PORT TOWNSEND — One challenger and one incumbent led in the contests for the Jefferson Healthcare commission after Tuesday’s initial election count.
Challenger Matt Ready led incumbent Mark Mauney with 4,265 votes, or 51.21 percent, to 4,063 votes, or 48.79 percent, for Position 3 after 11,139 votes were counted out of the 22,522 ballots mailed to registered voters.
A second count will be done at about noon Friday.
Mauney, 58, of Port Hadlock is a retired pathologist seeking a second term as hospital commissioner.
Ready, 40, is a process-improvement specialist at Jefferson Healthcare.
Ready has said that if he wins, he will quit his job at the hospital.
Incumbent Jill Buhler held a commanding lead against challenger Savannah Hensel with 5,328 votes, or 64.23 percent, to 2,967 votes or 35.77 votes, for the Position 5 seat.
Buhler, 67, of Port Townsend, a writer, editor and photographer, was appointed to the Hospital Board in 1995 and has been re-elected three times.
Hensel, 28, of Port Townsend is a student at Peninsula College.
Commissioners serve four-year terms, and in 2013 oversaw a $75.4 million for operating and capital expenses.
They are paid $114 per day of service for up to 65 days of service, or $10,944 and are provided with medical insurance.
Betty Johnson, county voter registration coordinator, estimates that about 2,000 more ballots will come in this week.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.