Coker, Schmick bag primary wins

Whitman County Auditor Eunice Coker and 9th District State Rep. Joe Schmick posted big wins in the only two contested local races on Tuesday’s primary ballot.

Though Tuesday’s results in those local races will not change who appears on the November general election ballot, they do provide an early indication of how the fall races may turn out.

Coker received 78 percent of the vote in her race for a third term, well ahead of the 20 percent received by challenger Esther Wilson.

Schmick polled 82 percent of the vote to best challenger Glenn Stockwell’s 17 percent. Across the 9th District, Schmick topped Stockwell 71 percent to 29 percent.

Regardless of Tuesday’s count the two candidates in each case will make encore appearances on the November ballot.

Most impactful measures on the ballot were maintenance levy measures put before voters in the Garfield and Rosalia park and recreation districts.

Both passed the initial count, with the $80,000 Garfield measure receiving 136 votes for 65 percent approval, and the $47,975 Rosalia proposition receiving 169 votes for 66 percent approval.

The initial election night count included the 5,587 ballots received by elections staff through Monday. That number was good for a 29 percent return of the 19,227 ballots mailed to voters.

Elections Supervisor Debbie Hooper estimated the county had another 1,500 ballots come in Tuesday. Those ballots, plus whatever comes in the mail in ensuing days, will be included in the next count, which will be Friday morning. Final local count will be Sept. 1.

In federal races, local voters chose Republican Dino Rossi and incumbent Democrat Patty Murray as the top two candidates in the primary for U.S. Senate. Rossi received 43 percent of the vote, compared to Murray’s 38 percent. Republican Clint Didier came in third with 13 percent of the vote.

In statewide returns, Murray took the top spot with 46 percent of the vote, with Rossi in second at 34 percent. Didier also came in third in state results at 12 percent.

The initial count indicates Rossi and Murray will face off in the general.

Closer to home, Democrat Daryl Romeyn, a former weather man on Spokane television, booked the second spot and a chance for a November challenge of incumbent Republican Cathy McMorris Rodgers for the District 5 congressional seat.

McMorris topped the list of six candidates with 67 percent of the vote locally and 62 percent throughout the district. Romeyn polled nine percent in the county and 12 percent in the district.

Most offices in the county courthouse were on the ballot, but only the auditor’s race drew more than one candidate.

Sheriff Brett Myers received the most votes of the uncontested county officials with 4,270 ballots marked for him.

Commissioner Michael Largent received the smallest percentage of votes, with 55 of the 1,818 voters in his race writing in another candidate.

State officials will certify final results of the primary Sept. 7.