Appraiser outspends incumbent assessor by $63,000 in Island County race

Island County voters will choose a new property assessor on Tuesday, November 3, following a campaign defined by a stark difference in spending between the two finalists.

Doug Stults, an appraiser currently working in the assessor's office, has spent nearly $69,000 on his campaign. His rival, incumbent Assessor Kelly Mauck, has reported $5,278 in expenditures. Stults' total is more than 13 times that of his opponent.

Stults funded his effort primarily through personal wealth. He contributed approximately $43,000 in cash and in-kind support. The campaign raised only $465 from other contributors. Stults' campaign also carries nearly $26,000 in outstanding debt. He stated that he covered the costs because he had never run for office before. He hired CN4 Partners, a Seattle-based political consulting firm, to manage the operation. The spending included signs, mailers, and professional advice.

Mauck, who is running without a party preference, raised $1,700 from the Washington Association of Realtors. She received no money from development businesses or political action committees. She questioned whether Stults' large personal investment signals that elected positions are for sale. She noted that she has heard voters describe the spending as a red flag. She also suggested that Stults' Democratic affiliation may have helped him secure a primary victory. In the August primary, Stults received 15,078 votes, or 52.8 percent. Mauck received 13,470 votes, or 47.2 percent.

Stults argued that self-funding protects the office from outside influence. He wrote that he has taken no contributions from real estate or development businesses. He said he will be accountable to voters rather than donors. He emphasized the need for diligence in property assessments to prevent errors for taxpayers.

The spending levels in the assessor's race contrast sharply with other county contests. In the sheriff's race, challenger Tavier Wasser raised $49,937 without using personal funds. Incumbent Sheriff Rick Felici raised $26,147. In the county commissioner race, candidates Grant Shaw and Matthew Van Pelt have spent a combined $57,565. Both rely partly on personal loans, with Shaw reporting $13,100 in liabilities and Van Pelt reporting $21,900.

Historical records from the state Public Disclosure Commission show that assessor candidates spent a combined $34,250 in the four elections between 2010 and 2022. Stults' spending this year is more than 17 times the combined amount spent in the 2022 race alone.