PORT ANGELES — The 24th Legislative District’s Democratic incumbents were holding onto their places in early returns from Clallam, Jefferson and Grays Harbor counties Tuesday.
Rep. Lynn Kessler of Hoquiam, the house majority leader, was leading first-time Republican challenger Randy Dutton 31,215 to 15,897, 66.26 percent to 33.74 percent of ballots counted by 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Her colleague, Kevin Van De Wege of Sequim, was winning over the GOP’s Thomas Thomas, 31,161 to 15,398, or 66.93 percent to 33.07 percent of ballots counted.
State Sen. Jim Hargrove, D-Hoquiam, ran without opposition.
Counting will continue at intervals over the next two weeks, with official results to be certified Nov. 25.
The next count of outstanding ballots will be Friday in both Clallam and Jefferson counties.
Ballots were sent to 45,766 registered voters across Clallam County. County Auditor Patty Rosand said her office had about 24,242 ballots in hand. Rosand said she expects another 6,000 to 8,000 ballots, or 10 percent, to come in.
Ballots were sent to 22,160 registered voters across Jefferson County, and Tuesday’s tally included all ballots received by 2:30 p.m. Friday, or 71.89 percent of the possible total.
Kessler campaigned on her 16 years of representing her rural district and rising to house majority leader to take a place at the table with politicians from the Interstate 5 corridor.
‘I’m feeling wonderful’
“I’m feeling wonderful,” she said as she watched results roll in that would make Barack Obama president of the United States.
“It’s an historic and beautiful evening for me.”
Van De Wege, who’d been elevated to house majority whip his freshman year, ran on issues of family wage jobs, representing working families, and protecting social programs from budget cuts.
“I think it’s just that I had an effective first term,” he told the Peninsula Daily News.
“I delivered for the Olympic Peninsula on some issues.
“I think people liked the fact that I worked hard and am here to solve the problems that Olympic Peninsula residents are faced with.”
The Republican challengers were both first-time candidates, and each said he may run again.
“I’m not going to say no,” said Dutton, an inventor and tree farmer from Montesano, “and I’m not going to say yes.”
Wants to work with Kessler
His decision, Dutton said, could rest on Kessler’s keeping her repeated promises during the campaign to seek his help during the 2009 Legislature.
“I’m hoping that some of the issues I offer up, Kessler is going to take up,” he said.
Thomas, also and inventor as well as a broadband entrepreneur from Joyce, had received the endorsement of the Aberdeen Daily World
as a newcomer who deserved a chance to prove himself in office.
He was less gracious than Dutton.
“People get the government they deserve,” he told the PDN.
“You can’t fix stupid. They’re going to deserve Van De Wege for the next two years.
“I’ll just keep my options open, and when Bushitis is over, I’ll think about running again.”
Van De Wege listed his priorities in the upcoming Legislature as the economy, job creation and health care.
Protect U.S. 101 widening
As for Kessler, she said Job 1 would be “getting a budget that will preserve things like education and higher education and all the vulnerable people we have in their state.”
Still, the economic downturn promises that the Legislature will have to “make some pretty hard decisions.”
Kessler promised, however, to protect funding to widen U.S. 101 between Port Angeles and Sequim and to toughen penalties for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
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Reporter Jim Casey can be reached at 360-417-3538 or at jim.casey@ peninsuladailynews.com.
