Friday’s primary election ballot count in Grays Harbor County solidified the positions of the top two candidates who will square off in the Nov. 5 general election.
Incumbent Aberdeen Mayor Erik Larson dominated the primary vote, tallying 1,057 votes, nearly 45% of the total of the 2,331 votes cast. Larson will face 18-year City Councilman Pete Schave in the general election. Schave totaled 684 votes, more than 300 votes better than third-place candidate, current City Council President Tawni Andrews.
In Hoquiam, challenger Ben Winkelman, a city councilman since 2008, received 658 votes for mayor, nearly 44% of the 1,497 cast. Winkelman will face incumbent Mayor Jasmine Dickhoff in November; she tallied 516 votes, nearly 200 votes ahead of 24-year City Councilman Greg Grun.
The Cosmopolis mayoral race had radio host and current City Councilman Kyle Pauley taking more than 42% of the vote. He’ll face volunteer firefighter Steve Davis in November.
In what looks to be a tight race for Ocean Shores mayor in November, challenger Susan Conniry was the top vote-getter in the primary with 1,030, ahead of incumbent Mayor Crystal Dingler’s 909 votes.
City Council races are also set: Position 3 in Ocean Shores will pit Frank Elduen against Richard Wills; in Position 4, incumbent Jon Martin will face challenger Lorraine Hardin; and Position 7 has Eric Noble taking on David Linn in the general election. In Aberdeen, the City Council Ward 4 Position 8 race will pit Deborah Ross against Tara Mareth.
The two levies on the ballot passed easily; both the Elma levy to partially fund police services in 2020, and the maintenance and operations levy for the South Beach Regional Fire Authority received just more than 70% approval from voters.
Turnout
Voter turnout came out to 27.89% after Friday’s ballot count, with 11,379 ballots counted in Grays Harbor County. There are 40,796 registered voters in the county. There’s not another count scheduled in Grays Harbor or Pacific counties until the final count Aug. 19, the day before the election is to be certified. The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Complete results
Hospital District 2 Commissioner District 3
Lynn Csernotta: 4,270, 48.18%
Richard Thompson: 2,641, 29.8%
Al Smith: 1,878, 21.19%
74 write-in votes
Hospital District 2 Position 2
Melanie L. Sturgeon: 3,464, 38.43%
Scott Dilley: 3,112, 34.52%
Bill Simpson: 2,368, 26.27%
70 write-in votes
Aberdeen mayor
Erik Larson (incumbent): 1,057, 45.35%
Pete Schave: 684, 29.34%
Tawni Andrews: 372, 15.96%
Janae M. Chhith: 207, 8.88%
11 write-in votes
Aberdeen Council Ward 4 Position 6
Deborah Ross: 319, 49%
Tara Mareth: 204, 31.34%
Margo Shortt (incumbent): 128, 19.66%
Cosmopolis mayor
Kyle Pauley: 207, 42.51%
Steve Davis: 158, 32.44%
Cheryl Turner: 112, 23%
Mark Collett: 10, 2.05%
Hoquiam mayor
Ben Winkelman: 658, 43.95%
Jasmine Dickhoff (incumbent): 516, 34.47%
Greg Grun: 319, 21.31%
4 write-in votes
Ocean Shores mayor
Susan Conniry: 1,030, 42.92%
Crystal Dingler (incumbent): 909, 37.88%
Dan Marlowe: 275, 11.46%
Carlos Roldan: 178, 7.42%
8 write-in votes
Ocean Shores Council Position 3
Frank Elduen: 773, 35.87%
Richard Wills: 644, 29.88%
John Schroeder: 391, 18.14%
Dennis Schulte: 331, 15.36%
16 write-in votes
Ocean Shores Council Position 4
Jon Martin (incumbent): 997, 45.03%
Lorraine Hardin: 664, 29.99%
Eva C. Russell: 538, 24.3%
15 write-in votes
Ocean Shores Council Position 7
Eric Noble: 933, 42.88%
David Lin: 854, 39.25%
Brian Ferguson: 373, 17.14%
16 write-in votes
Elma levy to partially fund police services for 2020
Yes: 403, 71.96%
No: 157, 28.04%
South Beach RFA maintenance and operations levy
Grays Harbor County
Yes: 622, 70.76%
No: 257, 29.24%
Pacific County
Yes: 148, 68.51%
No: 68, 31.48%
Combined
Yes: 770, 70.32%
No: 325, 29.68%
Fire District 5 Position 3
Dave Hauge: 321, 47.35%
Kevin A. Koski: 184, 27.14%
Monica Thomas: 165, 4.34%
8 write-in votes
