Emma Rose is racking up early endorsements for her run for Pacific County clerk.

SOUTH BEND — Travelers who commute along U.S. Highway 101 between South Bend and Long Beach pass one of the oldest ranches in Pacific County. Rose Ranch, with its eye-catching painted roof, hits its 99th birthday this year.

As popular as the ranch and the last name Rose is in the north county region, “Rose” may become even more prominent with the announcement that Emma Rose is running for Pacific County clerk.

Where she’s from

Rose is a 2006 graduate of Cashmere High School and is a Wenatchee native. She met Shaun Rose, who works at the ranch and is a direct descendant of its founder, while they both attended Washington State University.

“Shaun and I got married after graduating college and moved to Quincy and bought our first house in Ephrata. He worked as a crop consultant there, and I got a job at a local bank,” Rose said. “So then I shifted into finance for a while. I worked at a bank and got a job at a local accounting firm.

“Then I got pregnant [with our first daughter] Riley and ended up not going back to work after having her, and finding child care was extremely difficult. That’s when my creative entrepreneur journey kicked off.”

Built a brand

Rose ventured into photography and web design, starting small before jumping into wedding photography — both of which she has done steadily for the past 6-7 years, becoming one of Pacific County’s best-known photographers.

She built the Pacific County Superior Court’s new website and constructed the Willapa Harbor Hospital website as well. She considers herself a tech geek, which added to her love of photography and web design.

“I have built a really great business and brand,” she said.

No place like home

Before finding local success, she and Shaun remained in eastern Washington, where their oldest daughter Riley was born. The calling to come home hit Shaun and the duo decided to move to South Bend so he could work full-time on the ranch.

“His parents always encouraged the boys to go work somewhere else and try new things, and we did, but many conversations over the years of dating brought us back here, and I didn’t know what to expect,” Rose said.

“It was a little bit of a shock; I won’t lie; I’m from dry eastern Washington, and the first week I was here, it rained like 10 inches, and we were living in my in-law’s basement with a newborn essentially, six-months-old,” she added.

It took Rose a little while to adjust to the new-to-her rainy Pacific County, where it’s easier to count the number of sunshiny days than how often it rains. She and Shaun ultimately purchased a home in South Bend and settled in but are already planning a new house on the family’s homestead.

“Watching the farm and the ranch and just the whole operation and how special the whole thing is, is something I am passionate about being a part of, and this community has really grown on me,” she said. “You go into the grocery store, and everybody knows you.”

New calling emerges

Rose’s booming success with her business was immediately halted in 2020 during the covid-19 pandemic, like a large portion of nonessential businesses statewide.

The decline in work and the job posting for a Pacific County Superior Court administrator popped up; Rose jumped at the opportunity. She was already a true crime fan and, with her technological background, figured the job would suit her perfectly.

“The first year of my job, I was pregnant but talk about a supportive boss [Judge Don Richter], and his crew and Rikki [Thompson],” Rose said. “It’s amazing, and I just have loved working, and my job makes me very happy.”

“It’s a really good fit, and I have been able to help with the Zoom stuff and the technology in the courtroom,” she added.

Rose’s administrative duties are nearly endless, but during court, she handles scheduling hearings and trial dates for the court along with keeping up with mountains of paperwork alongside the clerk’s office.

“I have found a true passion not just for the job but the community, and being part of the public in this way and serving the public has been amazing,” she said. “I have met so many new people and worked so closely with the clerk’s office seeing how their office works and operates and wanting to be a part of that also.”

Official candidacy, early endorsements

Virginia Leach, the county’s current clerk secretary, has officially announced her retirement slate for Dec. 31, 2022, after 24 years. Thus far, Rose is the only known candidate to replace her.

Leach has unofficially, yet officially, voiced her support for Rose, stating, “I am delighted that someone of Emma Rose’s character will be running for my position next year. The ladies in my office have worked hard to develop a legacy that needs to be continued.

“I am confident that Emma will provide this. Thank you, Pacific County,” Leach added. Leach also has a link to weddings — and funerals — having sung at countless local ceremonies over the decades.

Rose, 33, said she is ready for a long-term commitment to the residents of Pacific County and hopes that she can lead the office into a new era of undivided and committed service.

“It was really hard to move away from my family and everything I know, but I love it here, and we have two beautiful girls we are raising here,” she said. “Eventually, we will be living out on Rose Ranch, building our house next summer, and I am really committed to being here.”

“I have planted some roots, and I feel as a clerk you have to run every four years, there’s that, but it is a position that can be a long-term position if you do it well. I am young, and I have a lot of experience behind me running my own business and being an entrepreneur.”

Official candidate filing is just over a month away on May 16, but Rose is wasting no time in getting her name out to the public. She is also already handing out campaign signs and looking to set dates for meet-and-greets.

She plans to hold several meet-and-greets through the next six months leading up to the primary and general elections, including a picnic and visits around the north and south county regions.

“I want to serve Pacific County the best I can,” she said. She is running as an independent.

So far, Rose has endorsements from Douglas Goelz — who is the retired superior court judge — the Mike Morris Family, and the Penoyar family of attorneys based in South Bend.

Anyone interested in learning more about Rose can visit her official candidate website at emmaroseforclerk.com.