Thurston County is governed by a five-member board of county commissioners who are elected to four-year terms from proportional districts. The board of commissioners was enlarged from three members to five members in November 2023 following the approval of a ballot measure to expand the board that passed a year prior. The head of the Thurston County government's administration is the county manager, who is appointed by the board of commissioners. Since 2024, the county manager has been Leonard Hernandez, who was previously the CEO of San Bernardino County, California. Thurston County has used its commissioner–manager form of government since it was formed in 1852. An attempt to adopt a home rule charter with an elected county executive and seven-member county council was rejected by voters in 1979.
Thurston County is governed by a five-member board of county commissioners who are elected to four-year terms from proportional districts. The board of commissioners was enlarged from three members to five members in November 2023 following the approval of a ballot measure to expand the board that passed a year prior. The head of the Thurston County government's administration is the county manager, who is appointed by the board of commissioners. Since 2024, the county manager has been Leonard Hernandez, who was previously the CEO of San Bernardino County, California. Thurston County has used its commissioner–manager form of government since it was formed in 1852 An attempt to adopt a home rule charter with an elected county executive and seven-member county council was rejected by voters in 1979.