TLP:GREEN, Approved for public sharing

Candidate Dossier: Karen (Schade) Sullivan

2026 Mason County Commissioner District 3

TLP:GREEN Date: 2026-07-04 Party: Republican District: Mason County
FieldDetailSource
Full NameKaren (Schade) Sullivan (PDC filing entity Karen Lea Sullivan)T1
ResidenceShelton, Mason County, WA. Campaign committee address P.O. Box 876, Shelton, WA 98584. Campaign describes her as a third-generation Mason County resident.T1
PartyRepublicanT1
EmploymentFinancial Advisor, Edward Jones, Shelton, WA (office at 1051 SE State Route 3, Suite E). The Edward Jones advisor page uses the URL slug "karen-schade" and lists the advisor as Karen L Sullivan.; Self-described 35-year banking professional, including 14 years serving Mason County residents.T1

1 Political Positions

TopicPositionSource
Public SafetyAims to address Mason County Sheriff's Office staffing shortages, strengthen emergency dispatch, and expand coverage across the county's 1,051 square miles. Cites a staffing level of 0.87 deputies per 1,000 residents, which she describes as below state and national averages.T3
Housing and HomelessnessSupports removing construction barriers, workforce housing, and funding for homelessness interventions while managing costs for current residents. Cites a median home value of $432,400 and near-zero rental vacancy.T3
Infrastructure and BroadbandBacks broadband expansion through partnerships with Mason County PUD 3 and pursuit of state and federal grants, plus maintenance of roads and bridges. Notes that nearly half of county homes lack fiber connectivity.T3
Fiscal ResponsibilityEmphasizes transparent reporting and data-driven decisions on the roughly $184 million county budget, applying her financial-services background to budgeting and fiscal stewardship.T3
Economic DevelopmentSupports the Economic Development Council, addressing childcare shortages, and small business growth, with a goal of reducing the county unemployment rate (cited at 6.2 percent).T3
Environment and ConservationSupports science-based protection addressing the Hood Canal dissolved oxygen problem and aging septic systems (cited at more than 26,000 countywide).T3
Health Care AccessAdvocates expanded primary care and mental health services, citing a patient-to-physician ratio of 3,590 to 1 versus 1,180 to 1 statewide.T3
Tribal PartnershipStates tribal partnership and data-driven policymaking as cross-cutting campaign principles.T3

2 Campaign Finance (PDC T1 Data)

MetricValueSource
Filing EntityPDC committee filer_id SULLK--438 (committee_id 41536, candidacy_id 3391619), committee based in Shelton, Mason County; treasurer Lisa Welander. 2026 cycle as of 2026-07-03: $2,502.03 contributions raised, $2,718.77 spent, $3,277.03 in loans, $1,300.00 cash carried forward, $8.84 in debts, $0 pledges. Full reporting option. Source: WA PDC SODA API (data.wa.gov 3h9x-7bvm), as_of 2026-07-03.T1

3 Notable Public Statements

“Mason County deserves a commissioner who listens, plans responsibly, and puts our community first.”

Campaign website, statement of candidacy (2026)

“Every public dollar comes from a neighbor's paycheck.”

Campaign website, fiscal responsibility priority (2026)

4 Source Verification

Data Sources
WA SOS, WA PDC, local media, public records
Collection Date
2026-07-04
Highest Tier
T1 (Official Record)
Methodology
Public filing data with OSINT enrichment. No T3/T4 claims included.
TLP:GREEN, Approved for public sharing