PORT ANGELES — Incumbent Steve Tharinger will face challenger Terry Roberts for the 24th Legislative District’s Position 2 seat this November.
Tharinger, D-Port Townsend, held a considerable advantage with 15,704 votes, or 60.1 percent. Roberts, a Republican, had 6,695 votes, or 25.6 percent.
Hickory Grant, also a Republican, came in third with 3,699 votes, or 14.2 percent.
Tharinger has been serving as a state representative since 2011.
Tharinger said if elected he will focus on “strengthening the hospitals, providing general care on the Peninsula and treatment for opiods — medical-assisted treatment. Just continuing the work, working with the cities, working with the counties and working with our federal government partners to help solve those issues.
“There’s just a number of things we’re working on, providing more access to childcare, and things that really help families thrive on the Peninsula,” he said. “I think we have a good record of doing that, but there’s more work to do.”
Roberts, who doesn’t have elected experience, has spent 22 years working in finance.
“We’re very excited about the results,” he said. “When we look at the Republicans that were in the race, myself and Hickory Grant, we total those numbers together, and we look at the fact that it was a primary and that we’ll get a nice bump going into the general, we’re very very satisfied with how things went.
“For me, it really comes down to a couple of issues that I think are paramount in the district: the cost of living, which obviously would include housing, all of those essentials that people need, whether it’s the cost of fuel, groceries and childcare are all critical items for me. We need to do what we can to provide some relief to people in the district.”
In Clallam County, Tharinger also had 7,661 votes, or 58.4 percent. Roberts was second with 3,433 votes, or 26. 2 percent.
In Jefferson County, Tharinger had 4,891 votes, or 74.1 percent, and Roberts had 1,219 votes, or 18.5 percent.
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Reporter Elijah Sussman can be reached by email at elijah.sussman @sequimgazette.com.
Terry Roberts