UPDATE TO Incumbents challenged in close primaries

Eight days after the first vote totals of the primary election on August 5, over 10,000 Skagit County ballots are uncounted, as more come to the election office in the mail. The outcomes of several local races are too close to call. With so many votes outstanding after Monday’s count, some winners are uncertain. The top two finishers for each office run against each other on the November ballot.

The three Legislative District 10 seats will be filled. Only LD 10 Position 2 has an incumbent, Rep. Dave Paul, D-Oak Harbor. He leads the Skagit County vote against La Conner Republican Bill Bruch by 225 votes, but Bruch leads by 436 votes in the three-county district of Island, Skagit and Snohomish counties. Tuesday over 25,000 ballots were not counted in the three counties, but districtwide votes will be fewer, since only parts of Skagit and Snohomish counties are in the district. Taylor Zimmerman, a Progressive, of Conway is eliminated.

Bruch is optimistic looking to November. He responded to a Weekly News query, writing that voters “know we need better representation in Olympia, and they know exactly where I stand on issues that are important to them.” If elected he will be against a state income tax and support “the rights of parents and local school boards to determine curriculum.”

Paul did not respond.

The open LD 10 Position 1 seat has Stanwood Republican lawyer Greg Gilday comfortably winning the five-way race over four Democratic challengers, with 46% of the vote. Angie Homola, a former Island County Commissioner, will come in second place districtwide but is in third place in Skagit County, behind Suzanne Woodard. Mount Vernon’s Scott McMullan will finish fourth. Norma Smith, R-Clinton, is retiring.

Gilday cites support from Rep. Norma Smith and former Rep. Dave Hayes as key to winning in the fall while calling Homola “the more extreme opponent.” He believes his pragmatic conservatism attracted voters. He will promote keeping education as the first priority and his not being a career politician in his campaign

Homola held up “incredible cross-generational teamwork,” and student interns, for her results. Her decades of varied involvement in Island County and exposing corruption as a whistleblower have connected voters to her. She will use her skills at the state level to steer us through the COVID-19, financial, public service, and climate change challenges.”

For the LD 10 senate seat, Senator Ron Muzzall, R-Oak Harbor, appointed last fall to replace retired Sen. Barbara Bailey, is beating Island County Commissioner Helen Price Johnson districtwide by 523 votes with 25,000 votes in all three counties needing counting. Price Johnson is ahead in Skagit County by 3.5%.

Price Johnson sees her campaign as prevailing across most of the district. Her track record as Island County commissioner, school board member and small business owner attracted voters, she believes. She will be a “a strong advocate for our local communities, our working families and our small businesses.”

Muzzall did not respond.

For District 1 County Commissioner, Democrat Mark Lundsten, a retired Anacortes fisherman and political newcomer, was 6.1% ahead of incumbent Ron Wesen (R-Bow). Johnny Archibald, an Anacortes Democrat, will be eliminated. This western district was the only seat on the ballot of La Conner area voters in the primary.

Lundsten is encouraged and plans to build countywide on the support he received. He responded “Skagit County voters want a new, realistic vision that will address unresolved issues while also sensibly maintaining what we value in our region.” And “I encourage all of us to follow the late John Lewis’ advice and to ‘vote like we’ve never voted before.’”

Wesen, behind by 814 votes Monday, noted that 14,000 votes still need counting. He thought voters were attracted to his platform of “sensible spending of public dollars, decisions that sustain our local quality of life and strengthen our natural resource industries and retain local jobs.” He noted that as a local, fourth generation organic dairy farmer, “I know the decisions we make today will affect future generations.”

Mount Vernon lawyer Tom Seguine won the Skagit Superior Court Judge Position 3 race handily, besting Elizabeth Yost Neidzwski and Heather Shand Perkins by over 5,000. Perkins is presently in third place by 485 votes. However the second place finisher is not certain.

Seguine was pleased with his 46% total in his three-way race. He believes his over 30-year broad legal career in Skagit County attracted voters and noted “good legal judgment is a byproduct of good legal experience” and that his experience is diverse and deep, including his years as prosecuting attorney.

Neidzwski is cautious about her second-place position but thrilled to be on the November ballot. Her integrity and dedication to service were key in getting votes, she believes and calls herself uniquely suited to “work effectively with the rest of the bench in order to maintain public access to the courts during this pandemic.”

For District 2 County Commissioner, Burlington Chamber of Commerce Director Peter Browning, another newcomer, is leading Democratic Mount Vernon Councilmember Mary Hudson 41.2% to 30.6%. Incumbent Ken Dahlsted trails Hudson by 280 votes and 2.25%. All county voters vote for all commissioners in November.

U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen has 49% of the vote in Skagit County and districtwide. He is comfortably ahead against seven challengers for the second congressional district, which includes parts of Skagit, Whatcom, Snohomish and Whatcom and all of Island and San Juan counties. Republican Tim Hazelo is second in the county and the district, but far behind at 16% and 15% respectively. Progressive Jason Call has 14% of the district vote. There are probably not enough votes left in liberal Whatcom County to push him into second.

The elections office is counting about 4,000 ballots, daily. They must certify results by Aug. 18. The Secretary of State certifies all races by Aug. 21.

The elections office projects a 60% voter turnout, after predicting 50% in July. Higher turnout in November is almost certain, when President Donald Trump is on the ballot.

Primary winners do not necessarily repeat in November. In 2018 Scott McMullen beat Norma Smith in August only to lose the District and Skagit County votes in the fall.

All Skagit County voters vote for both commissioners in November.