With only about 2,000 ballots remaining to be counted as of 4:47 p.m. today, it's time to announce the likely winners of most of the general election races throughout Thurston County.
The Thurston County Auditor reported they counted ballots from 74,420 of the county's 196,717 registered voters, or 37.83%, so far. See the chart below the text for the exact vote counts.
Voters approved Proposition 1 by a margin of some 13%. This measure will increase the sales tax throughout the county by two cents for every $10 spent at retailers starting in April 2024.
One of the two new county commissioner races looks likely to be settled; Emily Clouse defeated Terry S. Ballard by a wide margin. The other race, between Wayne Fournier and Vivian Eason, is too close to call, with just over 400 votes separating the candidates.
In the races for the new port commissioner seats, District 1 candidate Jasmine Vasavada has won; she received nearly 2,700 votes more than former port commissioner Bill McGregor. In the race for the District 2 seat, only 700 votes separate Rose Chiu Gunderson from Maggie Sanders and is too close to call. The Port Commission District 5 race is settled; Sarah Tonge received 4,045 votes more than Troy Kirby.
Olympia's new mayor will be Dontae Payne, who received nearly 70% of the vote and defeated David Ross.
Less than 2,000 votes separate school board candidates in all races except those for Olympia School District directors. Voters in Olympia were decisive in their selection of incumbent District 1 Director Maria Flores, District 2 candidate Jess Tourtellotte-Palumbo and District 4 incumbent Hilary Seidel.
Here are the vote counts reported tonight:
Note: Candidates in competitive races with a lead of over 2,000 votes are shown in bold type.
Thurston County Proposition No. 1 – Sales and Use Tax for Law Enforcement Protection, Corresponding Prosecution and Public Defense Services, and Elections Security
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Approved |
39,495 |
56.46% |
Rejected |
30,461 |
43.54% |
Thurston County Commissioner, District No. 4
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Wayne Fournier |
35,465 |
50.1% |
Vivian Eason |
35,063 |
49.54% |
Thurston County Commissioner, District No. 5
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Emily Clouse |
42,490 |
59.77% |
Terry S. Ballard |
28,366 |
39.9% |
Port of Olympia Port Commissioner, District No. 1
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Jasmine Vasavada |
35,850 |
51.72% |
Bill McGregor |
33,181 |
47.87% |
Port of Olympia Port Commissioner, District No. 4
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Rose Chiu Gunderson |
33,771 |
49.18% |
Maggie Sanders |
34,553 |
50.32% |
Port of Olympia Port Commissioner, District No. 5
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Sarah Tonge |
36,049 |
52.74% |
Troy Kirby |
32,004 |
46.82% |
Town of Bucoda, Mayor
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Robert F. Gordon |
104 |
100% |
Unopposed |
|
|
Town of Bucoda, Town Council, Pos. No. 1
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Callie Carpenter |
93 |
98.94% |
Unopposed |
|
|
Town of Bucoda, Town Council, Pos. No. 2
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Steven Lyle |
91 |
97.85% |
Unopposed |
|
|
Town of Bucoda, Town Council, Pos. No. 4
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Michelle Layton |
94 |
100% |
Unopposed |
|
|
Town of Bucoda, Town Council, Pos. No. 5
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Kiersten Presley |
95 |
98.96% |
Unopposed |
|
|
City of Lacey, City Council, Pos. No. 1
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Malcolm Miller |
9,009 |
97.56% |
Unopposed |
|
|
City of Lacey, City Council, Position No. 2
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Spencer Zeman |
4,710 |
43.59% |
Lenny Greenstein |
6,046 |
55.95% |
City of Lacey, City Council, Position No. 3
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Nicolas Dunning |
6,783 |
63.56% |
Ed Kunkel |
3,798 |
35.59% |
City of Olympia, Mayor
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Dontae Payne |
10,687 |
69.55% |
David Ross |
4,609 |
29.99% |
City of Olympia, City Council, Pos. No. 2
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Yen Huynh |
11,279 |
96.25% |
Unopposed |
|
|
City of Olympia, City Council, Pos. No. 3
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Dani Madrone |
11,308 |
96.35% |
Unopposed |
|
|
City of Rainier, City Council, Pos. No. 2
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Damion Green |
240 |
49.69% |
Ryan Roth |
237 |
49.07% |
City of Rainier, City Council, Pos. No. 4
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Ron Kemp |
359 |
96.25% |
Unopposed |
|
|
City of Tenino, Mayor
Name |
Count |
Percent |
David Watterson |
242 |
52.84% |
Linda Gotovac |
214 |
46.72% |
City of Tenino, City Council, Pos. No. 2
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Elaine Klamn |
346 |
97.74% |
Unopposed |
|
|
City of Tenino, City Council, Pos. No. 5
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Jeff Eisel |
340 |
97.7% |
Unopposed |
|
|
City of Tumwater, City Council, Pos. No. 1
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Leatta Dahlhoff |
4,459 |
97.49% |
Unopposed |
|
|
City of Tumwater, City Council, Pos. No. 2
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Angela Jefferson |
4,556 |
97.96% |
Unopposed |
|
|
City of Tumwater, City Council, Pos. No. 3
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Doris Atkinson |
889 |
15.98% |
Joan Cathey |
4,605 |
82.76% |
City of Tumwater, City Council, Pos. No. 7
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Andrea McGhee |
2,802 |
47.34% |
Kelly Von Holtz |
3,089 |
52.19% |
City of Yelm, City Council, Pos. No. 1
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Stephanie Kangiser |
571 |
48.43% |
Tracey Wood |
601 |
50.98% |
City of Yelm, City Council, Pos. No. 2
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Joseph Dale Richardson |
617 |
52.6% |
Jerry Toompas |
548 |
46.72% |
City of Yelm, City Council, Pos. No. 6
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Trevor Palmer |
591 |
50.13% |
Ashley Lea Brooks |
581 |
49.28% |
Centralia School District No. 401-L, School Board Director, Pos. No. 2
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Maritza Bravo |
69 |
94.52% |
Unopposed |
|
|
Centralia School District No. 401-L, School Board Director, Pos. No. 3
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Andrea Ware |
66 |
92.96% |
Unopposed |
|
|
Centralia School District No. 401-L, School Board Director, Pos. No. 4
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Mandi McDougall |
32 |
33.68% |
Sarah Holmes |
61 |
64.21% |
Griffin School District No. 324, School Board Director, Pos. No. 1
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Matt Dorcy |
1,154 |
44.78% |
Tesa Frevert |
1,413 |
54.83% |
Griffin School District No. 324, School Board Director, Pos. No. 2
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Emma Rose |
1,880 |
96.81% |
Unopposed |
|
|
Griffin School District No. 324, School Board Director, Pos. No. 3
Name |
Count |
Percent |
David Kangiser |
967 |
40.44% |
Blair Baker |
1,403 |
58.68% |
North Thurston Public Schools, School Board Director, District No. 1
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Veronica Shriver |
10,684 |
47.15% |
Gretchen Maliska |
11,873 |
52.39% |
North Thurston Public Schools, School Board Director, District No. 4
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Stephanie Scott |
10,493 |
46.76% |
Esperanza A. Badillo-Diiorio |
11,802 |
52.59% |
North Thurston Public Schools, School Board Director, District No. 5
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Michelle J. Gipson |
11,645 |
51.17% |
David G. Newkirk |
11,017 |
48.41% |
Olympia School District No. 111, School Board Director, District No. 1
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Maria R. Flores |
12,633 |
61.43% |
Talauna Reed |
7,142 |
34.73% |
Olympia School District No. 111, School Board Director, District No. 2
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Jess Tourtellotte-Palumbo |
12,218 |
59.06% |
Frank Durocher |
8,403 |
40.62% |
Olympia School District No. 111, School Board Director, District No. 4
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Hilary Seidel |
12,252 |
59.82% |
Leslie Van Leishout |
8,111 |
39.6% |
Rainier School District No. 307, School Board Director, District No. 1
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Amanda Siemandel |
700 |
55.47% |
Aaron Lang |
555 |
43.98% |
Rainier School District No. 307, School Board Director, District No. 2
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Jerry F. Sprouffske |
704 |
53.82% |
Jon Palmer |
597 |
45.64% |
Rainier School District No. 307, School Board Director, District No. 3
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Dana Morgan Spivey |
880 |
68.06% |
Brian Hackethal |
410 |
31.71% |
Rochester School District No. 401, School Board Director, District No. 2
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Grant Rodeheaver |
1,942 |
62.71% |
Wava Garza |
1,134 |
36.62% |
Rochester School District No. 401, School Board Director, District No. 3
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Penelope Mena |
1,335 |
42.83% |
Susie Hawes |
1,759 |
56.43% |
Rochester School District No. 401, School Board Director, District No. 4
Name |
Count |
Percent |
James Neil Turner |
1,530 |
49.98% |
Michael L. Morrow |
1,509 |
49.3% |
Tenino School District No. 402, School Board Director, District No. 2
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Ryan T. Hilton |
414 |
15.14% |
Jennifer Johnson |
2,301 |
84.13% |
Tenino School District No. 402, School Board Director, District No. 3
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Adam Barr |
2,105 |
96.12% |
Unopposed |
|
|
Tenino School District No. 402, School Board Director, District No. 4
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Jessica Reeves-Rush |
2,229 |
97.81% |
Unopposed |
|
|
Tumwater School District No. 33, School Board Director, District No. 1
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Jeff (Cowboy) Curry |
3,799 |
37.08% |
Jill Tokarczyk Adams |
6,384 |
62.31% |
Tumwater School District No. 33, School Board Director, District No. 2
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Casey Taylor |
7,315 |
91.86% |
Unopposed |
|
|
Tumwater School District No. 33, School Board Director, District No. 3
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Scott Killough |
7,758 |
97.78% |
Unopposed |
|
|
Yelm Community Schools, School Board Director, District No. 2
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Eric Heid |
1,958 |
39.54% |
Casey Shaw |
2,920 |
58.97% |
Yelm Community Schools, School Board Director, District No. 3
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Allyn Verbal |
2,030 |
40.62% |
Denise Hendrickson |
2,932 |
58.68% |
Yelm Community Schools, School Board Director, District No. 5
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Bill Hauss |
2,833 |
56.63% |
Karen (Kay) Anderson |
2,133 |
42.63% |
Fire Protection District No. 3 (Lacey), Commissioner, Pos. No. 3
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Frank Kirkbride |
16,923 |
98.57% |
Unopposed |
|
|
Fire Protection District No. 3 (Lacey), Commissioner, Pos. No. 4
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Liberty Hetzler |
16,595 |
98.34% |
Unopposed |
|
|
Fire Protection District No. 6 (Olympia), Commissioner, Pos. No. 3
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Brandon Faust |
2,760 |
98.01% |
Unopposed |
|
|
Fire Protection District No. 8 (South Bay), Commissioner, Pos. No. 1
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Gloria Zvirzdys |
3,340 |
97.92% |
Unopposed |
|
|
Fire Protection District No. 8 (South Bay), Commissioner, Pos. No. 2
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Jake Hunter |
3,397 |
98.32% |
Unopposed |
|
|
Fire Protection District No. 9 (McLane Black Lake), Commissioner, Pos. No. 3
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Len Albert |
3,408 |
98.95% |
Unopposed |
|
|
Fire Protection District No. 9 (McLane Black Lake), Commissioner, Pos. No. 4
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Jason A. Foust |
3,300 |
98.65% |
Unopposed |
|
|
Fire Protection District No. 9 (McLane Black Lake), Commissioner, Pos. No. 3
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Mark Thompson |
3,408 |
98.81% |
Unopposed |
|
|
Fire Protection District 12, Commissioner, Pos. No. 4
Name |
Count |
Percent |
James Freed |
1,406 |
96.5% |
Unopposed |
|
|
Fire Protection District No. 13 (Griffin), Commissioner, Pos. No. 1
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Arthur Dalessandro |
1,835 |
98.87% |
Unopposed |
|
|
Fire Protection District No. 13 (Griffin), Commissioner, Pos. No. 3
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Dave Pearsall |
1,845 |
98.77% |
Unopposed |
|
|
Fire Protection District No. 17 (Bald Hills), Commissioner, Pos. No. 1
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Harry W. Miller |
672 |
97.39% |
Unopposed |
|
|
SE Thurston Fire Authority, Sub Region 1 Commissioner, Pos. No. 2
Name |
Count |
Percent |
David Shepherd |
3,787 |
98.16% |
Unopposed |
|
|
SE Thurston Fire Authority, Sub Region 2, Commissioner, Pos. No. 2
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Jeff DeHan |
3,885 |
98.58% |
Unopposed |
|
|
SE Thurston Fire Authority, Sub Region 3, Commissioner, Pos. No. 1
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Bill DeVore |
3,681 |
97.41% |
Unopposed |
|
|
SE Thurston Fire Authority, Sub Region 3, Commissioner, Pos. No. 2
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Steven Slater |
3,820 |
98.63% |
Unopposed |
|
|
West Thurston Regional Fire Authority Rochester, Commissioner, Pos. No. 1
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Jeff Merryman |
1,927 |
80.63% |
Unopposed |
|
|
West Thurston Regional Fire Authority Littlerock, Commissioner, Pos. No. 2
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Michael Reed |
1,714 |
86.87% |
Unopposed |
|
|
Tanglewilde Parks & Recreation District No. 1, Commissioner, Pos. No. 1
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Dayv Lowry |
324 |
97.89% |
Unopposed |
|
|
Tanglewilde Parks & Recreation District No. 1, Commissioner, Pos. No. 5
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Alexis Wallace |
287 |
94.41% |
Unopposed |
|
|
Cemetery District No. 1 (Grand Mound), Commissioner, Pos. No. 3
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Marc S. Spiegelberg |
2,669 |
98.38% |
Unopposed |
|
|
Cemetery District No. 2 (Yelm), Commissioner, Pos. No. 3
Name |
Count |
Percent |
Kristen Colt |
3,287 |
94.45% |
Unopposed |
|
|
4 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
WayTooOld
Thank you, JOLT, for the best and most thorough election accounting of any Olympia news source!
Tuesday, November 14, 2023 Report this
Olywelcomesall
Yes, thank you JOLT for providing clear and helpful reporting on election results and many other activities of our local governments in Thurston County.
Tuesday, November 14, 2023 Report this
Lehman
"...ballots from 74,420 of the county's 196,717 registered voters, or 37.83% (turnout). "Turnout" should more accurately be measured by percentage of votes as of those eligible, not just registered. Since many are eligible but not registered, that calculation is far more accurate a count of the actual turnout.
Tuesday, November 14, 2023 Report this
TonyW33
I'm also thankful for the Jolt posting on this election early and often. Maybe sometime in the future this paper will be the one of record. I have also checked the Thurston County Auditor's office daily as soon as the reports were available.
I note that Vivian Eason has never exceeded 50.5% of the count at any point. In order to win the District 4 seat, with 2000 votes left to count, she would have to tally nearly 60% of those votes. It is mathematically possible but very unlikely that she will be able to prevail.
In a similar way, Rose Chiu Gundersen, never having achieved even 50% at any point along the way will now have to hit a solid 70% of the remaining 2000 ballots to win. That seems extremely unlikely.
Also of interest to me is that there were several thousand voters that voted for Vivian Eason and could not bring them selves to support Terry Ballard.
Last, If my supposition holds, I believe that this will be the first time ever that a Port Board has had 4 female members and a single male member. Also maybe the first time that two enrolled tribal members have held seats on a Port Board at the same time.
New times, new faces, new hopes and dreams and ideas!
Tuesday, November 14, 2023 Report this