Republican Jim McEntire conceded the race for the 24th District Position 2 state House seat to Steve Tharinger on Saturday night after his opponent widened his lead in Friday’s vote count districtwide.
Both Republicans in the two races for the 24th District — who lead in their home county of Clallam but are trailing in Jefferson and Grays Harbor counties — have now conceded to their Democratic opponents.
Republican Dan Gase of Port Angeles conceded Thursday to incumbent Rep. Kevin Van De Wege, D-Sequim, who had declared victory Tuesday after the first ballots were counted in the general election race.
Tharinger, who is also a Clallam County commissioner, declined to declare himself the winner of the race Friday after he widened his lead by more than 1,000 votes districtwide in counts of outstanding ballots in the district that covers Clallam and Jefferson counties and includes a portion of Grays Harbor County.
Tharinger said Saturday night he had not received notice of McEntire’s concession.
“It would be awkward for me to comment since I have not heard from the candidate himself,” Tharinger said.
McEntire, 60, congratulated Tharinger, 61, in an e-mail to the Peninsula Daily News.
“After Friday’s ballot counting in Clallam, Grays Harbor, and Jefferson Counties, it is now apparent that our race for state representative has not enjoyed the success we had hoped for,” said McEntire, one of three Port of Port Angeles commissioners.
“I am very honored to have enjoyed the trust and confidence of so many of the good people of the Olympic Peninsula,” he continued.
“I wish Commissioner Steve Tharinger the very best as he prepares to represent all of us in the 24th District.”
Tharinger and McEntire, both of Sequim, had their sights set on the seat long held by retiring political powerhouse Lynn Kessler, a Hoquiam Democrat.
Districtwide as of Friday, Tharinger led by 2,426 votes. Tharinger had 27,589 votes, or 52.30 percent, to McEntire’s 25,163, or 47.70 percent.
That’s up from Tharinger’s 1,321-vote lead after Wednesday’s count.
In Clallam County, McEntire leads Tharinger with 13,976 votes, or 53 percent, to Tharinger’s 12,578 votes, or 47.69 percent.
But Tharinger carried Jefferson County — amassing 10,074 votes, or 61.23 percent, to McEntire’s 6,380 votes, or 38.77 percent — and by Friday had won a 130-vote lead in Grays Harbor County, getting 4,937 votes, or 50.67 percent, to McEntire’s 4,807 votes, or 49.33 percent.
Tharinger attributed the tepid support he received in his home county of Clallam to a general trend in the electorate to vote Republican, especially among seniors.
“Part of that was the misrepresentation of the health care issue,” Tharinger said.
“That’s one reason a lot of seniors punched ‘R’ on the ballot.
“That’s sort of interesting because they do have a government health care program.”
Van De Wege
Van De Wege, 36, also widened his lead over Gase, 57, in Friday’s count.
Districtwide, Van De Wege, a Clallam County Fire District 3 firefighter-paramedic, had 29,861 votes, or 56.14 percent.
Gase, a real estate managing broker, had 23,329 votes, or 43.86 percent, districtwide.
Like Tharinger, Van De Wege swept Jefferson County, gaining 11,102 votes, or 66.06 percent, compared with Gase’s 5,658 votes, or 33.94 percent.
He also carried Grays Harbor County, winning 5,645 votes, or 57.48 percent, to Gase’s 4,175 votes, or 42.52 percent.
Gase takes Clallam
But, like McEntire, Gase was ahead of his Democratic opponent in Clallam County, with 13,496 votes, or 50.55 percent, to Van De Wege’s 13,204 votes, or 49.45 percent.
Gase conceded the race Thursday after pondering Wednesday’s count of ballots, which had Van De Wege ahead districtwide 55 percent to 45 percent.
“I’m glad he came around and realized the numbers were not going to go in his favor,” Van De Wege said Friday.
“He took positions on a lot of issues that I think didn’t align with the district, and it made my job somewhat easier because of that.”
Ballots were not counted Thursday anywhere in the district.
Next counts
In Clallam County, 3,980 ballots are to be tabulated by 4:30 p.m. Monday, with about 2,000 more ballots to be counted Tuesday or Wednesday, Auditor Patty Rosand said Friday.
Jefferson County has 350 more ballots to count.
The next Jefferson count will be at about noon Wednesday.
Grays Harbor County has 4,000 ballots to count, though it’s not known how many were filled out by 24th District voters.
The next count in Grays Harbor is by 5 p.m. Wednesday.
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Senior Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-417-3536 or at paul.gottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
