PORT ANGELES — Challenger Sheila Roark Miller was well ahead of Clallam County Community Development Director John Miller after the first ballot count Tuesday night.
Roark Miller, who is not related to John Miller, reaped 53.21 percent — 8,613 votes — while the incumbent took 46.79 percent, or 7,543 votes, in the early tally.
And after those results were handed out at the Clallam County Courthouse soon after 8 p.m. Tuesday, John
Miller walked toward the door — as Roark Miller asked him, “Aren’t you going to shake my hand?”
“If you had run an honorable campaign, I might,” John Miller answered.
Roark Miller did not return repeated calls for further comment Tuesday night.
John Miller, 61, is seeking a second four-year term, but “based on races besides my own, I see a trend of voters voting against incumbents,” he said.
“I tried to stay on the high road and focus on the issues and management of the department,” he added.
“I am surprised and disappointed; I would like to thank all my supporters.”
The nonpartisan community development director job pays $64,211 to $70,877 per year, with the chief administering an annual budget that reached $3.44 million in 2010. The department encompasses 32 employees in the planning, building and code enforcement divisions.
Roark Miller, 51, is a code enforcement officer and deputy fire marshal for Clallam County, as well as a graduate of Port Angeles High School and Peninsula College. She’s never held public elective office.
By Tuesday night, Clallam County Auditor Patty Rosand’s office had counted 18,889 ballots of the 27,152 ballots returned. The turnout was 60.13 percent of the 45,852 mailed to county registered voters.
The Auditor’s Office still has 8,531 uncounted ballots on hand and expects another 5,000 to come in today.
Vote totals will be updated daily, with another count to be announced by 4:30 this afternoon.
The Clallam County Canvassing Board will certify the election at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 23.
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Reporter Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-417-3550 or at diane.urbani@peninsuladailynews.com.
Reporter Paige Dickerson contributed to this story.
