PORT ANGELES — Republican Jim McEntire was the apparent winner Monday in his race against Democrat Linda Barnfather for Clallam County commissioner as he stretched his margin to nearly 1,000 votes in a third count of Tuesday’s ballots.
In another close race, Sissi Bruch, 51, also maintained her lead over incumbent Deputy Mayor Don Perry, 66, for his Port Angeles City Council seat, and Perry conceded.
McEntire, 61, increased his lead to 52 percent, or 12,115 votes to Barnfather’s 48 percent, or 11,147 votes, for the Sequim-area District 1 position in the count of votes conducted by the county elections office Monday morning.
“I think it’s fairly conclusive at this point,” McEntire said after learning the results.
“The voters responded well to my campaign message of keeping taxes low and trying to push our economy along. I congratulate Linda on a hard-fought race.”
Barnfather, 48, did not concede, but said it was “unlikely” she could make up the difference.
“I would just like to thank all my supporters,” said Barnfather, an executive legislative assistant for 24th District state Rep. Kevin Van De Wege of Sequim.
“I am fortunate enough that I have a job I love, even as I was looking forward to serving on the board of commissioners.”
The campaign, she said, “gives me a deeper appreciation and commitment to my community.”
There were no changes in the list of leaders that were produced after the 20 days of all-mail balloting that led up to Nov. 8 — Election Day.
The same candidates were ahead Monday who were in the lead Nov. 8.
County Auditor Patty Rosand said 3,130 ballots were counted Monday morning, bringing the total counted to 21,393, with 3,130 to be counted by 4:30 p.m. Monday.
An updated tally including the late afternoon count is available on the Peninsula Daily News website, www.peninsuladailynews.com.
The next count of ballots will be Nov. 29, the day the election will be certified, Rosand said.
Voter turnout is 46.8 percent out of 45,734 ballots mailed to voters.
McEntire, a Port of Port Angeles commissioner and retired Coast Guard captain, submitted his letter of resignation Thursday to the Port commission in anticipation of defeating Barnfather.
McEntire is headed to succeeding Democrat Steve Tharinger, also a 24th District legislator, who held the seat for three terms before deciding not to run for re-election.
The board will consist of McEntire, a Republican; Mike Chapman, an independent and former Republican, and Mike Doherty, a Democrat.
Tharinger would not comment on the results but suggested Monday morning’s results don’t bode well for Barnfather.
“The numbers are pretty obvious,” Tharinger said.
Bruch, the senior planner for the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe, had a lead of 51 percent to 49 percent — 2,639 votes to 2,526 — over Perry, the owner of Heritage Tours of Port Angeles as of Monday.
Bruch said before the second count of votes Monday afternoon that she was not ready to declare victory and would wait to do so when the election is certified — but she sounded Monday like a winner.
“After all that work, I would have hated to lose,” she said.
“I’m hoping we can do a lot of changes with the way the city works.”
Perry conceded the race to Bruch on Monday morning, saying a recount was not necessary despite Bruch’s 113-vote margin with 5,165 votes counted.
“I think it’s over,” Perry said.
“I don’t think there is any reason to have a recount,” Perry said.
“I’m disappointed, obviously, but to be honest with you, I’ll get my life back.
“I’m kind of disappointed, but it’s the way the public voted, and that’s the way it goes.”
Bruch said she has an idea of what she wants to do as a council member.
“I want an honest picture of things,” she said.
“I don’t want to be rushed into things.”
Examples of past decisions that would have fit into the “rushed-into-things” category are those on the now-defunct Harbor-Works Development Authority and the city’s combined sewer overflow projects, Bruch said.
Here are the results of other contested races:
■ Incumbent Olympic Medical Center hospital commissioners John Nutter and John Miles defeated Jeane M. LaBrecque and Jack Slowriver, respectively.
Slowriver, who would not concede the election last week, did not return a call for comment Monday morning.
■ Incumbent Port Angeles City Council members Brad Collins and Mayor Dan DiGuilio defeated Andrew Schwab and Noelle Fuller, respectively.
■ Incumbent Sequim City Council members Laura Dubois and Erik Erichsen defeated challengers John Miller and Peter Duncan, respectively, while Candace Pratt defeated Eric Miller.
■ Juanita Weissenfels defeated Giancarlo Buonpane for an open position on the Forks City Council.
■ Incumbent Port Angeles School Board member Steven Baxter defeated Arlene Wheeler, while incumbent Sequim School Board member Walter Johnson defeated Stephen Rosales.
■ Incumbent Sequim Aquatic Recreation Center Commissioner Melinda Griffith defeated write-in candidate Bill Black, while Jan Richardson defeated Sonu Deol for an open position on the SARC board.
■ Roy “Spider” Wright defeated Bill Drath for an open seat on the West End Fire District 5 board of commissioners.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-417-3536 or at paul.gottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
