Coreen Schnepf holds an 11.5-point lead over Bryan Chushcoff in the race for Pierce County prosecuting attorney, according to early election returns.

Schnepf, 45, the chief criminal deputy in the Pierce County Prosecutor's Office, captured 55.53% of the vote. Chushcoff, 74, a retired Pierce County Superior Court judge, trailed at 44.02%, the Tacoma News Tribune reported on Nov. 3.

More ballots still need to be counted. Pierce County expects to release updated numbers as it tallies additional ballots before certifying the election on Nov. 24.

Initial vote totals showed Schnepf with 117,484 votes and Chushcoff with 93,143, according to KIRO 7.

What's at stake

The winner will become the county's chief legal advisor and oversee a $94 million budget, the third-most expensive department funded by Pierce County's general fund. The office prosecutes all state felony cases in the county and represents county departments in litigation. The position pays $244,631 and carries a four-year term with no term limits.

What each candidate ran on

Schnepf ran on her experience prosecuting violent crimes and her work leading attorneys and staff as chief criminal deputy, a role she took on in January 2024. She previously supervised the office's domestic violence and human trafficking unit. Before joining the Pierce County office, she spent years as a deputy prosecuting attorney in Kitsap County.

Schnepf has the endorsement of outgoing Prosecutor Mary Robnett, who is not running for reelection. She also drew support from local Democratic Party legislative districts, labor and business groups, the Tacoma Business Council and Mainstream Republicans of Washington, the News Tribune reported in an Oct. 19 article.

Chushcoff, born and raised in Tacoma, was elected to the Pierce County Superior Court in 1996 and was the court's presiding judge for four years. He retired in January 2025. He has never worked as a prosecutor.

He campaigned on what he called mismanagement of the Prosecutor's Office, pointing to a backlog of pending criminal cases and a decline in the share of jail bookings that lead to charges. He secured endorsements from the Pierce County Republican Party and police unions for Tacoma, Puyallup and the Sheriff's Office.

The money

Schnepf raised $115,063, more than any other candidate running for a Pierce County office, according to Public Disclosure Commission records cited by the News Tribune. Chushcoff raised $53,566.

What happens next

Chushcoff watched the returns from home on the night of Nov. 3. He told the News Tribune he thought his team ran a good, ethical and competent campaign.

Pierce County will continue releasing updated vote totals ahead of the Nov. 24 certification deadline.