PORT TOWNSEND — During a campaign visit last week, Sen. Maria Cantwell, a Democrat from Mountlake Terrace, challenged fellow Democrats in Jefferson County to bring in the highest voter turnout in the state.
The county may just achieve that goal.
As of Friday, it is in second place, with 17,286 ballots of 21,749 mailed, or 79.48 percent, tallied.
Jefferson County is second only to the much smaller Columbia county in the southeastern part of the state, which has 2,080 of 2,580 votes, or 80.62 percent, tallied.
Auditor Donna Eldridge still thinks Jefferson County can be No. 1, and has projected an 81.21 percentage once the remaining votes — about 350 — are counted Wednesday.
That number is imprecise since the final total will depend on how many votes are challenged or invalid.
Eldridge, a Republican, said the high voter turnout can be attributed to the ability of “the Democratic machine” to get out the vote.
“This is a Democratic county, and the party has the ability to mobilize the voters to get behind the candidates they care about,” Eldridge said.
None of the outcomes reported for three contested county races or the single local ballot measure changed after Friday’s count of 3,600 ballots, the first tabulation of outstanding ballots since the first tallies Tuesday night.
County Commissioner District 3 incumbent John Austin, a Democrat, defeated Republican challenger Jim Boyer by 9,491 votes, or 57.8 percent, to 6,930 votes, or 42.2 percent.
Chief Deputy Criminal Prosecutor Scott Rosekrans of Port Townsend, a Democrat, defeated Port Townsend Attorney Paul Richmond, who stated no party preference, for the prosecuting attorney-coroner position, winning 9,651 votes, or 62.14 percent, to Richmond’s 5,881 votes, or 37.86 percent.
Incumbent District Court Judge Jill Landes of Port Townsend won another term by defeating challenger John Wood, a Port Townsend attorney by 7,769 votes, or 54.26 percent, to 6,548 votes, or 45.74 percent.
Proposition 1, which increased county sales tax three cents on every $10 purchase, was approved with 9,018 votes, or 56.27 percent, in favor and 7,009 votes, or 43.73 percent, against.
Jefferson County officials elected by acclamation — without opposition — were Eldridge, Assessor Jack Westerman III, Treasurer Judi Morris, Superior Court Clerk Ruth Gordon, Sheriff Tony Hernandez and Jefferson County Public Utility District Commissioner Barney Burke.
The next ballot count results are due to be released at about noon Wednesday.
No outcomes changed in Clallam County’s Friday count of 4,717 outstanding ballots.
The election will be certified on Nov. 23.
________
Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
