Yelm mayoral candidates urges community to turn out for vote

Though Yelm’s three candidates for the mayoral race in the Aug. 5 primary election might tend to disagree on various topics, incumbent Joe DePinto and challengers JW Foster and Dustin Stephan agree on the fact that voter turnout in the city must improve.

When DePinto ran against former candidate Dennise Butler for the position of mayor in 2021, only 1,370 eligible voters turned out to cast their votes in the race, which is roughly 10% of Yelm’s total population. In 2017, when DePinto and Foster previously squared off in a mayoral race, the election came down to just 14 votes. Foster, with 633 votes, narrowly defeated DePinto, who had 619 total votes.

During separate interviews with the Nisqually Valley News leading up to the Aug. 5 primary election, the three candidates each echoed the sentiment that every vote in a local election matters.

“I’ve had one of my races come down to 14 votes. It’s very important to vote in these local elections,” DePinto said on Friday, July 25. “In Yelm, voter turnout is pretty small. Last election, we had just under 1,000 people in the primary deciding who was to move on. I’m confident we’ll have over 1,000 people, partly due to my race and having a primary for mayor. I think it’s very important, because there’s a very small percentage of the people making these decisions for everybody.

“When we’re talking about local government, you’re talking about the closest government to you. We’re not talking about Republicans or Democrats. This is a non-partisan race,” he continued. “It’s determining your tax rates. If taxes go up or not. It determines the quality of life for you. Your police service. Every vote matters so much in these elections.”

Foster, a United States Marine Corps veteran, encouraged city residents involved in the military at Joint Base Lewis-McChord to register at their Yelm addresses to cast votes best fit for their family and future military families who live in the community.

“If people are really interested in helping Yelm stay Yelm, they need to register to vote. Especially our military families,” Foster said. “They do not lose their home-of-record if they do register locally. It allows them to help themselves, their families and future military dependents have the type of town they want to live in.”

Stephan, currently with Yelm Police Department, hopes to see residents asking questions in order to make the most informed decision with their vote next month.

“We’re a city. Plus or minus 11,000 people. Historically, we’ve had 10, 11, 1,200 people vote. That’s 10% of our population that’s actually voting,” Stephan said. “I would encourage our community to really get out there and vote. Ask the questions. We have all kinds of resources to access our current government officials, and those who are running for office. Utilize your resources, have conversations.

“Everybody really just wants what’s best for Yelm,” he continued. “That’s the reality. Everybody wants what’s best for Yelm and our community. It’s up to our voters and our citizens to have those conversations, and back the individual they think will support the overall vision.”