Saturday, Nov. 9: Elections Office releases latest numbers

Clark County Elections Office releases new results with close races still undecided as the latest updates reveal key changes in Southwest Washington contests. Photo by Andi Schwartz

Several close local races remain with a few thousand votes left to count

The Clark County Elections Office and the Washington Secretary of State’s office released more results Saturday from Tuesday’s election.

Democrat incumbent Marie Gluesenkamp Perez now has a lead of more than 16,000 votes over Republican challenger Joe Kent in the race for the U.S. House seat in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District. Perez has received 205,425 votes (51.86 percent) to Kent’s 189,085 (47.73 percent.) The state released those latest numbers at 3:29 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9.

While many of the races for office or campaigns were pretty much decided Tuesday, a number of battles remain.

Here is an update on the close races in Southwest Washington.

17th Legislative District

Republican Paul Harris has the lead in the race for state senator.

Harris has 42,390 votes (51.15 percent) while Democrat Marla Keethler has 40,368 (48.71 percent.)

Harris has served in the state House of Representatives since 2010. Keethler is the mayor of White Salmon, a position she has held since 2020.

In the battle for state representative (Position 2), Republican David Stuebe has the lead.

Stuebe has 41,412 votes (50.44 percent, and Democrat Terri Niles is at 40,544 (49.38 percent.). Steube is the mayor of Washougal. Niles worked 20 years as an intensive care nurse and also has five years of experience in nursing administration.

18th Legislative District

Democrat Adrian Cortes has maintained a small lead over Republican Brad Benton in the race for state senator after Saturday’s release from the Clark County Elections Office.

Cortes, a member of the Battle Ground City Council and the city’s former mayor, has 41,005 votes (50.04 percent). Benton, who campaigned on his support for law enforcement and his opposition to tolls and light rail in the proposed I-5 Bridge replacement project, has 40,773 (49.75 percent.) That’s a difference of 232 votes.

Republican John Ley has widened his advantage in the race for state representative (Position 2) since Tuesday night’s count.

Ley, a retired airline pilot, has 41,498 votes (50.86 percent). His lead over Democrat John Zingale (39,950 votes, 48.97) is now 1,548 votes. The margin was 222 votes when Election Night results were released.

Ley is a former state committeeman for the Clark County Republican Party and a former reporter for Clark County Today. Zingale has been a middle school teacher for 10 years.

Clark County

Two seats on the County Council were open after Councilors Karen Dill Bowerman (District 3) and Gary Medvigy (District 4) did not seek reelection.

In the District 3 race, Will Fuentes (19,931, 51.45 percent) leads Chuck Keplar (18,495, 47.75 percent.) Fuentes has 15 years of professional experience in banking operations. Kepler is an owner/operator of a construction company and a pastor of a local church.

In the District 4 race, Matt Little has a lead of 50 votes over Joe Zimmerman.

Little (23,213, 49.67 percent) is the co-chair of the Washington Fish and Wildlife Conservation Partnership. Zimmerman (23,163, 49.57 percent) is a fifth-generation Clark County farmer and the finance manager at Bi-Zi Farms.

There were also three proposed charter amendments in Clark County. One, Amendment 18, remains close.

If Amendment 18 is approved, a petitioner must obtain a statement from the county of estimated increased expenditures, and if so, that statement and prosecuting attorney’s opinion must be on the petition and ballot. Signatures required for petitions only affecting unincorporated areas would be calculated using the same method as petitions for the entire county.

As of Saturday’s update, those hoping to reject the amendment have a slight lead. “Rejected” has 116,937 votes (50.1 percent) to “Approve” votes of 116, 456 (49.9 percent.) That’s a difference of 481 votes.