PORT ANGELES — Mike Breidenbach has widened his lead over Lee Whetham by 34 votes and nearly a percentage point in the close race for a position on the Nov. 3 general election ballot for Port of Port Angeles commissioner.
The Clallam County Auditor’s Office counted 3,788 ballots today, all that were on hand, said Auditor Shoona Riggs.
A total of 15,248 ballots have been counted out of the 43,544 ballots mailed to registered voters countywide for a voter turnout of 35.02 percent.
Voter turnout in Jefferson County, which counted nine outstanding ballots today in a third count of votes, was 36.93 percent. Registered voters were mailed 7,542 ballots and returned 2,785.
The next count in both counties will be before the election is certified on Aug. 18.
Connie Beauvais, 64, of Joyce is assured a spot on the general election ballot for the Port of Port Angeles race for District 3, having won 841 vote, or 33.05 percent.
Breidenbach, a Forks City Council member, now has 638 votes, or 25.07 percent, while Whetham, a Port Angeles City Council member, has 573 votes or 22.51 percent.
Rick “Doc” Robinson, 62, of Port Angeles has been eliminated from the contest. He garnered a total of 493 votes, or 19.37 percent.
Riggs said she didn’t know if enough ballots remain outstanding for Whetham to close the total 65-vote gap — but that it’s unlikely.
The difference also appeared to be too wide for Whetham to seek a recount.
“Those two candidates — if we put in just those numbers — they are actually at 5.37 percent difference, and they have to be within half a percent for a recount,” Riggs said.
Whetham, 55, who is a Port Angeles commercial plumber as well as a city councilman, did not immediately return a request for comment.
Breidenbach, a retired Rayonier sales manager as well as a Forks city councilman, said, “I’m just real happy that people voted for me.”
He said he thought he’d won the contest: “I believe so when you look at the numbers there.”
In other races across Clallam County, no three- or four-candidate elections were close enough to doubt the early outcomes, with the top two vote getters advancing to the Nov. 3 general election.
The numbers:
Clallam County commissioner District 1
■ Jim McEntire, R: 4,245 (48.93 percent).
■ Mark Ozias, D: 3,325 (38.33 percent).
■ Bryan D. Frazier, D: 1,105 (12.74 percent).
City of Port Angeles Position 5
■ Michael Meredith: 1,049 (45.33 percent).
■ Marolee Smith: 820 (35.44 percent).
■ Shan Pak: 445 (19.23 percent).
Sequim School District No. 1
(Clallam County and Jefferson County results)
■ Robin Henrikson: 2,433 (36.78 percent).
■ Heather Jeffers: 2,353. (35.57 percent).
■ Willard Naslund: 1,011 15.28 percent).
■ Rebecca Bratsman: 818 (12.366 percent).
Three write-in votes were received; one ballot was not counted because the voster chose more than one candidate.
Sequim School District No. 5
(Clallam County and Jefferson County results)
■ Heather Short: 4,656 (56.78 percent).
■ William Payne: 2,025 (24.70 percent).
■ Charles Meyer: 1,519 (18.52 percent)
One candidate received a write-in vote, and seven ballots were not counted because voters chose no candidate.
Fire District 3, Position 1
(Clallam County and Jefferson County results)
■ G. Michael Gawley: 3,651 (44.66 percent).
■ Sean Ryan: 3,283 (40.16 percent).
■ Alan W. Slind: 1,241 (15.18 percent).
One candidate received a write-in vote, and seven ballots were not counted because voters chose no candidate.
SARC Metropolitan Park District
■ For: 4,437 (41.79 percent).
■ Against: 6,181 (58.21 percent).
Races for five seats on a SARC park district board of commissioners were moot because voters did not create the district.
Nonetheless, the top vote-getters were Warren Pierce, Ken Stringer, Virginia O’Neill, Rich Bemm and Mike McAleer.
In Jefferson County, election officials counted nine more ballots on Friday, bringing the Port Townsend City Council, Position 6, totals to:
■ Amy Smith: 1,528 (57.44 percent).
■ Paul S. Rice: 615 (23.12 percent).
■ Todd Wexman: 500 (18.80 percent).
Write-in candidates received 17 votes. Seventeen ballots were not counted because voters chose more than one candidate, and 10 ballots were not counted because voters chose no candidate.
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Reporter James Casey can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at jcasey@peninsuladailynews.com.
