year-old challenger Eddie Hillard with more than 70 percent of the vote, well ahead of incumbent Mike Cassinelli, who was seeking a fourth term.
Hillard is the owner and operator of Drop Anchor Seafood and Grill in Long Beach. Even as he pushed for greater transparency and involvement during his campaign, he said it was never about politics.
“It was about bringing people together and building a future where everybody’s voices are heard and valued,” he told KMUN Tuesday night.
Cassinelli accepted the results Tuesday night though admitted he felt letdown after putting in more than a dozen years in local government. The 82-year-old retired electrician felt his age was against him in the race. He pointed to former President Joe Biden and current President Donald Trump and the past and current debates around people of their age seeking and serving in higher office.
“It’s been their age and their age and their age,” Cassinelli said.
But he said the voters had spoken.
“I don’t know (Hillard) that well,” Cassinelli said. “He has a good reputation and I wish him luck.”
An estimated 1,710 ballots still need to be counted. The next ballot count is scheduled for Friday.
If the results hold, Hillard plans to begin meeting with city staff so he can hit the ground running when he takes office in January. He told KMUN that after he is sworn in one of his top priorities will be encouraging and building more citizen engagement with city business and city council meetings.
“We’ve got our comprehensive plan update, which is due June of 2027,” he said. “And that is a huge piece as we look toward the future … We are expected to see some awesome growth and I want to make sure that we’re going about that in the most effective way possible that includes everybody.”
Port of Ilwaco race
In the race for the Port of Ilwaco District 3 commissioner seat, a former manager of the port seems poised for a win.
Guy Glenn Jr. had just over 70 percent of the vote Tuesday night. Incumbent Butch Smith trailed with less than 30 percent of the vote.
“I’m very honored by the turnout and the election results,” Glenn said. “I’m just ready to move forward as soon as everything’s finalized.”
Glenn served as the port’s manager for eight years before resigning in 2021. He has worked as the executive finance manager for the Port of Columbia County since 2023. He will continue in this job even as he takes on the role of commissioner at the Port of Ilwaco.
During his campaign, Glenn told The Chinook Observer one of his top priorities if elected is the financial condition of the port. Both he and Smith pointed to their experience working with and around the Port of Ilwaco. On Tuesday, Glenn said his previous experience as well as his current job gives him a lot of insight now as he expects to go into this new role.
“I know the people that are impacted by the port,” Glenn said. “And the enjoyment and the sense of community that the port brings to the town and to the region is really important and dear to my heart and my family and friends and just the community in general.”
On Tuesday, Smith told KMUN it was clear the voters had made their decision. He said he was disappointed, but “I love the Port of Ilwaco. It’s where I live and where my family’s done business for over five generations…I want the port to be successful.”
Smith had served as a port commissioner for more than a decade and, previously, was an Ilwaco City councilor. But he said he has no plans to pursue elected office going forward. He expects his involvement with the port will be minimal beyond the interactions usual with running his business there.
“I always feel…on something like this, the duty of the person who didn’t win the race is to get out of the way,” Smith said. “Because the voters have spoken. So I don’t intend to do anything but go back to be a private citizen.”
The district three seat is a six-year term.
Port of Peninsula race
Farther north, a challenger looks likely to unseat incumbent Bill Derion at the troubled Port of Peninsula.
Last year, a state audit found financial mismanagement at the port and the port has faced regular criticism from members of the community over how it conducts public meetings and other issues of transparency.
John Oakes, a commercial fishermen and cranberry farmer, said he ran over concerns about lack of transparency and oversight at the port. He leads with just over 70 percent of the vote. Derion, who co-owns the Mermaid Inn and RV Park in Long Beach, trails with nearly 29 percent of the vote.