PORT TOWNSEND — Incumbent Jefferson County Commissioner David Sullivan and Port Hadlock businesswoman Sandy Hershelman are headed toward a Nov. 4 general election showdown after the first wave of mail-in primary ballots were counted on Tuesday.
Sullivan, a 56-year-old Democrat, led the race with 1,482 votes, or 43.24 percent.
Hershelman, a 50-year-old businesswoman from Port Hadlock running as an independent, drew 1,082 votes, or 31.57 percent.
Running a distant third was Republican farmer and real estate agent Richard Hild, 67, of Port Townsend with 859 votes, or 25.07 percent.
“It feels good to have people support you when you’re working hard,” said Sullivan, who quietly celebrated his lead Tuesday night at his Cape George home.
The results tallied only ballots cast on or before Tuesday, when 10,828 ballots were counted in Jefferson County races — 50.84 percent of the 21,296 ballots mailed out July 30.
County Auditor Donna Eldridge said she expects at least 1,000 more ballots will be tallied, possibly reaching a 60 percent voter turnout mark.
She has predicted a 62 percent turnout.
About 1,000 ballots were in hand, but not counted on Tuesday, Eldridge said, including those collected from the ballot dropbox behind the Jefferson County Courthouse at 8 p.m..
Those ballots, plus ballots received in the coming days with a postmark of Tuesday or before, are expected to be counted on Friday at her office, Eldridge said, adding that a time was still to be scheduled.
