ELECTION — Kler tops in Jefferson commission race; Toepper second

PORT TOWNSEND — Kathleen Kler appeared to be headed for a countywide showdown for the Jefferson County Commission District 3 seat with Daniel Toepper coming in second in Tuesday’s ballot counts.

In the primary election, only registered voters in District 3 voted on the four candidates. Ballots were mailed to 7,492 voters and 2,626 were counted Tuesday night.

All those registered in the county will vote in the Nov. 4 general election.

Kler, 64, D-Quilcene, won 1,398 votes, or 45.5 percent.

Toepper, 54, of Port Ludlow, who filed with no party preference, had 683 votes, or 22.2 percent.

Alexander Borgeson, 45, a Port Ludlow Independent, took 530 votes, or 17.2 percent.

Joe Baisch, 66, of Brinnon, who filed with no party preference, won 455 votes, or 14.8 percent.

In races with three or more candidates, the top-two primary election narrowed the Nov. 4 general election ballot to the two candidates who received the most votes.

Incumbent John Austin is not running for reelection.

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