Pierce County Sheriff Keith Swank testifies before the Washington state Senate Law and Justice Committee in Olympia on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. Voters in Pierce County rejected Charter Amendment 53, which would have made the sheriff an appointed position rather than an elected one. The measure received 68% of votes against it as of Friday. Had it passed, Swank would have been forced out of office on Jan. 1, 2027. Instead, he will complete his four-year term, elected with just over 50% of the vote in 2024.
“I am very pleased with the result,” Swank said Thursday. “It means the people of Pierce County want to continue to exercise their right to vote for sheriff.” He noted that some voters who did not support him in 2024 voted against the measure. “It’s about the job, not the person in the job,” he said.
Voters also turned down Charter Amendment 54, which would have established a new board to provide independent oversight of the sheriff and sheriff’s department. Swank stated he did not want it to pass and would not cooperate if it did.
In Snohomish County, Proposition 3, which aimed to make county executive and county council offices nonpartisan, was losing badly with a 70% to 30% margin against it. Jennifer Gregerson, a member of the Snohomish County Charter Review Commission, opposed the proposal. “To me it’s important to give voters all the information that we can and I think partisan identification is one piece of that picture,” Gregerson said. “I am just glad to see the voters in the county recognize that and they don’t want candidates to hide their beliefs.”
In Everett, voters almost unanimously approved Proposition 1 to ban elected city officials from holding any other elected public office at any level of government. The measure received 93% support. A mayor or city council member can still run for another elected office, like the county council or the state Legislature. If they win, they would lose their city post when they are sworn in to the new job.
Randy Bolerjack, who served on the city charter review panel and backed the measure, said, “Throughout Snohomish County, there are too many examples of politicians collecting elected offices. Representatives in government should hold the trust of one elected position at a time.”
