Rainier Mayor to run for county commissioner seat

Long-standing Rainier Mayor Jerry Cole has filed to run for a county commissioner seat. The primary election takes place May 19, 2026, with the top two vote receivers advancing to a vote in the general election next November.

"I've served the community as mayor for the last 24 years and before that on other boards," said Cole. "I think I've gained the experience to take it to the next step, and I can make a difference at the county level using some of the same common-sense approaches I've used over my tenure as mayor."

Cole will continue his mayoral duties during the campaign and said if he advances to the general election, he does not plan to file to run again in the Rainier mayoral election. When asked about specific issues he will be focusing on in his campaign for county commissioner, he said he is focused on fiscal responsibility and transparency. "I feel the county currently [has] got themselves in a position fiscally [with] not a whole lot of carry-over for future projects," he said. "They've dug themselves a hole with [the] budget fiscally, and we need to take a deep look. Transparency is another one. I'm always engaged with [the] community, comparably speaking to other political colleagues throughout the county, [and] there's no doubt that I engage the community the most. With my background, public health and safety is always priority number one for me. I've always advocated for the sheriff's office and the jail."

Cole also cited economic development as a big interest and a desire to help create an infrastructure to make things happen. "We're lacking a power component for those things to come in and someone needs to champion a little harder," he said. "[It's getting] back to basics, focusing on how to improve some roads and better and wisely spend the money for those projects."