INSIDE

Republican incumbents buck Democratic tide

by Pat Grubb

Resisting a Democratic tide, state Republican incumbents senator Dale Brandland and representative Doug Ericksen both eked out a small margin of victory over their Democratic opponents in the Tuesday, November 7 general election.

Brandland received 15,166 votes or 51.3% over Jesse Salomon’s 14,361 votes. Ericksen’s votes totaled 15,596 (52.8%) versus 13,912 for newcomer Jasper MacSlarrow.

Fellow 42nd district incumbent representative Kelli Linville loped to an easy victory with 19,722 (69%) votes over Republican Craig Mayberry’s 8,855. Mayberry was hamstrung with the revelation late in the race that he owed thousands of dollars to the IRS for a failed business venture.

Nationally, Democratic incumbents U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell and U.S. Representative Rick Larsen mopped the floorboards with their opponents. Cantwell received 655,062 votes (57.6%) over former Safeco insurance exec Mike McGavick who scavenged only 447,494 votes (39.3%). Larsen cleaned up with 85,614 (66.2%) votes over Doug Roulstone’s 43,694 votes.

The only contested state Supreme Court Justice race proved Susan Owen to be unstoppable with 584,778 votes (59.9%) over Stephen Johnson’s 390,166 votes.

State initiatives, for the most part, popped convincingly one way or the other. Initiative 920, which asked voters to repeal the estate tax, was turned down by 678,513 voters (61%) versus 432,685. Initiative 933, which would have gutted zoning and environmental ordinance in favor of property rights, flamed out with 644,643 votes against it (57.8%) to 471,267. Initiative 937, which called for increasing renewable sources of energy generation, passed by 579,735 votes (52.3%) to 522,190. Finally, House Joint Resolution 4223, which increased the personal property tax exemption, passed 851,942 votes (78.4%) to 234,878.

Closer to home, by a margin of 1,352 votes to 408, Lynden area voters approved the amalgamation of fire district 3 with fire district 13, the district which also serves Blaine and Birch Bay. Fire district 13 voters approved a property tax levy lift to $1.50 per $1,000 valuation by 1,634 votes to 895.

And just for interest’s sake, the tumultuous board of commissioners of water district 13 in Kendall will be increased to five from three members by 65 votes to 46.

The board had been deadlocked for months with the refusal of one board member to attend meetings while another member refused to vote on regular, and needed, matters such as bills.

Election results are not final until certified. By law, November 28 is the last day for county canvassing boards to certify results. December 7 is the last day for the Secretary of State to certify general election returns.