Kitsap Republicans: The Math Is Clear — And So Is the Path Forward
We just finished the primary. KMJC reviewed the vote totals and the money. Here is what the numbers actually show:
Democrats continue to hold large, structural leads. In race after race, many Republican candidates started the general election season already deep in a hole:
Teresa Fox, Gary Parker, Lance Byrd, Rick Kuss, and Kevin Tisdel all trailed their Democratic opponents by double digits. Most faced gaps of 20 points or more.
We also know how Washington’s top-two system works. When multiple Democrats run in the primary and only one advances, a large share of those eliminated Democratic votes consolidates behind the remaining Democrat in November. If that pattern holds — and history says it usually does — most of the Democratic nominees are positioned to win. The only clear exceptions are the Republican incumbents in the Mason County portions of the 35th District (MacEwen, Griffey, and Couture).
There is no documented recent case in Kitsap County of a candidate overcoming a 20-point primary deficit and winning the general election. That is not opinion. That is the record.
One race that should alarm every Republican: Phil Cook, the Republican Assessor who has historically dominated his primaries, finished behind Democrat Mike Simonds. Simonds is not a high-profile candidate with overwhelming credentials. When an experienced Republican incumbent is not the clear vote leader in a low-turnout primary, it is a warning sign that something deeper is wrong.
The fundraising gap is even worse. Money still drives modern campaigns. Look at the disparity:
Emily Randall (D) — approximately $1.2 millio versus Teresa Fox (R) — approximately $28,000
Deborah Krishnadasan (D) — approximately $225,000 versus Gary Parker (R) — approximately $71,000
Adison Richards (D) – approximately $600,000+ versus David Olson – approximately $137,00 (but with some estimates at $255,000)
We could not get the funding for Renee Hernandez Greenfield, so we don’t know how she compares to Katy Cornell who has raised approximately $230,000 (the most of any of the Republican candidates).
These all show a tremendously higher amount of campaign funds available to the Democrat candidate over their Republican opponents. The notable exception was Rick Kuss who was able to raise approximately $42,000 against Brandon Myers who has raised approximately $32,000. While Kuss’s campaign was helped by around $8000 from his own funds, he still was able to outraise his opponent. This is especially remarkable considering that Kuss’s campaign manager, Ryan Engdahl, is managing her first race. It also should be noted that Myers produced more votes per dollar raised than Kuss. That is the opposite of what should be happening if Republican voters were fully engaged and confident.
Let us be precise about what we are and are not saying.
We are not declaring that every Republican candidate is doomed. Primaries are not the general election. Higher turnout, candidate quality, and local issues can still matter.
We are not attacking the character or work ethic of the candidates themselves. Some are running serious, professional campaigns. Others appear to be on the ballot mainly so a Democrat does not run unopposed. Voters can tell the difference. Those that are running professional campaigns would, if all things were equal, be very viable candidates.
What we are saying is simple: The current odds are poor. Large primary deficits, weak fundraising, and a long pattern of Democratic consolidation make victory the exception, not the expectation. Pretending otherwise is not loyalty — it is denial.
The real problem is not the candidates. It is the environment and the strategy.
Republican voters in Kitsap have largely checked out. Many no longer believe their vote or their donation will change anything. They see a county that has leaned left for years, a trend that is not reversing, and a party that keeps running the same playbook while expecting different results.
Current estimates put the underlying electorate at roughly 47% Democratic-leaning, 32% Republican-leaning, and a sizable share of independents and non-voters. That is not a temporary mood. It is the baseline we are operating from.
What does not work:
- Doing the same things and expecting different outcomes.
- Waiting for Democrats to “go too far” and magically create a backlash that turns the county red.
- Guilt-tripping former Republicans or the remaining base. “It is your duty” is not going to entice Republicans to reengage.
- Denying the data because it is uncomfortable.
- Treating every local race as if raising national issues alone will close a 15–20 point structural gap.
What does work is changing the approach.
Political Remodel is built for exactly this situation — counties that are predominantly left leaning and where the old methods no longer produce wins. It focuses on the county party, local races, and Precinct Committee Officers.
It has four key components that will make it more successful where other conservative programs have failed. They are:
It puts a focus on the county Republican Party and making changes within their own county. It focuses on local elections and local communities. It also puts more power on the Precinct Officers (PCOs) of the party to provide better results. This is dedicated to ending any corruption or elitism within the party and within government.
It totally changes the way the public perceives their politicians. It promotes integrity and accountability for all candidates and elected officials. It promotes representatives, rather than rulers. It promotes a program that first establishes trust, then addresses needs, then provides value to the voters, then gets them to commit to voting Republican. It establishes a clear and distinct advantage of the Republican candidates over their Democrat opponents that make it easy for voters to make the right choice.
It shows Republicans how to promote conservative values that will win over majorities. It provides them with facts and information that conclusively demonstrate how socialism (in any version) is destructive and oppressive to the people. It provides the evidence to show that we currently live in a socialist society with a socialist government. It promotes that we are not becoming socialist, we already are and have been for a very long time. It shows how all the problems in our society are because of this socialist system.
It provides a positive message with better solutions to the main problems facing our communities. It promotes a program that builds a better community that is prosperous, safer, better educated, protects rights, and promotes citizen superiority over politicians.
This is how we can change the odds and outcomes of our elections.
The sole and exclusive purpose of the Republican Party is to WIN ELECTIONS. Everything else is irrelevant. The way to end a defeatist mentality is to start winning. The way that you get back ex-members is by giving them a strong incentive to return. The way that you win elections is by giving the voters a clear and convincing candidate that makes it easy to vote for.
All we are asking is that you simply read about the program. There is a website called politicalremodel.com that has multiple ways of getting the information. The site requires no contact information and does not ask for any money. It just simply let you read about the program and why it will work when others have failed.
After reading the information, then you need to decide if you think it will work or not. If you don’t think it will work, that is fine, but it is then on you to come up with something different that will work. If you do think it will work, then you need to join Take Back My County at takebackmycounty.com. There you will find the resources and information you need to help turn things around in Kitsap County.
If you happen to be one of those Republicans that feel that we cannot win, then I hope that this restores your hope and optimism. Giving up is an option when there are no alternatives, but giving up before trying all alternatives, is unforgivable.
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