PORT TOWNSEND – Incumbent City Councilwoman Laurie Medlicott jumped well ahead of Richard Wiener for the Position 3 council seat on Tuesday night, after the first mail-in ballot count.
Medlicott, 62, led the only contested Port Townsend City Council race in Tuesday’s general election with 1,459 votes, or 59.04 percent. Wiener, 64, was left with 985 votes, or 39.85 percent.
“I am grateful for, and honored by, the voters’ confidence in giving me an opportunity to serve the community for four more years,” said Medlicott.
She is a 20-year resident of Port Townsend, and retired nurse who has served nearly four years on the council.
“I really, really am excited,” she added. “I really feel honored.”
Wiener, innkeeper at Ann Starrett Mansion and a career hospitality and food service manager, said he was not surprised by the results.
He said it appeared Medlicott had won.
“A good race. It was a good race,” Wiener said as he left the Jefferson County Courthouse.
The results tallied only ballots cast on or before Tuesday, when 10,236 ballots were counted in Jefferson County races – just 49.51 percent of the 20,928 ballots mailed out Oct. 17.
Eldridge said she expects about 2,000 more ballots will be tallied, possibly reaching the 60 percent voter turnout mark. She has predicted a 63 percent voter turnout.
About 857 ballots were in hand, but not counted for races in Jefferson County, including those collected from the ballot drop box behind the county courthouse at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Those ballots, plus ballots received in the coming days with a postmark of Tuesday or before, are expected to be counted on Thursday, Eldridge said.
The Auditor’s Office will count additional ballots every three days if there are enough to count.
The election will be certified at 8:30 a.m. Nov. 27.
