PORT ANGELES — Political newcomer Robin Poole led incumbent Mike Doherty by 176 votes — or 0.98 percent — in his bid to unseat the third-term Clallam County commissioner.
In tonight’s first-round of vote-counting, Poole, a Beaver Republican, had 9,050 votes to Doherty’s 8,874 votes after the initial ballot count.
Poole, a 61-year old UPS driver, had 50.49 percent of the 18,889 Clallam County ballots received as of Friday, while Doherty had 49.51 percent.
“That bodes well for me,” said Poole, who was making deliveries in the Forks area when reached by cell phone late Tuesday. “That’s good news.”
Doherty, a Port Angeles Democrat, was removing campaign signs as he traditionally does on election night.
“I’ve been listening on the radio, and it sounds like all across the country, people are taking a gamble of changing public office holders,” Doherty said.
The commissioners race could swing big in either direction before the rest of the ballots are processed.
The 8,531 ballots received Monday and Tuesday remain to be counted. Another 5,000 ballots were expected to arrive today, Clallam County Auditor Patty Rosand said.
“I’m not conceding or anything,” Doherty said. “I’ll let the voters decide.”
Rosand said 27,152 ballots, or 59.57 percent, of the 45,582 ballots mailed have been returned.
She predicted a 72 percent turnout for this year’s general election. Results will be updated every day through Friday.
“If they [the numbers] hold up, they look great,” Poole said.
“It makes me nervous as heck now.”
Poole said he didn’t know what to make of the early returns.
“I figured I had a real good, strong chance to take our district, the 3rd District,” he said.
He said he thought he could split the Sequim area but didn’t know how he’d fare in Port Angeles.
“Port Angeles voters make me nervous,” he said, noting that Doherty lives there.
Doherty represents the county’s No. 3 District, the western third of Clallam County. The district extends from west Port Angeles to the Pacific Ocean.
During the campaign, Doherty, 67, said good fiscal management had resulted in the county’s $9.5 million general fund reserve. Clallam County is one of two in the state that is not in debt.
Poole, 61, has argued that Doherty is “out of touch” with the West End.
Doherty countered that he travels through the West End regularly and makes himself available to constituents.
County commissioners are paid $61,000 annually and serve four-year terms. They oversee a $90 million budget, including a $33 million general fund operating budget.
In addition to their legislative duties, commissioners serve as an appeals board for land-use issues.
Clallam County has about 400 employees.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
