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If Dino Rossi had a few more voters statewide like he does in Spokane County, he could have easily become our new governor next January.
However, GOP-leaning Eastern Washington couldn’t make the difference for Rossi, who conceded victory to incumbent Democratic Gov. Christine Gregoire last week.
As the post-Election Day votes continue to trickle in – the Spokane County Elections Office won’t make another count until later today (Friday) – the prediction of some that many of those ballots would favor Republicans seems to be holding true.
Take Rossi, for example. At the end of vote counting Nov. 4, Rossi had over 68,500 votes (to Gregoire’s 68,850) in Spokane County and just under 50 percent of the vote. By Monday night, Rossi’s slim deficit had reversed to a 52-percent lead in this area. Not that it made any difference. Statewide, Gregoire had a solid lead by nearly 200,000 votes and over 53 percent of the vote.
The presidential race was another instance where the Republican ticket did better after the initial votes were counted. Barack Obama was leading by 3,500 votes in Spokane County when voters went to bed Nov. 4. By Monday, though, McCain had pulled ahead with 107,124 votes to the presidential-elect’s 104,358. Not that it did the Arizona senator any good in the big picture.
Republican Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers didn’t really need the GOP late voter bump – she was doing just fine with over 60 percent of the vote on Election Day. So her climb to just about 63 percent over Democratic challenger Mark Mays in the days that followed seemed a bit anticlimactic.
However, Mark Richard – who is finishing out his first term as county commissioner in Spokane Valley’s District 2 – definitely benefitted from late-voting Republican leaners. Richard had just over 51 percent at the close of voting a week and a half ago, but boasted nearly 54 percent by Monday. Challenger Brian Sayrs – a Democrat and member of the Liberty Lake City Council – has said he will keep hope until the last vote is counted when the election is certified Nov. 25.
Kim Thorburn, challenging Republican incumbent Todd Mielke in District 1, had any hopes that she would become county commissioner quashed last week. Her 45-percent showing on Election Day dipped to just over 43 percent this week.
Both Richard and Mielke were adamant that they would track better in the days after the election, just as they did in the primary election that had much closer results early on.
Leads also widened for GOP incumbents Bob McCaslin and Larry Crouse over their Democratic challengers, along with political newcomer – and Republican – Matt Shea in the 4th Legislative District, which represents Spokane Valley.
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By
Mike Huffman
