Lacey Republican Club Opts Not To Endorse Township Committee Candidates

by Patricia A. Miller

Lacey Republicans will choose from a field of five Township Committee candidates in the June primary, not two, after they failed to reach a consensus at a contentious club meeting earlier this week.

Club member James K. LeTellier, who plans to run for a Township Committee seat - said a club faction attempted to pack the club with new members to oust Mayor Gary Quinn.

The faction included Committeeman Mark Dykoff, Lacey Board of Education Vice-President Eric Schubiger and newly-elected school board member David Bidwell, who bought in more than 40 new members for the meeting.

In the end, 98 members, including the new ones, cast ballots. Quinn had enough votes to satisfy the club by-laws, with more than 50 percent of the vote. But club members decided to allow all five members on the club ballot to run as individuals, LeTellier said.

The field of five who will run in the June primary include Quinn, Dykoff, Schubiger, LeTellier and Thomas Crowell.

Quinn said after the March 12 Township Committee meeting he had no problem running on his own.

It’s no secret in town that Quinn did not want to be on the ticket with former running mate Mark Dykoff. Quinn began distancing himself from Dykoff after an incident at a Republican picnic in September when Dykoff punched then-Township Committeeman David E. Most in the face.

LeTellier said after the meeting last night he would take no pension benefits or the ”Cadillac” health benefits Township Committee members now take if he was elected.

Democratic Club Chairman Gary Vaccaro said last night the club would announce their candidates on March 30.