LD 10 legislators win primary elections

With an unknown but relatively small number of votes left to count in state legislative district 10 (LD 10), the November races are set. State Senator Ron Muzzall’s (R-Oak Harbor), with 48.3% of the vote, leads by 1,488 votes districtwide in the Aug. 6 primary race for his legislative seat against Island County Commissioner Janet St. Clair who has 46.6% of the vote, and Camano Island resident Denny Sandberg, who has 5.9% after the Monday, Aug. 12 ballot tallies in the three county district.

Muzzall has 24,359 votes; 2,390 are from Skagit County. There St. Clair leads with 2,665. She has 22, 960 districtwide.

In the LD 10 Pos. 1 contest, State Rep. Clyde Shavers (D-Oak Harbor) claimed victory in an email Saturday. After Monday’s vote counts he has 52.2% of the districtwide vote, leading Republican challengers, Oak Harbor resident Carrie Kennedy’s 26.5% and Yvonne Gallardo-Van Ornam, an Arlington city council member, with 21.2%. Kennedy leads Gallardo-Van Ornam by 2,654 votes.

It seems unlikely that the remaining votes will change any race’s standings. Island County’s has 10 ballots remaining. Unknown portions of Skagit County’s 2,600 and Snohomish County 350 ballots are in LD 10 precincts. The district includes the southwestern portion on Skagit County and the northwestern tip of Snohomish County and all of Island County.

State Rep Dave Paul (D-Oak Harbor) declared victory in an email Thursday. He has an almost 11% pint lead over Republican challenger Island County resident Gary Wray for LD 10 Pos. 2. In Skagit County, Paul has 3,369 votes and 27,659 districtwide.

Incumbent Skagit County Commissioner Ron Wesen (R-Bow) is comfortably ahead of Hope Island challenger Rylee Fleury, with 66% of District 1 votes. In November these candidates will run countrywide.

Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Everett), with 43.7% of Skagit County votes, will face Sedro-Woolley resident Cody Hart, a MAGA Republican Party candidate with 23.6% here. Republican Party candidate Leif Johnson, from Whidbey Island, has 12% of the Skagit vote and Burlington resident Edwin Stickle, a Democrat with 6.3% of the vote, is a distant fourth.

The Second Congressional District includes Island, San Juan, Skagit and Whatcom counties and part of Snohomish County. Larsen has 48.3% of the districtwide vote.

Skagit County election staff have counted 34,881 ballots through Aug. 12 of approximately 37,500. An estimated 44% cast ballots of the 86,514 residents registered to vote.

Vote updates were reported by the election office staffs in Skagit and Snohomish counties Tuesday after the Weekly News went to press. The Secretary of State’s office will certify all elections Aug. 20.