Both sides sounded optimistic Wednesday afternoon in a close 24th District legislative race that separates a veteran state representative and a political newcomer by 1.8 percentage points.
The latest vote count from the Secretary of State’s Office for the 24th District in Clallam, Jefferson and Grays Harbor counties showed Rep. Jim Buck, R-Joyce, leading with 23,561 votes, or 50.95 percent, to Sequim Democrat Kevin Van De Wege’s 22,682, or 49.05 percent.
Despite the thin lead and that thousands more ballots will be counted Friday, Buck held a victory party Wednesday night for about 100 supporters near Carlsborg.
Buck is seeking his sixth two-year term in the state House of Representatives as one of two representatives for the 24th District.
The Republican was leading in both Clallam and Grays Harbor counties Wednesday, but trailing in Jefferson County.
Buck tallied 11,430 votes in Clallam County versus 9,314 for Van De Wege. In Grays Harbor County, Buck received 6,334 votes to 5,134 for Van De Wege.
But in Jefferson County, Van De Wege received 8,234 votes to 5,797 for Buck.
Untallied ballots
Clallam County counted 22,437 ballots and has 16,000 left to count. Grays Harbor counted 25,862 ballots and has 7,000 left for Friday, and Jefferson counted 14,759 ballots and has 3,000 untallied.
Election results are not final or official until they are certified, which for this election is Nov. 17 for county canvassing boards and Dec. 2 for the Secretary of State’s Office in Olympia.
Both candidates worked their mathematics Wednesday to forecast their chances.
“I’m 879 votes ahead. Clallam County has 16,000 votes left, so if the split stays the same, then I should win by 1,488 votes,” Buck said Wednesday afternoon.
Van De Wege would need 54 percent of the outstanding votes to overtake his current lead, Buck said.
“This is what we expected to happen,” said Van De Wege on Wednesday.
“We could afford to lose in Clallam County, but needed 48 percent or better.
“We knew we needed Jefferson and Grays Harbor, but lost Grays Harbor. We expected to win in Jefferson and hoped to win in Grays Harbor.”
