PORT ANGELES — Incumbent Port of Port Angeles Commissioner Leonard Beil was swept out of office Tuesday night by challenger George Schoenfeldt.
Schoenfeldt, 56, received 7,007 votes, or 59.3 percent, in the race for the Port’s District 2 seat.
Beil, 82, received 4,806 votes, or 40.7 percent.
More votes will be counted Thursday, but it is unlikely Beil can overcome Shoenfeldt’s lead.
“I have a lot of respect for Beil, and I wish him well in his retirement,” Schoenfeldt said.
Schoenfeldt criticized Beil for what he characterized as a negative campaign and acknowledged the strong union support he received.
“I never got negative.
“Leonard has done a lot of good work through the years, and I’m real disappointed in him.”
Said Beil, who was seeking a second six-year term:
“There’s probably a little less than a third of the votes in. But it looks like a tough amount to overcome.
“I’ll be preparing to make an orderly change if it turns out that way,
“Win or lose, I feel that there’s been some real positive things that have occurred in the operation of the Port over the last six years.
“Those are things I hope are able to be continued and build on those.”
Tuesday night’s results represent ballots received from Port Angeles through Friday and the rest of the county through last Wednesday.
On Thursday the county Auditor’s Office will count 10,117 ballots that were in hand as of Tuesday and several thousand expected to arrive by mail today.
