Democrats post leads in county vote count

Election staffers process ballots Tuesday morning in Colfax. Approximately 6,000 ballots have been counted with an estimated 8,000 remaining.

When the preliminary election results were tabulated Tuesday night at the elections office in Colfax, Whitman County voters were projected to largely be leaning Democrat with more than 6,000 ballots counted and 8,000 remaining to be counted. The county sent out 21,629 ballots.

Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton took 2,866 votes to Republican President-elect Donald Trump's 2,596 votes in the county. Statewide, Clinton edged Trump, with Clinton projected at 56 percent of the vote over Trump at 38 percent of the vote. Nationwide, Trump took rural areas and ultimately topped the required 270 delegate count.

The county also leaned Democrat in the governor race between incumbent Jay Inslee and Republican candidate Bill Bryant. Inslee had 3,121 votes over Bryant's 2,836. Statewide, Bryant had a slight lead with 51 percent before King County votes were posted. Once King County came in, Inslee edged Bryant at 56 percent to 44 percent.

In the U.S. Senate race, Whitman County voters favored incumbent Democrat Patty Murray over Republican Chris Vance. These results held up on the state level.

County voters favored incumbent Cathy McMorris Rodgers over Joe Pakootas in the U.S. Congressional District 5 race, although the count here was closer than the incumbent's margin in the overall district. In the district, he garnered 42 percent of the vote, while he gathered 49 percent in the county.

Ninth District Rep. Mary Dye, R-Pomeroy, led over Jennifer Goulet, D-Pasco, in county and Ninth District results.

Most local measures passed the 60 percent margin in preliminary results.

Falling below the 60 percent vote was the City of Colfax metropolitan park district proposal with 51 percent of voters saying no and 49 percent voting yes. Garfield's street maintenance levy came in with a 55 percent yes vote and a 45 percent no.

The preliminary results show St. John voters rejecting both of the town's two levy proposals, one for street maintenance and the other for water and sewer upgrades. Both levies were locked at 56.52 percent yes and 43.48 percent no.

Fire protection district #4 voters did not approve the emergency medical services levy with 52 percent voting yes and 48 percent voting no.

All other local levies were projected to be passing above the 60 percent margin.

For a breakdown of Whitman County results, see page 4A. The results there do not reflect statewide votes, and projected winners in the county may differ from statewide winners. Statewide initiatives are also listed on the breakdown chart.

For a breakdown of statewide votes, go to sos.wa.gov/elections.