Thanks to the hard work of Skagit County residents, Derrill Fussell is officially headed to the November 3, 2026 General Election ballot for Skagit County Coroner.
Fussell’s write-in campaign didn’t just clear the 1% threshold required by Washington State law — it blew past it, capturing nearly 7% of the vote, one of four write-in campaigns across the county to qualify for the general election this cycle.
The Official Word
Skagit County Deputy Auditor Gabrielle Clay notified the campaign directly with certified confirmation of write-in status:
“Dear Candidate,
This is notification regarding your certified write-in status and the opportunity to participate in the 2026 General Election voters’ pamphlet. You have reached the 1% threshold, and our office will start counting votes for you in the office for which you filed. We will start that process this coming Friday, August 14th at 9:00 a.m.
… Thanks, Gabrielle”
With that certification, Derrill Fussell’s name will now be printed in the voters’ pamphlet and will appear on the ballot as the second candidate for Skagit County Coroner this November — giving Skagit County voters a real choice in a race that, until now, had only one name on it.
A Historic Skagit County Primary
This win is part of something bigger. In the August 4, 2026 Primary Election, four write-in candidates — each running for a county office that had drawn only a single name on the primary ballot — cleared the 1% threshold required to qualify for the general election:
- Cody Hart — Skagit County Sheriff
- Derrill Fussell — Skagit County Coroner
- Timothy Garrison — Skagit County Treasurer
- Amanda Toscano — Skagit County Clerk
It is believed to be the first time in remembered Skagit County election history that four write-in candidates have qualified for the general election in a single cycle. Countywide, the combined support for these four campaigns approached 7% of the total primary vote for their respective offices — well above what the law requires, and a clear signal that voters wanted a real choice on their ballots.
Because of what Skagit County residents did this primary, four races that would otherwise have been uncontested — Sheriff, Coroner, Treasurer, and Clerk — will all be genuine contests on the November ballot.
Thank You
None of this happens without the residents of Skagit County who took the time to write in Derrill Fussell’s name, spread the word, and make sure every eligible vote was counted. This is a win for Fussell’s campaign, and it’s a win for the idea that every Skagit County race deserves more than one name on the ballot.
What’s Next
Ballots for the November 3, 2026 General Election are expected to be mailed in mid-October 2026. Because Derrill Fussell is now an official candidate on the printed ballot, voters will simply need to fill in the oval next to his name for Skagit County Coroner — no write-in required this time.
Stay tuned for more updates as we head into the general election. Thank you, Skagit County, for making this historic moment possible.
— The Fussell for Coroner Campaign