Ann Marie Henninger clearly won a spot on the November ballot for a seat on the Olympic Medical Center commission while Nate Adkisson seemed to have cemented the other place on the ballot after the initial count of primary election ballots tonight.
Henninger
Races for Port Angeles City Council, Forks City Council and Clallam County Fire District 2 also were culled down to two candidates in each contest during today’s primary election.
State law requires that races appear on the primary ballot if more than two candidates filed for the post — except in the case of partisan races, such as the Clallam County commission. The top two vote-getters go on to the November general election which, this year, will be Nov. 5.
This year, state law allows voters to register in person up to 8 p.m. the day of election. The Clallam County Auditor’s Office cut off the count for voter turnout at 7 p.m. today and will add any who come in after that to the next count of ballots.
The office issued 50,955 ballots and received 11,715 for a voter turnout of 22.99.
The office counted 10,695 ballots on Tuesday night.
The next count of votes in the all-mail election will be by 4:30 p.m. Wednesday or Thursday.
Three filed for the Sequim-area OMC seat being vacated by John Beitzel, who did not run for reelection.
Henninger, 52, is a registered nurse with Obria NW. She won over 59 percent of the vote.
Adkisson, 40, is an Evergreen Home Loans loan officer. He won more than 22 percent.
Warren Pierce, 69, retired information technology executive, was apparently eliminated from the race with 17.11 percent of the vote.
Sixty-three write-in votes were cast in the race.
Voters’ top two choices in other races, so far, are:
• Port Angeles City Council, Position 5 — Three filed for the seat being vacated by Michael Merideth, who did not run for reelection.
The two who have received the most votes so far are Charlie McCaughan, 63, procurement and facilities supervisor for Clallam County Public Utility District, who took 49.81 percent of the vote; and Richard “Doc” Robinson, 66, Serenity House executive director, who won 27.92 percent.
Artur K. Wojnowski, 35, owner of Home Guys contractor, was apparently eliminated with 21.67 percent of the vote.
Eleven write-in votes were cast.
• Port Angeles City Council, Position 7 — Three filed for the seat being vacated by Cheri Kidd, who has served three terms and who can’t by city ordinance serve a fourth.
The two who have received the most votes so far are
Martha Cunningham, 67, freelance editor and substitute teacher, won more than 40 percent of the vote.
Brendan Meyer, 35, self-employed with New Streaming Media Marketing Consulting, took over 30 percent of the vote.
Tara Martin Lopez, 42, professor of sociology at Peninsula College, was coming in third tonight, having won 28.98 percent of the vote.
Nine write-in votes were cast.
• Forks City Council, Position 5 — Three filed for the seat being vacated by Jon Preston who did not run for reelection.
The two who have received the most votes are Mike Gilstrap, 47, log truck driver, who took 49.04 percent of the vote; and Danny Smith, no age or employment status available, who won 38.31 percent.
Christina “Stina” Kohout, 36, corrections officer at Clallam Bay Corrections Center, was eliminated with 11.88 percent of the vote.
Two write-in votes were cast.
• Fire District 2, Position 3 — Three candidates were on the primary election ballot.
Steven G. Hopf, 64, retired fire captain-emergency medical technician South King Fire & Rescue in Federal Way, clearly won a spot on the ballot, having received more than 62 percent of the vote.
Keith Cortner, 60, emergency management specialist with Early Alert Inc., also won a ballot position, with 23.72 percent of the vote.
Incumbent Richard Rudd, 92, who is retired from Peninsula Plywood Corp. and who has served on the fire commission for 40 years, was eliminated with 13.28 percent of the vote.
Ten write-in votes were cast.