Incumbent mayors in Aberdeen, Hoquiam and Ocean Shores all will advance to the November general election, but in Hoquiam and Ocean Shores, the current mayors are trailing their challengers after the first count of primary ballots was posted Tuesday evening.
In Aberdeen, first-term incumbent Erik Larson received more than 45% of the vote, 814, and will face longtime City Councilman Pete Schave in November. Schave got 30% of the vote in the first round of counting. Current council President Tawni Andrews (16%) and Janae Chhith (8.6%) won’t advance.
In Hoquiam, councilman Ben Winkelman won the primary with 489 votes, nearly 45% of the initial ballots counted. Incumbent Mayor Jasmine Dickhoff got 370 votes (33.73%). Council member Greg Grun, got 21.33% in the three-way race.
In Ocean Shores, challenger Susan Conniry, a city council member, leads incumbent Crystal Dingler in the four-way mayoral race by a vote of 687-622. The two combined for 80% of the votes in initial counting. The Conniry-Dingler contest is a rematch of the 2015 election, won by Dingler.
A total of 8,594 ballots were counted countywide Tuesday, according to the Grays Harbor County Auditor’s Office, out of 40,796 registered voters. More ballots will be counted and results posted Thursday.
In Cosmopolis, radio news director and morning show host Kyle Pauley took more than 40% of the vote and will face longtime volunteer firefighter Steve Davis in November. Pauley leads Davis (34.7%) 159 to 132 in the four-way race.
Hospital
Lynn Csernotta, a registered health information administrator, took the lion’s share of the first count of ballots in the race for Hospital District 2, Commissioner District 3 race. Her 3,220 votes were more than 47% of the total vote. She will face Richard Thompson, a registered nurse who once worked at the hospital and has been openly critical of the current hospital administration. Thompson got 2,011 votes, just under 30% of the total cast. Al Smith finished third in the three-way race.
The Hospital District 2 Position 2 at-large position has incumbent Melanie L. Sturgeon leading a three-way race, taking 2,686 votes, nearly 39%. Scott Dilley, Washington State Dairy Federation communications director, took in 2,244 votes (32.57) and likely will face Sturgeon in November. Former Aberdeen mayor Bill Simpson is third in initial vote counting with 1,903 votes and 27.62%.
Council seats
In the Aberdeen Council Ward 4 Position 6 race, Deborah Ross and Tara Mareth advanced to the General Election. Ross took more than 46% of the votes and Mareth has 33% after the first count. Incumbent Margo Shortt filed for re-election, later deciding not to run, but by then it was too late to remove her name from the primary ballot.
There were primaries in three City Council races in Ocean Shores, including a four candidate race for Position 3. In that one, Frank Elduen and Richard Wills will face each other in November, Elduen getting 497 votes to Wills’ 441, well ahead of candidates John Schroeder and Dennis Schulte.
The Ocean Shores City Council Position 4 race will pit incumbent Jon Martin, 679 votes, against Lorraine Hardin, 459 votes. In Position 7, Eric Noble will square off against David Lin in November.
Fire District 5
The Fire District 5 Position 3 race had three candidates: Kevin A. Koski, Dave Hauge and Monica Thomas. Hauge took 47.25% of the vote, but who he will face in November is still not certain. Koski took 125 votes, 25.46%, and Thomas 130 votes, 26.48%. There were four write-in ballots listed in the first count.
Levies
There were two levies on the Grays Harbor County primary ballot, and both are well on their way to passing.
In Elma, a levy to partially fund police services for 2020 was passing 314-127, more than 70% voting yes.
The South Beach Regional Fire Authority maintenance and operations levy was passing 499-213 in Grays Harbor County, more than 70% in favor. In Pacific County, the levy was passing 148-68. The combined total votes are 647-281 in favor, nearly 70% across the two counties.
Turnout
Voter turnout stood at 21.07% Tuesday night, with 8,594 ballots counted in Grays Harbor County. There are 40,796 registered voters in the county. Turnout in Pacific County stsands at 33.96% with 216 ballots counted out of 636 registered voters.
Complete results
Hospital District 2 Commissioner District 3
Richard Thompson: 2,011, 29.61%
Lynn Csernotta: 3,220, 47.42%
Al Smith: 1,505, 22.1%
55 write-in votes
Hospital District 2 Position 2
Melanie L. Sturgeon: 2,686, 38.99%
Scott Dilley: 2,244, 32.57%
Bill Simpson: 1,903, 27.62%
56 write-in votes
Aberdeen mayor
Erik Larson (incumbent): 814, 45.17%
Tawni Andrews: 293, 16.26%
Pete Schave: 530, 29.41%
Janae M. Chhith: 155, 8.6%
10 write-in votes
Aberdeen Council Ward 4 Position 6
Margo Shortt (incumbent): 93, 19.87%
Tara Mareth: 156, 33.33%
Deborah Ross: 219, 46.79%
Cosmopolis mayor
Mark Collett: 9, 2.37%
Kyle Pauley: 159, 41.84%
Steve Davis: 132, 34.74%
Cheryl Turner: 80, 21.05%
Hoquiam Mayor
Jasmine Dickhoff (incumbent): 370, 33.73%
Greg Grun: 234, 21.33%
Ben Winkelman: 489, 44.58%
4 write-in votes
Ocean Shores mayor
Crystal Dingler (incumbent): 622, 38.28%
Dan Marlowe: 184, 11.32%
Carlos Roldan: 124, 7.63%
Susan Conniry: 687, 42.48%
8 write-in votes
Ocean Shores Council Position 3
Frank Elduen: 497, 33.95%
Richard Wills: 441, 30.12%
John Schroeder: 283, 19.33%
Dennis Schulte: 233, 15.92%
10 write-in votes
Ocean Shores Council Position 4
Eva C. Russell: 360, 23.89%
Jon Martin (incumbent): 679, 45.06%
Lorraine Hardin: 459, 30.46%
9 write-in votes
Ocean Shores Council Position 7
Brian Ferguson: 251, 17.07%
Eric Noble: 640, 43.54%
David Lin: 570, 38.78%
9 write-in votes
Elma levy to partially fund police services for 2020
Yes: 314, 71.2%
No: 127, 28.8%
South Beach RFA maintenance and operations levy
Grays Harbor County
Yes: 499, 70.08%
No: 213, 29.92%
Pacific County
Yes: 148, 68.51%
No: 68, 31.48
Combined
Yes: 647, 69.72%
No: 281, 30.28%
Fire District 5 Position 3
Kevin A. Koski: 125, 25.46
Dave Hauge: 232, 47.25
Monica Thomas: 130, 26.48
4 write-in votes
