Community Government
Primary election certified; here are official results for local races
The Washington Secretary of State’s office certified the Aug. 6 primary election on Thursday, Aug. 22, confirming local results that were largely clear on election night.
The certification affirms that Democrat Adison Richards of Bremerton and Republican Jesse L. Young of Gig Harbor will face off for House Position 1 in the 26th Legislative District. They seek to replace Rep. Spencer Hutchins, R-Gig Harbor, who did not run for re-election.
In the 26th District’s other House race, the general election contest pits Republican incumbent Michelle Caldier of Gig Harbor against Democrat Tiffiny Mitchell of Port Orchard.
Recount in statewide race
While local races were not exactly nail-biters, the primary election did produce the closest primary election race in state history. A statewide recount is required to confirm who finished second in the race for Commissioner of Public Lands.
Republican Jaime Herrera-Beutler, a former congresswoman, won the primary. But Demcrat Dave Upthegrove is only 51 votes ahead of Republican Sue Kuehl Pederson in the race for second place and a spot on the general election ballot. That works out to just 0.0064% of the vote.
State law requires a manual recount when the margin is less than 0.25%. Canvassing boards in each of Washington’s 39 counties will conduct the recount. Officials expect it to take about seven business days.
Sixth Congressional District
State Sen. Emily Randall, D-Bremerton, ran up the score in Pierce and Kitsap counties to win the Sixth Congressional District primary. Randall and state Sen. Drew MacEwen, R-Union, advance to the general election.
Emily Randall
Randall won the primary with 34.34% of the vote. MacEwen, the highest-profile Republican in the race, finished second with 30.18%. Incumbent state Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz, a Democrat, finished third with 24.75%.
Franz had the biggest fundraising haul in the field of candidates, previously won statewide office and was endorsed by Sixth District incumbent Derek Kilmer as soon as she announced her run. But none of that could overcome Randall’s strength in the Sixth’s two most-populous counties, parts of which she represents in the Legislature.
Randall shows strength in 26th LD
Randall won 37.87% of the vote in the Pierce and Kitsap county parts of the Sixth District — above her districtwide share of 34.34. Franz won just 23.68% of the vote there.
Perhaps not coincidentally, Randall is the state senator for the 26th Legislative District, which includes much of Kitsap and most of the Sixth District portion of Pierce.
The sprawling Sixth District includes part of Pierce County (Gig Harbor, the Key Peninsula and parts of Tacoma) and all of Kitsap, Mason, Jefferson, Clallam and Grays Harbor counties.
Drew MacEwen
MacEwen won all three of the more conservative counties in the district: his home county, Mason, with 46.56%; and Clallam and Grays Harbor counties.
Franz didn’t win in any of the six counties of the Sixth. She finished second, ahead of Randall, only in Mason and Grays Harbor, where she lives.
General election next
The general election will be Nov. 5. The county elections office will mail ballots to voters by Oct. 18.
Potential voters can register online or by mail through Oct. 28. They can register in person at the Pierce County Elections Office through 8 p.m. on election day.
Official results from the primary are below.
Sixth Congressional District
✔️ Emily Randall (D): 80,249 votes, 34.34%
✔️ Drew C. MacEwen (R): 70,513 votes, 30.18%
Hilary Franz (D): 57,824 votes, 24.75%
Janis Clark (R): 17,665 votes, 7.56%
J. Graham Ralston (I): 7,235 votes, 3.1%
26th Legislative District
Position 1
✔️ Adison Richards (D): 25,096 votes, 49.6%
✔️ Jesse L. Young (R): 17,137 votes, 33.87%
Jim Henderson (R): 8,326 votes, 16.45%
Position 2
✔️ Michelle Caldier (R, incumbent): 16,878 votes, 33.7%
✔️ Tiffiny Mitchell (D): 14,909 votes, 29.77%
Rachel Harter (R): 9,204 votes, 18.38%
Lori McPherson (D): 5,236 votes, 10.46%
Josh Smith (I): 3,814 votes, 7.62%
Pierce County Executive
✔️ Ryan Mello (D): 106,323 votes, 52.27%
✔️ Kelly Chambers (R): 96,629 votes, 47.51%
Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer
✔️ Marty Campbell: 78,081 votes, 41.05%
✔️ Kent D. Keel: 62,625 votes, 32.93%
Joe Lonergan: 48,792 votes, 25.65%
Pierce County Sheriff
✔️ Keith Swank: 49,417 votes, 25.1%
✔️ Patti Jackson: 48,194 votes, 24.48%
Cyndie Fajardo: 43,446 votes, 22.07%
Craig Gocha: 32,133 votes, 16.32%
Darin G. Harris: 15,605 votes, 7.93%
Mike Csapo: 7,441 votes, 3.78%
City of Gig Harbor
Proposition 1 (public safety sales tax)
✔️ Yes: 3,262 votes, 67.83%
No: 1,547 votes, 32.17%