SEQUIM — Mayor Pro Tem Laura Dubois, City Council member Erik Erichsen and newcomer Candace Pratt were holding strong leads in their races for City Council after general election results were tallied Tuesday night.
Dubois, who served two years as Sequim mayor and is seeking her second four-year term on the council, was out in front of challenger John Miller by 878 votes, or 57.39 percent, to Miller’s 652 votes, or 42.61 percent.
Erichsen, also seeking a second term, was ahead of opponent Pete Duncan with 766 votes, or 52.43 percent, to 695, or 47.57 percent.
Pratt was running ahead of challenger Eric Miller, both running in their first council races, by 965 votes, or 67.25 percent, to 470 votes, or 32.75 percent.
“I’m pleased that the citizens have decided to return me to the City Council,” said Dubois, 63, a retired budget analyst from the Sacramento, Calif., Municipal Utility District who was celebrating her lead with Mayor Ken Hays, who ran unopposed, at Hays’ architectural firm’s offices in downtown Sequim after the first results were in Tuesday night.
“I’m looking forward to more street projects through the [Transportation Benefit District] and the update of the comprehensive plan,” Dubois added.
Attempts to contact John Miller — who is 56 and retired from Safeway Stores Inc. after more than 34 years — by phone were unsuccessful Tuesday night.
Counted were 17,802 votes Tuesday night after voting closed at 8 p.m., bringing the voter turnout percentage to 38.93 percent of Clallam County’s 45,734 registered voters eligible to vote.
County Auditor Patty Rosand estimated there will be about 5,000 ballots still left to count by 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
Erichsen, 70 and a retired manager with the federal Department of Energy, said Monday that he would be going on a cruise to Hawaii on Tuesday and would be unavailable for comment.
“Just say the voters have spoken and they will get what they voted for,” he said Monday before Election Day.
Duncan, a 42-year-old wireless technology consultant, said he thought the results were close but not close enough.
“I think it’s pretty much done,” Duncan said. “You’ve got a concession speech at this point.
“I just say congratulations to Erik. And I hope they pay attention to young families.”
Pratt, a 72-year-old retired teacher and bookkeeper, said she was delighted by the results but not surprised.
“[Eric Miller] said to me he basically conceded” during one of the campaign events, Pratt said of her opponent, celebrating her margin of victory, the largest of all the council races.
“I’m looking forward to working with the council. I’m really excited about this.”
Her opponent, Eric J. Miller, a 56-year-old former airline mechanic who retired because of industrial injury, did not return phone calls to his home phone number Tuesday night.
Mayor Ken Hays ran unopposed, guaranteeing him a second four-year term on the council.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.