GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS

With nearly all ballots counted, here's what voters decided

Posted

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  

  

  

 

Comments

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