McFall takes lead in GOP nomination for commissioner seat

Published 12:01 am Wednesday, September 20, 2006

PORT TOWNSEND — Former software businessman Ian McFall of Brinnon was leading Port Ludlow farmer Bob Pontius for the Republican nomination for the District 3 Jefferson county commissioner seat after the first votes were counted Tuesday night.

The mail-in tally Tuesday night showed McFall ahead of Pontius, 743 to 544, or 57.42 percent to 42.04 percent.

The primary election winner goes up against Port Ludlow Democrat John Austin, a 64-year-old retired psychologist, in the Nov. 7 general election.

The results tallied only ballots received by Monday and Tuesday.

Counted were 9,607 ballots, or 46.03 percent, of the 20,867 ballots mailed out for the all-mail, countywide election.

An estimated 570 ballots were in hand but uncounted for races in Jefferson County, including those collected from ballot-drop boxes at 8 p.m. Tuesday.

County Auditor Donna Eldridge, who is in charge of county elections, said the next ballot count will be 1 p.m. Thursday.