Island County clerk retires, daughter and husband enter local races

Debra Van Pelt’s last day as Island County clerk came with a bigger political ripple than a routine retirement. After 21 years in the office, Van Pelt stepped away May 1, and her departure now sits at the center of a family crossover into two county races: her daughter, Amber Sewell, is running for clerk, and her husband, Matt Van Pelt, is running for Island County commissioner, Position 3, as a Republican.

The clerk’s office is not a symbolic post. County materials describe it as a constitutionally created elected office with duties set by state statute and court rules, and Island County identifies the clerk as the record-keeping and financial officer of Superior Court. That means the office handles court filings, organizes exhibits, maintains records and helps residents navigate some of the hardest moments they face, including criminal charges, custody disputes and protection orders.

County leaders marked Van Pelt’s exit as the end of a long stretch of continuity inside the courthouse. Island County commentary said she served four terms and spent 16 years as clerk, after first taking office in November 2010. Before that, she had worked six years as a deputy clerk, a background that made her one of the most familiar figures in the daily operation of Island County Superior Court. Commissioner Jill Johnson praised Van Pelt for keeping the office drama free and financially steady, while Prosecutor Greg Banks pointed to the clerk’s office as a quiet but essential partner in the justice system.

The transition has already turned into an immediate staffing test. The Board of Island County Commissioners temporarily appointed Michelle Schisler, the chief deputy clerk, as acting clerk. On May 6, commissioners will interview Schisler, Sewell and Dierdre Butler for an interim appointment that will last until the November 2026 election is certified. County notices say the commissioners have the authority and responsibility under state law to make that appointment.

The race for the full term is already taking shape inside county government. Sewell is running as a Democrat. Maria Hazelo, the office manager for Juvenile Court Services, and Butler, an accounts payable deputy, also declared for clerk. A county roundup said all three initial declared clerk candidates were county employees, underscoring how closely the contest is tied to the courthouse itself. Van Pelt said the family dynamic was complicated, while also making clear that the household does not treat politics as a single shared lane. She said retirement had been on her mind in part because she did not want to serve as an elected county official while her husband campaigned for another county seat. Now, after decades in public service, she is looking ahead to slower days with children and grandchildren in the Midwest.