(EDITOR’S NOTE: This 2nd update includes figures for Grays Harbor County in the 24th District state House races)
Leading candidates inched closer to victory on Friday after 4,717 more votes were counted by Clallam County elections officials and 3,600 more ballots were tallied in Jefferson County.
Grays Harbor County also updated its ballot tally Friday, adding more votes to the two 24th District state House races.
Incumbent Clallam County Commissioner Mike Doherty of Port Angeles, a Democrat, widened his lead over challenger Robin Poole, a Beaver Republican, with 13,211 votes, or 50.87 percent, to 12,760 votes, or 49.13 percent.
His margin grew to 451 votes from his 36-vote lead after some outstanding ballots from Tuesday’s election were counted Wednesday.
In other Clallam County races:
County Treasurer’s Office challenger Selinda Barkhuis of Port Angeles led incumbent Judy Scott of Port Angeles, 11,806 votes to 11,298, or 51.1 percent to 48.9 percent.
County Department of Community Director challenger Sheila Roark Miller of Carlsborg was ahead of incumbent John Miller of Port Angeles, 12,501 votes to 10,873, or 53.48 percent to 46.52 percent.
Incumbent Republican Prosecuting Attorney Deb Kelly of Port Angeles was ahead of Democratic Challenger Larry Freedman of Sequim, 13,642 votes to 12,405, or 52.37 percent to 47.63 percent.
Updated results for Jefferson County races are:
Incumbent county Commissioner John Austin of Port Ludlow led challenger Jim Boyer of Port Ludlow, 9,491 votes to 6,930, or 57.8 percent to 42.2 percent.
Scott Rosekrans of Port Townsend led Paul Richmond of Port Townsend in the race for Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney, with 9,651 votes to 5,881, or 62.14 percent to 37.86 percent.
Incumbent District Court Judge Jill Landes of Port Townsend led challenger John Wood of Port Townsend, with 7,769 votes to 6,548, or 54.26 percent to 45.74 percent.
Proposition No. 1, a local sales and use tax increase of 0.3 percent, was passing by 9,018 votes to 7,009, or 56.27 percent to 43.73 percent.
In the race for retiring Democrat Lynn Kessler’s Position 2 state House seat in the 24th District, Clallam County Commissioner Steve Tharinger, a Sequim Democrat, remained ahead of Republican Port of Port Angeles Commissioner Jim McEntire, a Sequim Republican.
The new Clallam, Jefferson and Grays Harbor county totals gave Tharinger, districtwide, 27,589 votes, or 52.30 percent, to McEntire’s 25,163 votes, or 47.70 percent.
McEntire is still ahead in Clallam County with 13,976 votes, or 52.63 percent, to Tharinger’s 12,578 votes, or 47.37 percent.
Tharinger leads in Jefferson County with 10,074 votes, or 61.23 percent, to McEntire’s 6,380 votes, or 38.77 percent.
In the 24th District Position 1 state House race, Republican Dan Gase of Port Angeles conceded defeat Thursday to incumbent Democrat Kevin Van De Wege of Sequim.
The new districtwide totals on Friday show Van De Wege with 29,861 votes, or 56.14 percent, to Gase’s 23,329 votes, or 43.86 percent.
Gase still remains ahead in Clallam County, 13,496 votes to 13,204, or 50.55 percent to 49.45 percent.
Van De Wege is still ahead in Jefferson County with 11,012 votes to 5,658, or 66.06 percent to 33.94 percent.
The 24th District consists of Clallam and Jefferson counties and the northern half of Grays Harbor County, not including Aberdeen.
Grays Harbor County tallied 3,500 countywide ballots on Friday. The results show Tharinger and Van De Wege winning that county:
Van De Wege, 5,645 votes, 57.48 percent. Gase, 4,175 votes, 42.52 percent.
Tharinger, 4,937, or 50.67 percent. McEntire, 4,807 votes, 49.33 percent.
The Clallam County Auditor’ Office has counted 27,420 ballots from 45,611 mailed to voters, for a voter turnout of 60.12 percent of those ballots tabulated.
The office has another 6,549 ballots on hand, said Auditor Patty Rosand, so the total number of ballots received is 33,969, or a voter turnout of 74.4 percent.
The next count of Clallam County votes will be Monday, when 3,980 ballots will be tallied that were received on Wednesday.
Rosand said more ballots will be counted on Tuesday or Wednesday.
The Jefferson County’s Auditor’s Office has counted 17,286 ballots from 21,749 mailed to voters, for a turnout of 78.48 percent.
The next count of Jefferson County votes will be Wednesday, when the remaining 350 ballots will be processed.
The total turnout for Jefferson County, county all ballots on hand, is 17,636, or 81 percent.
Grays Harbor had a turnout of 58.34 percent as of Friday. The next vote count will be Wednesday. It now has about 4,000 uncounted votes on hand.
