Clockwise from top left: Commissioner candidate Jim Detro, sheriff candidate Frank Rogers, clerk candidate Charleen Groomes and treasurer candidate Leah McCormack.
OKANOGAN COUNTY – Election night counts of Okanogan Countyballots favor Jim Detro as the next county commissioner and a return of FrankRogers as sheriff.
Although results are not yet official with several left tobe counted, Detro leads fellow Republican Becki Andrist for Okanogan CountyCommissioner, District 3, representing the north end of the county. Detro had4,087, or 60 percent of the votes, cast in his favor, to Andrist’s 2,765.Sheriff Rogers, the incumbent, was also leading his opponent, Deputy DaveYarnell, by a healthy margin for the sheriff’s position. Voters cast 4,795votes, or 67 percent, in favor of returning Rogers for another term as the county’stop law enforcement official. Yarnell received 2,335 votes. Both candidates ranas Republicans in the Tuesday, Nov. 2 general election.
Charleen Groomes was ahead of fellow Republican Rae JeanKelley with nearly 61 percent of the votes for the county clerk’s position.Groomes had 4,049 votes to Kelley’s 2,600. In a closer race for countytreasurer, Democrat Leah F. McCormack is leading Republican Pamela Wyllson withnearly 57 percent of the votes. Voters are favoring McCormack 4,115 to 3,134.In the only other contested race for a county position, Henry “Hank” Rawson isedging out Rick Weber in the non-partisan election for Okanogan County DistrictCourt Judge, Position 2. Rawson leads with 3,604 votes, or 54 percent, toWeber’s 3,082.
There were several positions on the ballot for countyoffices where incumbents ran unopposed. Scott D. Furman (D) will return asassessor, Laurie Thomas (R) as auditor, Karl Sloan (D) as prosecuting attorneyand Chris Culp (NP) as Okanogan County District Court Judge, Position 1. ErnieBolz will return as Okanogan County PUD Commissioner for District 3.
People from the north part of Okanogan County also vote inthe election for state Legislative District 7 seats. Republican Bob Morton, theincumbent, was winning by a wide margin over Democratic challenger BarbaraMowrey among Okanogan County voters. Morton received 3,437 votes, or 76percent, in the election night count at the county courthouse to Mowrey’s 1,047votes. Morton has a similar commanding lead in early election counts in therest of his legislative district as well.
Incumbents seeking a return to the state House ofRepresentatives for Legislative District 7 found themselves alone on the ballotthis election year. Shelly Short will serve another term as State Representativein Position 1 and Joel Kretz from Wauconda will serve another term in Position2.
Okanogan County voters liked Initiatives 1053 and 1107 bynearly three to one, but disliked Initiatives 1100 and 1105 concerning statecontrol over liquor. Like their fellow voters throughout the state OkanoganCounty voters disapprove of Initiative 1098 which would establish an income taxon the wealthy to reduce other taxes.
Voters in the county still like Republican Cathy McMorrisRogers as their U.S. Representative in Congressional District 5. The Republicanleads former Spokane news anchor Daryl Romeyn, a Democrat 5,215 to 2,347 amongOkanogan County voters. Among all voters casting ballots in District 5 McMorrisRodgers is leading in early counts with nearly 65 percent of the votes. Whilestatewide Incumbent Democrat Patty Murray is narrowly leading challenger DinoRossi, the picture is much different among voters in the county. Rossi, aRepublican, has 4,732 of the ballots cast in the county, or 63 percent, comparedto Murray with 2,810 votes.
Voter turnout of the county’s 20,510 registered voters wasabout 38 percent, according to Okanogan County Elections officials. They say7735 ballots were cast in the county’s 221 precincts and that
there are 4800 ballots left to count so it is possible forleads to change, especially in close races. The next ballot count is scheduledfor Friday, Nov. 5 at 5 p.m. The election will be certified on Tuesday, Nov.23.
