County

Lewis County Auditor

Vote for: 1
Term: 4 years
Candidates: 2
Election: Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: The auditor runs the county's elections, records property documents and licenses, and keeps the county's books.

Candidates Compare by issue

Mitchell L. Merrill

Prefers Republican Party

Certified public accountant; business owner

The gist

Supports a CPA managing the auditor's office
Pledges elections free from material error
Pledges modern technology and public access to information

More about Mitchell

View sources (1)

Supports a CPA managing the auditor's office
Candidate statement, Online Voters' Guide, November 3, 2026 General Election
Provided by the campaign · Washington Secretary of State (statement written by the candidate) · voter.votewa.gov
“Lewis County citizens deserve an office that remains accurate, transparent, responsive, and professionally managed by a Certified Public Accountant.”
Pledges elections free from material error
Candidate statement, Online Voters' Guide, November 3, 2026 General Election
Provided by the campaign · Washington Secretary of State (statement written by the candidate) · voter.votewa.gov
“Elections must continue to be free from material error and fairly administered so the voice of the people is honored.”
Pledges modern technology and public access to information
Candidate statement, Online Voters' Guide, November 3, 2026 General Election
Provided by the campaign · Washington Secretary of State (statement written by the candidate) · voter.votewa.gov
“continue to leverage modern technology, and give power to the people through access to information.”

Mitch Townsend

Prefers Republican Party

Business owner; digital engineer

The gist

Pledges to review every auditor's office practice within 30 days
Proposes auditing voter rolls, including with AI
Proposes a full financial re-examination of county departments
Pledges to advocate for state election reform

More about Mitch

View sources (1)

Pledges to review every auditor's office practice within 30 days
Candidate statement, Online Voters' Guide, November 3, 2026 General Election
Provided by the campaign · Washington Secretary of State (statement written by the candidate) · voter.votewa.gov
“Examine every practice and process within 30 days.”
Proposes auditing voter rolls, including with AI
Candidate statement, Online Voters' Guide, November 3, 2026 General Election
Provided by the campaign · Washington Secretary of State (statement written by the candidate) · voter.votewa.gov
“Audit Lewis County Voter Rolls to ensure 100% accuracy using existing methods and AI.”
Proposes a full financial re-examination of county departments
Candidate statement, Online Voters' Guide, November 3, 2026 General Election
Provided by the campaign · Washington Secretary of State (statement written by the candidate) · voter.votewa.gov
“Initiate a full financial re-examination of all County departments.”
Pledges to advocate for state election reform
Candidate statement, Online Voters' Guide, November 3, 2026 General Election
Provided by the campaign · Washington Secretary of State (statement written by the candidate) · voter.votewa.gov
“I will strongly advocate for State Election Reform.”

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 2 issues covered in this race.