| Field | Detail | Source |
|---|
| Full Name | Jonathan L. Meyer | T1 |
| Residence | 2914 Mount Vista Rd, Centralia, WA 98531. Has owned a home in Centralia since 1999. | T1 |
| Party | Republican | T1 |
| Education | A.A., Grays Harbor Community College; B.A. in Political Science, Saint Martin's University, 1995; J.D., Seattle University School of Law (Tacoma campus), 1998 | T2 |
| Employment | Partner, McConnell, Meyer and Associates, Centralia, WA (1996-2010). Practiced law since 1996, became partner in 2002. Criminal defense, civil litigation across Lewis, Cowlitz, Thurston, and Grays Harbor counties. Court-appointed defense attorney for approximately 10 years. Also served as substitute judge and prosecutor in municipal courts.; Lewis County Prosecuting Attorney (January 2011, present). Elected 2010, reelected unopposed 2014, 2018, and 2022. Oversees office of 11-20 WSBA members. Filed more than 1,000 felony cases in a single year for the first time since 2004. Managed COVID-19 jury trial backlog of hundreds of cases (March 2020, March 2021).; President, Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (WAPA). Non-partisan professional organization dedicated to training and support of county prosecutors.; Independent Prosecutor, Okanogan County (2021). Appointed to handle approximately 40 cases personally and coordinated special deputy prosecutors from Spokane, Douglas, Chelan, Ferry, Lincoln, and Pierce counties to handle additional cases. Necessitated by conflict-of-interest rules after new Okanogan prosecutor had worked in private practice.; Reserve Police Officer Coordinator, Tenino Police Department. Sworn in as reserve officer to deepen understanding of law enforcement operations. | T2 |
1 Election History
| Year | Race | Result |
|---|
| 2010 | Lewis County Prosecuting Attorney | Won. Primary, Meyer 63.2%, Golden 36.1%. General, Meyer 18,333 votes (67.06%), Michael Golden (R) 9,005 votes (32.94%). Defeated four-term incumbent. |
| 2014 | Lewis County Prosecuting Attorney | Won unopposed. 17,427 votes (100%). 57.07% turnout. |
| 2018 | Lewis County Prosecuting Attorney | Won unopposed. 24,490 votes (100%). 72.48% turnout. |
| 2022 | Lewis County Prosecuting Attorney | Won effectively unopposed. 25,322 votes (97.4%) vs 676 write-in votes (2.6%). Recall petition filed Jan 27, 2022 by Kyle Wheeler was rejected by superior court judge Feb 25, 2022. |
| 2026 | Lewis County Prosecuting Attorney | Pending. Filed for reelection (5th term). No challengers filed as of May 2026 filing week close. |
2 Political Positions
| Topic | Position | Source |
|---|
| Death Penalty | Supports the death penalty and believes voters should decide the issue. Joined other Washington prosecutors in seeking a public referendum on the death penalty after the state Supreme Court struck it down. Stated "It was enacted by the people and the people need to decide whether they want it or not." | T2 |
| Drug Possession and the Blake Decision | After the WA Supreme Court Blake decision struck down the state's felony drug possession law (February 2021), Meyer's office reviewed 4,000 cases and dismissed 1,000 drug possession convictions. Released approximately 20 inmates in a single day and quashed 50-60 active warrants. Lewis County subsequently moved to criminalize drug possession locally when the legislature failed to act in special session. | T2 |
| Criminal Prosecution Philosophy | Advocates balanced approach, not leaning too heavily toward defense or law enforcement. As a former defense attorney, brings perspective from both sides. Emphasized public safety and efficient case management when first running for office. Prioritized cases with defendants in custody and cases involving victims when managing COVID backlog. | T2 |
| Law Enforcement Accountability | Issued potential impeachment disclosure (Brady letter) on former Centralia Police Department Sgt. Tracy Murphy in May 2025 after Murphy was fired following internal investigation. Murphy had allegedly implicated Lewis County Sheriff Rob Snaza and prominent county Republicans in a cocaine operation. Meyer's office requested and reviewed audio recordings from the internal investigation before issuing the disclosure. | T2 |
3 Campaign Finance (PDC T1 Data)
4 Endorsements
- Lewis County Sheriff's Deputies and Corrections Officers
- Rose Bowman, Lewis County Treasurer
- Chad Taylor, Chehalis City Council Member
- Dan Keahey, former Centralia City Council Member
- Former Lewis County deputy prosecutors and other attorneys
5 Notable Public Statements
“We live in a changing world, they deserve to live in a safe community.”
Explaining why he decided to run for prosecutor, citing his young daughters (2010)
“It was enacted by the people and the people need to decide whether they want it or not.”
Supporting a public referendum on the death penalty after state Supreme Court ruling (2015)
“It's the only way to describe it; people willing to put their money on the line for me.”
Describing the humbling experience of campaign fundraising (2010)
6 Vulnerability Assessment
4 sourced findings. All sourced at T1 (Official Record) or T2 (Multi-Source Media) per clearthemud provenance model. No T3/T4 claims included.
Finding 6.1: 2022 recall petition alleging selective prosecution MODERATE
- What happened
- Kyle Wheeler filed a recall petition against Meyer on January 27, 2022, alleging four charges of malfeasance and two charges of misfeasance. Wheeler alleged Meyer broke his oath of office by declining to prosecute individuals who "ideologically aligned" with him, revealing an "implicit bias against members of the community" while "displaying a favoritism for overlooking the misdeeds of others with which he agrees ideologically." Specific allegations included failure to refer alleged police misconduct to the state Attorney General's office after Meyer's gay pride sign was vandalized, and failure to act on alleged "petty bribery" connected to former Chehalis City Councilor Chad Taylor (a 2010 Meyer endorser).
- Source tier
- T2
- Political impact
- Moderate
- Defense
- Meyer denied all accusations, stating that all potential indictments receive the same scrutiny regardless of ideology. Lewis County Superior Court judge reviewed the petition and ruled it insufficient to allow signature gathering on February 25, 2022, less than one month after filing. The legal threshold for recall in Washington is high, and the court rejected the petition on that standard.
- https://ballotpedia.org/Jonathan_Meyer_recall,_Lewis_County,_Washington_(2022)
- https://www.chronline.com/stories/petition-filed-to-recall-lewis-county-prosecutor-jonathan-meyer,283685
Finding 6.2: Perjury case dismissed for appearance of impropriety HIGH
- What happened
- In August 2022, Meyer's office charged Longview attorney Robert Thomas Lee with felony perjury over a court filing Lee made while representing a client suing Lewis County. Lewis County Superior Court Judge James Lawler dismissed the case on October 19, 2022, ruling that Meyer and his office violated the appearance of impropriety by prosecuting an opposing counsel in an active lawsuit against the county. The judge noted the "separate, independent history of significant public conflict" between Meyer and Wheeler (who was connected to the case) "cast an unshakable cloud of impropriety over Mr. Meyer's decision to criminally charge Mr. Lee." Case dismissed without prejudice and referred to another prosecutor's office.
- Source tier
- T2
- Political impact
- High
- Defense
- The case was dismissed without prejudice, meaning the charges could be refiled by an independent prosecutor. Meyer's office cooperated with transferring the case to another office for review. The dismissal was procedural (conflict of interest), not a finding that the perjury allegations lacked merit. Prosecutors routinely face disqualification in cases involving parties they have other dealings with.
- https://www.chronline.com/stories/perjury-case-against-attorney-dismissed-in-lewis-county-superior-court-due-to-appearance-of,302470
- https://tdn.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/charges-dismissed-against-longview-attorney-in-lewis-county-perjury-case/article_7c1c49f6-516e-11ed-8f46-9b8c32d5d912.html
Finding 6.3: Issued a Brady letter on former sergeant Tracy Murphy HIGH
- What happened
- In May 2025, Meyer issued a Brady letter (potential impeachment disclosure) on former Centralia PD Sgt. Tracy Murphy after Murphy was fired following allegations he implicated Lewis County Sheriff Rob Snaza and prominent county Republicans in a cocaine operation. Murphy is a law enforcement figure aligned with Meyer's own political party.
- Source tier
- T2
- Political impact
- High
- Defense
- Meyer followed proper legal procedure by issuing the Brady letter after reviewing internal investigation files and audio recordings. Brady disclosures are legally required and Meyer's issuance demonstrates commitment to constitutional obligations over political loyalty. The disclosure was timely (issued May 13 after receiving files May 8) and transparent.
- https://www.chronline.com/stories/lewis-county-prosecutor-issues-brady-letter-on-former-sgt-tracy-murphy,402534
- https://www.chronline.com/stories/centralia-port-commissioner-source-of-new-information-in-ongoing-murphy-fallout,402836
Finding 6.4: Has run unopposed since 2010 LOW
- What happened
- Meyer has served as Lewis County Prosecuting Attorney since January 2011 and has not faced a contested election since his initial 2010 race. He ran unopposed in 2014, 2018, and 2022 (only write-in opposition in 2022). If reelected in 2026 he will have served 20 years.
- Source tier
- T1
- Political impact
- Low
- Defense
- Running unopposed in a county prosecutor race is common in rural Washington counties. Meyer's consistent lack of opposition suggests broad satisfaction with his performance. When he was challenged by a recall petition in 2022, the court found the allegations insufficient. His felony caseload has increased under his tenure, and he has secured significant convictions including the Booth triple murder case (four life sentences).
- https://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20141104/lewis/
- https://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20181106/lewis/
- https://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20221108/lewis/
7 Source Verification
- Data Sources
- WA SOS, WA PDC, local media, public records
- Collection Date
- 2026-06-24
- Highest Tier
- T1 (Official Record)
- Methodology
- OSINT deep-dive using exclusively public-record sources. All findings at T1 or T2. No T3/T4 claims included.