ELECTION RESULTS UPDATE Lundsten and Browning leading Skagit County Commissioner elections

Mark Lundsten and Peter Browning are ahead in their races to be Skagit County Commissioners; they led throughout the August primary. Lundsten, a retired commercial fisherman and Democrat, leads incumbent District 1 Commissioner Republican Ron Wesen by 1,774 ballots, 52.3% of the vote. Browning, director of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce, leads Mount Vernon Councilmember Mary Hudson by 2,592 ballots, 53.4%. Some 35,000 county ballots were uncounted after two days of general election vote tallies Wednesday evening.

In August, Lundsten's lead narrowed with every count update; he won that race by 419 votes, almost all of them from the La Conner school district precincts. The summer election was among District 1 voters, the western third of the county. The contests for commissioner are now countywide.

Browning, who prefers the title "nonpartisan," won 41.4% of the District 2 vote, central Skagit County, against Hudson, a Democrat, and incumbent Democratic Commissioner Ken Dahlstedt.

Attorney Tom Seguine is not repeating his August victory, when he won 45.4% of the vote again his opponent, Elizabeth Yost Neidzwski, and Heather Shand Perkins. Neidzwski leads with by 2,326 votes, with 53.2%.

Congressional and statewide races totals roughly mirror the district and state returns, with Secretary of State Kim Wyman winning 53% of the Skagit County vote, better than her statewide 52.4%.

Gov. Jay Inslee has been elected to a third term, garnering 58.5% of the statewide vote to date. In Skagit County he is getting 56.8%. Attorney General Bob Ferguson has 54.5% of the Skagit County vote versus 58% statewide.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal is at 56.3%, slightly higher than 56% statewide; and State Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Granz is winning 56.5% of County votes, below her 58.3% statewide percentage.

U.S. Rep Rick Larsen is winning 61% of Skagit County votes while he is gaining 64.6% in his Second Congressional District of Island and San Juan counties and the western portions of Skagit, Snohomish and Whatcom counties.

Former Vice President Joe Biden has a 7,723 vote lead over President Donald Trump in the County, 58.8% of the total to Trump’s 39.1%. Statewide, Biden’s lead at noon Thursday was 802,359, 59.8%, while Trump had 37.3%. Four other candidates and write in candidates were collecting a little over 2.6% of the vote.

The Skagit County Office of Elections plans to report its next vote count by 6 p.m. Friday. The website link: https://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20201103/skagit/. State results are at: https://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20201103/.

The Weekly News will post a weekend update.