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Gardner wins in Point Roberts but loses seat

By Meg Olson

Three incumbents held their seats after Whatcom County polls closed November 5, but it took two more weeks to decide the political fate of state senator Georgia Gardner.

When results became official November 20, they showed Whatcom Country Sheriff Dale Brandland, R-Bellingham had widened the margin between him and Gardner to three percent with a 1,156-vote lead.

“This has been a close race,” said Brandland. “I have tried to run a clean campaign and I’d like to end it like that. So I don’t want to say anything.”
Rural precincts such as Lynden, Mountain View and Nooksack, who showed strong support for Brandland and other Republicans, were successful in drowning out the democratic voice of Point Roberts, which gave 69 percent of its ballots to Gardner.

“I’ve worked closely with the people in Blaine and Point Roberts,” said Gardner. “I think they got to know me and trust me. I had a lot of things I wanted to do.”

In the race for the 2nd congressional district seat, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen defended his congressional seat against GOP challenger Norma Smith, winning 50 percent of the vote. In Point Roberts, the race was more lopsided: Larsen won 71 percent of the vote.

“We’re thrilled with the results,” said Charla Newman, press secretary for Larsen. “All of these votes are votes of confidence for the job Rick has done.”

State Representative Kelli Linville, D-Bellingham earned a fifth term to the state legislature Tuesday night, defeating her 1994 legislative successor, Ferndale Republican Gene Goldsmith, 56 percent to 43.

“Gene was talking about specific issues to a very limited audience,” said Linville. “I was talking about water quality, the environment – issues that really reflect the kind of work that I do in the district. I do my best to represent the whole district. So it’s a pleasure to know the voters saw that.” Linville’s got 74 percent of Point Roberts votes.

Representative Doug Ericksen, R-Ferndale, is heading back to Olympia getting a majority from county voters despite weak support in Point Roberts, which gave him just 42 percent of the vote, while giving his opponent Jim Boyle 58 percent.

Point Roberts mirrored Washington’s dissatisfaction with state government November 5, approving both initiatives while vehemently rejecting both referendums.

The nine-cent gasoline tax-increase flopped Tuesday night when Referendum 51 failed, 65 to 35 in the state, 60 percent to 40 percent in Point Roberts. The approval of Tim Eyman’s Initiative 776 will reduce the cost of registering cars and light trucks to $30 in King, Snohomish, Pierce and Douglas counties.

Initiative 790, the initiative that gives police officers and fire fighters more control over their own pensions won, 51 to 49. In Point Roberts it passed 58 percent to 42.

Forty percent of Whatcom County voters ventured out Tuesday to exercise their rights to vote, which is slightly higher than the state average of 35 percent.

In Point Roberts a whopping 54 percent of the 573 registered voters voted, half by absentee ballot and half at the polls. Ted Mohr was elected democratic precinct committee officer for the Point with 111 votes...

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