Voter turnout swelled to more than 50 percent in the two counties on the North Olympic Peninsula as of Friday, outpacing the statewide percentage of 35.24.
Outcomes remained the same as they were on Tuesday night although the numbers changed after more counts of primary election ballots Friday.
The state’s top-two primary election culls the candidates down to two for the Nov. 8 general election. The two who received the most votes will go on to the general election no matter what their party affiliation.
By Friday, the Jefferson County Auditor’s Office had counted 15,316 ballots out of the 27,410 given to registered voters, for a voter turnout of 55.88 percent. The next count of ballots will be Aug. 16, when the election is certified.
The Clallam County Auditor’s Office had counted by Friday 29,054 ballots out of the 57,258 given to registered voters, for a voter turnout of 50.74 percent. An estimated 203 ballots were left to count. The next count of ballots will be Monday.
In Clallam County, the four-way nonpartisan race for the Clallam County Department of Community Development (DCD) director position has been narrowed to former DCD planner Bruce Emery, who had 8,284 votes, or 30.39 percent, and Cherie Kidd, former mayor of Port Angeles, who had 7,599 votes, or 27.87 percent.
Jesse Major — a public records analyst with the county, a former county code enforcement officer and a former reporter for the Peninsula Daily News — won 6,704 votes, or 24.59 percent.
Kevin Russell, a twice-former president of the North Peninsula Builders Association, had 4,414 votes, or 16.19 percent.
Clallam is the only county in the nation to have an elected rather than appointed DCD director.
Jefferson County Commissioner Greg Brotherton, a Democrat, will face challenger Marcia Kelbon, a Republican, in November.
Brotherton has received 2,790 votes, or 55.343 percent. Kelbon, a chemical engineer and lawyer who retired from the biopharmaceutical company Omeros Medical Systems, had 1,600 votes, or 31.73 percent.
Jon Cooke, former chair of the county Republican Party and now a state committeeman, received 648 votes, or 12.85 percent.
All three are from Quilcene.
In the state Legislative District 24 contest for Position 1, the general election lineup is narrowed to Rep. Mike Chapman, a Port Angeles Democrat, and Sue Forde of Sequim, chair of the county Republican party, with Matthew Rainwater of Port Angeles in third place.
Legislative District 24 covers Clallam and Jefferson counties and part of Grays Harbor County.
Overall numbers were 31,112 votes, or 57.83 percent, for Chapman; 15,472 votes, or 28.76 percent, for Forde; and 7,174 votes, or 13.33 percent, for Rainwater.
In Jefferson County, numbers were 10,794 or 71.68 percent, for Chapman; 3,163 votes, or 21.01 percent, for Forde; and 1,087 votes, or 7.22 percent, for Rainwater.
In Clallam County, numbers were 15,473 votes, or 53.69 percent, for Chapman; 9,594 votes, or 33.29 percent, for Forde, and 3,732 votes, or 12.95 percent for Rainwater.
In Grays Harbor County, Chapman won 4,845 votes, or 48.83 percent, Forde won 2,715 votes, or 27.26 percent, and Rainwater won 2,355 votes, or 23.73 percent.
In the state Legislative District 24 contest for Position 2, the general election lineup is narrowed to Rep. Steve Tharinger of Port Townsend, a Democrat, and Republican Brian Pruiett of Carlsborg, with Democrat Darren Corcoran of Elma in third place.
Overall numbers were 27,737 votes, or 51.86 percent, for Tharinger; 22,119 votes, or 41.35 percent, for Pruiett; and 3,562 votes, or 6.66 percent, for Corcoran.
In Jefferson County, the numbers were 9,826 votes, or 66.5 percent, for Tharinger; 4,038 votes, or 27.33 percent, for Pruiett, and 895 votes, or 6.06 percent, for Corcoran.
In Clallam County, the numbers were 14,112 votes, or 49.23 percent, for Tharinger; 13,027 votes, or 45.45 percent, for Pruiett and 1,483 votes, or 5.17 percent, for Corcoran.
In Grays Harbor County, Pruiett was the top vote-getter with 5,054 votes, or 50.3 percent. Tharinger won 3,799 votes, or 37.81 percent. Corcoran won 1,184 votes, or 11.78 percent.
The lineup in the 6th Congressional District race in November will be U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer, a Gig Harbor Democrat, and Elizabeth Kreiselmaier, a Gig Harbor Republican.
In the statewide race for a six-year term for U.S. Senator, Democrat Patty Murray, who’s held the seat since 1993, will be challenged by Republican Tiffany Smiley.
For the two-year term for Washington Secretary of State, appointee Steve Hobbs, a Democrat, will face Republican Bob Hagglund.
The Clallam County commissioner District 3 seat between incumbent Bill Peach of Forks, a Republican, and Mike French, a Democrat who is serving on the Port Angeles City Council, will be on the Nov. 8 ballot.
After Friday’s count, Peach had 3,810 votes, or 53.38 percent, while French had 3,312 votes, or 46.4 percent.
Jefferson County Sheriff Joe Nole will face challenger Art Frank in November.
The two, both Democrats, were on the primary ballot.
Nole has received 9,750 votes, or 72.63 percent, and Frank 3,750 votes, or 27.55 percent.
Several seats were uncontested.