FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Skagit County Commissioners to Interview County Coroner Candidates
Skagit County Coroner Hayley Thompson has announced her intention to resign from her office effective September 18, 2026. Coroner Thompson’s current term as coroner ends on December 31, 2026. With the decision to resign before the end of her elected term, a nomination process will be conducted by the Skagit County Democrats to replace Coroner Thompson. The candidate ultimately appointed to the vacant seat will serve until the November general election results are certified. The coroner position will be on the ballot November 2026 and the newly elected coroner will take office as soon as the election results are certified.
The process to nominate a candidate for a vacant elected position is outlined in RCW 36.16.110, and Washington Constitution Article II, Section 15. The County Commissioners are required to select a candidate from a list of nominees to fill the vacancy provided by the political party of the person who held the office. Since Coroner Thompson was elected as a Democrat, the Skagit County Democratic party must provide three names for the County Commissioners to consider for the vacancy. The selected candidates are expected to be named by the Democratic Party on Thursday, September 10, 2026.
The County Commissioners are scheduled to interview all candidates for the vacant Coroner position on Friday, September 11, 2026, from 8:00 – 10:30 a.m. in the Commissioners’ Hearing Room at 1800 Continental Place, Mount Vernon. The public is welcome to join the interviews in-person. The interviews will also be broadcast on TV21 and available to watch via Zoom at the link on the Commissioners’ website.
After the interviews have concluded, the Commissioners will meet in a private executive session to discuss the qualifications of each candidate. After the conclusion of the executive session, the Commissioners will publicly reconvene in the Hearing Room to potentially vote on the nomination of one candidate to the County Coroner position.
The Commissioners may also decide to defer the final vote to a later date. Under Washington Constitution Article II, Section 15, the Commissioners have 60 days after the vacancy begins to vote for a new coroner. If a decision is not made within 60 days, the Governor then has 30 days to nominate a candidate for the vacant seat.
Questions about the interviews or nomination process can be sent to the Commissioners’ office at commissioners@skagitcountyway.gov or (360) 416-1300.
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