PORT ANGELES — Rick Porter was dominating the race for Clallam County District Court 1 judge, with 56.8 percent of the vote, while his closest challenger, Tim Davis, had 25.9 percent.
Both Porter and Davis said that Porter appeared to be on his way to a third four-year term.
Port Angeles attorney Pam Lindquist trailed with 2,340 votes, or 17.3 percent.
Unlike the top-two primary in other races, a judge who garners more than 50 percent of the vote will bypass the general election and head straight to the bench. Otherwise, the top two vote-getters will face off in the Nov. 2 general election.
“That was sweet,” said Porter, after being congratulated by supporters late Tuesday at the Clallam County Courthouse. “I was expecting that we would be done tonight.”
Porter added:
“I have to say I am very relieved.
“I’m glad to see that we can now go back to the business of the people that elected me, and I am very honored that the citizens of Clallam County have given me another four years.”
Porter garnered 7,694 votes of the 13,533 ballots cast in the district and counted by Monday.
Davis, an assistant attorney general from Port Angeles, had 3,499 votes in the early returns.
“Obviously I’m very disappointed,” said Davis, 59, who was also present at the courthouse when the results were made available at 8:06 p.m.
“I thought we had a much better chance than it turned out we did.
“It seems that my message didn’t get out.
“Our message didn’t get out that there’s something wrong in district court. It’s just a shame.
Lindquist, 42, said she was “disappointed by the number so far,” but was held out hope that the race could change as more ballots are counted.
“I having fun meeting everybody,” said Lindquist, who was reached by phone.
The Clallam County Auditor’s Office will tally the ballots received after Monday for the all-mail election on Friday.
Even with 3,690 ballots arriving on Tuesday — and more expected to arrive today and Thursday — Porter said he was confident that his more than 50-percent margin would hold.
The incumbent judge said he took Tuesday’s result as “somewhat of a mandate” to continue the policies and procedures that he implemented when he was elected to the bench in 2002.
Porter’s opponents have criticized him for a pay-or-appear program that he instituted upon his election to his first term, with Davis in particular saying it amounts to a debtors’ prison.
The incumbent judge has maintained that pay-or-appear holds offenders accountable and generates about $1 million per year from the $2.4 million in fines collected by the court.
Porter’s opponents also have criticized his demeanor, saying he has been demeaning to both attorneys and those accused of violations.
“This was a hard-fought campaign, but I just thank God that it is done,” Porter said.
Davis said:
“Although it was a short campaign, I’ve enjoyed it. I enjoyed getting out and meeting people that I wouldn’t normally have met.
“I’d like to express my thanks to everybody who did vote for me, everybody who believed that I had a chance, that I was a viable candidate. I’m just sorry that it turned out the way it did.”
The four-year position pays $141,710 per year. District 1 extends from the county line east of Sequim to west of Lake Crescent.
There were 45,796 ballots mailed to registered voters across Clallam County, Auditor Patty Rosand said.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.