Welcome to Skagit County

April 29, 2026

Skagit County Coroner Hayley Thompson to Resign

Skagit County Coroner Hayley Thompson has announced she will resign from her position as County Coroner before the end of her elected term. Coroner Thompson was appointed to the seat initially on May 16, 2016, and was then elected to the position in November 2016. Thompson was reelected in 2018 and 2022.

Hayley has additionally served as the President of the Washington Association of Coroners from 2021 to 2026 and is currently the President-Elect of the International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners. She has served as the Legislative Chair for the Washington Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners, assisting with legislation to support and strengthen the work of coroner and medical examiner offices across the state.

Coroner Thompson has dedicated her time in elected office to expanding the abilities and capacity of the Skagit County Coroner's Office. She knew that by implementing best practice policies and procedures, establishing a case management system, educating agencies, stakeholders, and the public, and increasing transparency through data sharing, she could develop a modern, centralized facility to benefit the Skagit County community. One of her proudest achievements has been building the highly trained and certified Coroner's Office team, which received national accreditation in January 2024.

In late 2022, the County Commissioners supported the Coroner's Office transition from relying on hospital-based morgue and autopsy services to operating its own facility and by January 2024, the Coroner's Office achieved national accreditation through the International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners. The Coroner's Office team has transitioned from on-call deputies to mostly full-time professionals and is now recognized as a leader in death investigations in Washington State.

"Hayley Thompson has been a tremendous force as the Skagit County Coroner and has greatly improved the capabilities and work of the Coroner's Office," said County Commissioners Board Chair Ron Wesen. "The Board of County Commissioners has been proud to work with Hayley, and we are especially thankful for her dedication to hosting regular unclaimed remains remembrance ceremonies. Hayley made it a priority for us to host these ceremonies to ensure we show dignity to the lives of those in our community. Her work in the Coroner's Office leaves a truly lasting and impactful legacy."

After ten years of service to the Coroner's Office, Thompson will be resigning to spend more time with family. Hayley's elected term will expire on December 31, 2026, and the County Commissioners will be provided two months advance notice of her resignation date, which has not been determined. With the decision to step down from the position before the end of her elected term, there will be a nomination process for the County Commissioners to select a replacement Coroner until the election this upcoming November. The process to nominate a candidate for a vacant elected position is outlined in RCW 36.16.110, and Washington Constitution Article II, Section 15. The County Commissioners are required to select a candidate from a list of nominees to fill the vacancy provided by political party of the person who held the office. Since Coroner Thompson was elected as a Democrat, the Skagit County Democratic party must provide three names for the County Commissioners to consider for the vacancy.

More information on the nomination process will be shared soon. Any questions about the vacancy process can be sent to the County Commissioners office by email to commissioners@co.skagit.wa.us or by calling 360-416-1300.