The fate of a levy lid lift proposal in the Dallesport community hangs in the balance. Meanwhile, the race for Klickitat County Commissioner No. 3 looks like an uphill battle for incumbent Jim Sizemore. Last week’s Primary election in Klickitat County and across the state is seeing some interesting developments as we await certification of the final results by Aug. 21.
By press time on Monday, Klickitat County has counted just over 82 percent of the vote, per the Auditor’s office, and is seeing an estimated turnout of around 57.8 percent, according to the Washington Secretary of State’s website. There are still 1,535 ballots left to count. In Washington’s top-two Primary system, both candidates who receive the greatest number of votes, regardless of party preference, will advance to the general election in November. Candidates must also receive 1 percent of the vote to qualify. (In Washington’s electoral system, candidates for partisan races state preferred party in registering for the election, but the preference does not imply that party’s nomination or endorsement.)
In local races, the vote is still too close to call for Dallesport Fire Dist. 6, Proposition 1, which proposes a levy lid lift from $.368 to $.90 per $1,000 of assessed value. The vote, as it stands, is 216-219. This race is one to watch.
Meanwhile in the races for County Commissioner, Joanna Turner holds a solid lead over Jacob Anderson in the race for County Commissioner No. 1, leading with just under 300 votes. With only two write-ins so far, the odds are good that the two will continue to compete in the general election in November. Commissioner No. 1 represents the Cities of White Salmon and Bingen as well as the smaller communities of Trout Lake, Husum and BZ Corner.
Dan Christopher, who prefers the Republican Party, is leading with a majority of the vote in the three-way race for Klickitat County Commissioner No. 3, placing two-term incumbent Jim Sizemore, also with a preference of the Republican Party, in a distant second. The Klickitat County Republican Party endorsed both Christopher and Sizemore in a Facebook post late last month. The race has grown contentious between the two, with outspoken Christopher making challenges to Sizemore’s record, especially as it relates to the county’s financial status, as a centerpiece of his platform. Miland Walling, who prefers the Democratic party, is trailing in third by just under 300 votes for a chance at being placed on the ballot in November. Commissioner No. 3 represents Goldendale, Centerville, and everything eastward in the County.
Incumbents Gina Mosbrucker and Chris Corry, both from the Republican Party, are receiving majorities of the votes for their positions of State Legislative Dist. 14 Representatives in Klickitat County. Corry’s challenger and White Salmon resident Tracy Rushing, who prefers the Democratic Party, is receiving 36.8 percent of the vote in the County. District-wide, Corry maintains a majority against Rushing, who is retaining over 34 percent, and William Razey of the Education Party, with 2.4 percent. In the district, Mosbrucker is receiving a vast majority of votes against the write-in candidates, her only challenger this time around.
Klickitat County voters seem to be continuing to place their support behind U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, who is currently leading in the election with a strong majority of 61.91 percent against two-time Democratic challenger Carolyn Long, who is picking up just over 30 percent in the County. District-wide, Herrera Beutler still leads with a majority, with Long lagging with 39.74 percent.
For statewide races in Klickitat County, the vote for Governor is swinging towards Republic Police Chief Loren Culp, who is receiving a plurality with just over 44 percent of the vote swinging towards him, Incumbent Jay Inslee, meanwhile, received just 34.6 percent of the vote. Tim Eyman, the prolific initiative writer, lags behind in a distant thirds in the County with around 5 percent of the vote.Â
Statewide, Inslee leads with a slight majority at 50.33 percent. Culp and Inslee will both advance to the General election in November, AP News reported last week.
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