Thursday, October 1, 2026
The gap between challenger Nicolas Martinez-Dunning and incumbent Emily Clouse has widened to more than 500 votes in the Thurston County Commissioner District 5 race in the Aug. 4 Primary Election.
Martinez-Dunning’s vote total stood at 4,556 or 39.17 percent, according to updated unofficial results released by the Thurston County Auditor’s Office Elections Division on Thursday evening, Aug. 6. Clouse’s vote total weighed in at 4,043 or 34.76 percent
Martinez-Dunning, a Lacey City Councilman, held a 254 vote advantage before the latest update was released.
South Sound YMCA Senior Director of Branch Operations Michelle Gipson’s vote total was 2,845 or 24.46 percent, as of Thursday evening. The top two candidates move on to the Nov. 3 General Election.
In the race for the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office top slot, incumbent Derek Sanders has received 45,492 votes or 70.99 percent, as of Thursday evening. Challenger Kevin Burton-Crow picked up 18, 394 votes or 28.70 percent.
In the race for the Thurston County Assessor's role, JJ Olson received 31,683 votes or 56.19 percent and Lynda Nashed Zeman pulled in 23,108 votes or 40.98 percent.
In the race for the Thurston County Clerk's seat, Garrett Cady received 30,836 or 49.95 percent to pull ahead of Nicole Miller, whose vote total came in at 30,562 or 49.50 percent, as of Thursday evening.
The candidates in the sheriff, assessor and clerk races all move on to the Nov. 3 General Election.
Voter turnout stood at 36.66 percent, as of Thursday evening. There are approximately 19,000 left to be counted. For complete unofficial Aug. 4 Primary Election results in Thurston County, click here.
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CobraCommander
Reposting this comment from the last article on this topic:
Boatyarddog - She has stated that she was deployed to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia as an intelligence analyst - not a combat job. These deployments aren't combat-related, so the Army calls them 'forward deployments, not combat deployments.
Her self-disclosed list of awards does not mention any campaign ribbons or combat badges awarded to her, meaning she was never in combat.
Clouse said: “All women who are veterans have their experience and service downplayed by men who think that the only way to have the honor of being a combat veteran is to be under fire, and that’s such a narrow, short-sighted definition,” Clouse said to The Olympian.
She's saying right there she was never in combat.
From the Olympian article:
'When asked what she did during her deployment, Clouse said she had a security clearance that prevented her from fully detailing what she did.'
'She said she did go to Iraq toward the end of her deployment, but said she was not allowed to elaborate on what she did there.'
I also held a security clearance, and that doesn't mean I can't say what I did; it just means you can't talk about specifics. She seems to be using supposed secrecy to embellish the truth.
'Clouse shared that she earned an Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Army Service Ribbon and Overseas Service Ribbon.'
None of these are combat or combat deployment-awarded ribbons. The first, the Army Achievement Medal, is given as a low-level achievement award for things like winning PT tests or unit competitions. The NDSM, GWoTEM, and ASR ribbons are literally given out at the end of Basic Training before one even gets to their assigned unit. The OSR means you were assigned to an overseas duty station, such as Japan or Germany. No Iraq, Afghanistan, or Syrian campaign ribbons are listed, which could signify combat duties, but even those aren't awarded for direct combat. The Army awards three distinct combat badges. The CIB, or Combat Infantrymen's Badge for infantry positions, the Combat Medical Badge for combat medics, and the CAB, or Combat Action Badge for all other military occupational specialties. Cluse, being an intelligence analyst, would only be eligible for the CAB, and only then if she was engaged in direct combat.
My experience tells me this smells like fish.
Her statements here: https://www.theolympian.com/news/local/article316647092.html
Friday, August 7 Report this
TheVirtualOne
Emily Clouse must go down. She’s got a lot of nerve even running for office again after the disastrous escapades she’s been involved with during her tenure. Read this article if you’re not familiar:
https://www.thejoltnews.com/stories/commissioner-emily-clouse-left-without-thurston-county-support-in-supreme-court-recall-case,19813
Friday, August 7 Report this
Tanker1982
I agree with the previous 2 comments
Friday, August 7 Report this
JnNwmn
Clouse has an excellent understanding of the Washington Urban Growth requirements. Clouse has voted to not allow sprawl in County areas that is unnecessary. Special interests are constantly lobbying for more development that tapayers have to pay for. Clouse has the interests of the county citizen in her decisions. Vote for Clouse.
Saturday, August 8 Report this
Boatyarddog
Thank you once again for your honest opinion. Im not a Veteran, yet I see little difference of being in a Firefight and Being a support personal IN A COMBAT ZONE, withs the potential to be killed or wounded. NO Disrespect, this just seems like a splitting Hairs. Anyone deployed to a foreign land to DEFEND Our HOMELAND interests Has the right to claim Combat experience, being Support or being on the front line. In this case, Clouse is being singled out for a POLITICAL PURPOSE. She Knows her position can help those truly in need, IS THIS NOT the Definition of Support personal.? She Is not homeless but in a supporting Role to accomplish a similar cause. Whether she Carries Support gear or fires them is NOT a differing role. It is all in the role of a bigger cause. She was IN A COMBAT ROLE by being part of a larger Cause. The Rest Is DEI mis information, there are women in COMBAT Zones they all deserve that recognition as combat Personal.
Saturday, August 8 Report this
CobraCommander
Boatyarddog - I hear you but theres no equating combat experience with desk duties. She worked behind a computer and PowerPoint presentations while others saw peoples faces when they died.
The Army didnt award her any recognitions for combat duties because she never had any. She knows this and seems to be banking on civilian misunderstanding to sell her story.
Its not a political hit to point out someone demonstrating a lack of integrity, just a shame because I expected better.
Saturday, August 8 Report this
TheVirtualOne
JnNwmn - Character matters more than knowledge. A corrupt person uses facts to trick people or gain power. Honest people use what they know to help others. Clouse is fundamentally a dishonest person who has zero character as was demonstrated in the fiascos she was involved with during her time in office. Cost taxpayers lots of money and wasted time instead of adding value for the citizens of Thurston County.
Saturday, August 8 Report this
CobraCommander
TheVirtualOne exactly why Trump should be removed from office. Well, that and being a pedophile.
Saturday, August 8 Report this
HappyOlympian
Clouse has serious ethical issues - giving a real job to a love-interest suggests no integrity. Cost our county serious bank as a result. Please, please vote her out.
Sunday, August 9 Report this
TheVirtualOne
Cobra - Guess you took a connecting flight. The article is about local elections. Quit staring at shiny objects.
“Never in my life have I seen so much corruption, bribery, bIackmail, jealousy, theft, fraud, deception, and outright bloodshed. And honestly I'm wondering why I even play Monopoly with my family in the first place.”
Sunday, August 9 Report this
CobraCommander
TheVirtualOne - It's all politics, yeah? Go after a low-level offender, but surely justice should be for the worst of the worst, correct? You whinge about nepotism yet turn a blind eye to trump.
Trump is in the Epstein files more than 28,000 times and you're supporting a child rapist.
Monday, August 10 Report this
TheVirtualOne
Cobra - I said nothing about nepotism or “support” for the president. Get some sleep. Your brain cells aren’t firing properly, that is if they ever did.
Monday, August 10 Report this
CobraCommander
You keep supporting a rapist and child molester, yet accuse me of having misfiring brain cells.
Imagine if Joe Biden had been mentioned just one time in the Epstein files.
You're going to have a lot to answer to!
Tuesday, August 11 Report this
CobraCommander
VirtualOne - I think you pretend to care about ethical or legal issues only when they happen within a party you don't support.
Tuesday, August 11 Report this
CobraCommander
https://www.citizensforethics.org/reports-investigations/crew-investigations/jared-and-ivanka-made-up-to-640-million-in-the-white-house/
Tuesday, August 11 Report this