PORT ANGELES — Randy Johnson and Brian Coughenour have been elected.
The two widened their leads against their respective opponents in the Nov. 8 general election after the Clallam County Auditor’s Office tabulated additional ballots Wednesday in the final count before election results are certified Nov. 29.
The Auditor’s Office counted 40,853 ballots from 50,987 registered voters, with a voter turnout of 80.12 percent.
Clallam County Auditor Shoona Riggs expects some more ballots to trickle in in the coming days, but doesn’t expect there to be another count until results are certified.
Johnson, a Clallam County commissioner candidate who filed with no party preference, defeated Democrat Ron Richards 6,742 votes to 5,239 votes — or 56.27 percent to 43.73 percent.
Johnson, the apparent successor to longtime commissioner and soon-to-be state Rep. Mike Chapman, had 54.04 percent support from District 2 constituents in the first ballot count Nov. 8.
Coughenour, a sitting Clallam County Superior Court judge who had been appointed to the post in 2015, kept his seat by winning 17,736 votes, or 52.49 percent, to Dave Neupert’s 16,051 votes, or 47.51 percent.
Coughenour had carried 52.05 percent of the early countywide vote Nov. 8.
Republican Donald Trump remained the county favorite for president, widening his lead over Democrat Hillary Clinton.
President-elect Trump, who trailed Secretary of State Clinton by 319 votes in Clallam County on election night, moved ahead of Clinton by 1,110 votes, at 18,721, or 47.64 percent, to 17,611, or 44.82 percent, as of Wednesday.
All of the other election outcomes remained unchanged.
A proposition to increase the number of Forks Community Hospital commissioners from three to five passed 70.99 percent support.
An advisory vote on banning fireworks in Sequim showed 65.63 percent in favor of prohibiting fireworks.
In Legislative District 24 — which covers Clallam and Jefferson counties and part of Grays Harbor County — Kevin Van De Wege, D-Sequim, won over Danille Turissini, R-Port Ludlow, 56.58 percent to 43.42 percent for the state Senate.
Chapman, D-Port Angeles, won over George Vrable, R-Port Ludlow, 60.92 percent to 39.08 percent for the Position 1 state representative seat.
State level
Incumbent state Rep. Steve Tharinger, D-Sequim, won 56.88 percent of the vote to retain his Position 2 seat in the state House, while challenger John Alger, R-Sequim, won 43.12 percent of the vote.
Jefferson County’s voter turnout was 85.45 percent.
Clallam County voter turnout in the last presidential election in 2012 was 82.14 percent.
In 2008, Clallam County voter turnout was 85.57 percent.
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Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsula dailynews.com.
