PORT TOWNSEND – John Collins held a solid lead over Forrest Rambo for the Port of Port Townsend District 1 commissioner seat on Tuesday night, after the first wave of mail-in ballots were counted.
Collins, 70, led the race in Tuesday’s general election with 4,617 votes, or 56.78 percent. Rambo, 61, drew 3,462 votes, or 42.57 percent.
“I thought it would be a little closer,” said a smiling Collins, who has never held public office before.
Collins watched the results come in at courthouse Auditor’s Office after 8 p.m., and later celebrated with friends at the Public House restaurant downtown.
Collins said he already was planning his transition into the port seat that had been held by Bob Sokol for 12 years. His plans include a port commissioner orientation seminar next week with the state ports association.
Collins retired in 2001 as a professor of public service at Seattle University and serves on the Wooden Boat Foundation board.
He co-owns the Lemon Tree Bed & Breakfast in Port Townsend.
Rambo is the owner and operator of Stuffaway, a professional organizing services company.
Rambo said he wished Collins well.
“Congratulations to John,” he said. “He ran a very energetic campaign and has a lot of supporters in the community.”
Rambo, who was on the Port Townsend City Council from 1998 to 2000, serving as mayor from 1999 to 2000, said he was disappointed after he tried to connect to voters by being “very pragmatic and direct.”
“I think that’s one of my strong suits, but I think John is a bit better at that than I am.”
Rambo said he would continue to attend port commission meetings “as long as I am in the community. I still think I have a contingency in the community of people who think there needs to be some changes sooner than later."
The results tallied only ballots cast on or before Tuesday, when 10,236 ballots were counted in Jefferson County races – just 49.51 percent of the 20,928 ballots mailed out Oct. 17.
Eldridge said she expects about 2,000 more ballots will be tallied, possibly reaching the 60 percent voter turnout mark. She has predicted a 63 percent voter turnout.
About 857 ballots were in hand, but not counted for races in Jefferson County, said Eldridge, including those collected from the ballot drop box behind the county courthouse at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Those ballots, plus ballots received in the coming days with a postmark of Tuesday or before, are expected to be counted on Thursday, Eldridge said.
The Auditor’s Office will count additional ballots every three days if there are enough to count.
