In the voters’ first chance to choose between Scott Rosekrans and Paul Richmond for Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney, Rosekrans took 5,201 votes, or 60.76 percent, to Richmond’s 3,359 votes, or 39.24 percent, in Tuesday’s primary election.
The primary decided nothing in the race, since both, who were the only two candidates for the seat, will compete again in the Nov. 2 general election for the job, which pays $123,000 annually.
The Jefferson County Auditor’s Office counted 10,333 ballots of the 21,705 mailed to voters in the primary election, for an Election Day voter turnout of 47.6 prcent.
The ballots counted included all ballots that arrived by Tuesday’s mail delivery, but not those placed in the courthouse’s drop boxes on Tuesday.
Those ballots, along with those from the drop box at the Jefferson County Library in Port Hadlock, will be collected on Wednesday and processed for the next count, scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
Richmond, 50, said he did not expect to get the most votes in the primary, calling it “a beauty contest.”
The Port Townsend attorney, who said he has no party preference, said he will campaign more aggressively for the general election.
“There are a lot of issues that still need to be addressed.”
Deputy Chief Prosecutor Rosecrans, 58, a Democrat, said that if elected, he will continue his current priorities, to focus on “livability issues” that affect the general public which result from drug use.
“In a small community, the most effective strategy is to prosecute the small number of people who commit the largest number of crimes,” he said.
Incumbent Juelie Dalzell decided in April not to run for a fourth term.
Richmond had challenged Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Belfair, for the 6th Congressional seat during the 2008 primary. He ran as a Democrat then.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
