Public Lands Commissioner primary race decided by less than 50 votes following recount

When Hilary Franz decided to exit the job of Public Lands Commissioner in order for a chance to be in the U.S. House of Representatives, seven people competed in the August primary to be the new head of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Nearly a month after the primary, the race has finally been decided after a recount was triggered since just a few dozen votes separated second place from third place. In Washington, the top two vote-getters in each respective category from the primary advance to the November general election.

As of Thursday, King County Council member Dave Upthegrove, a Democrat, clinched a spot in the general election over Republican Sue Kuehl Pederson, according to the Office of the Secretary of State. Upthegrove held a remarkably slim margin of 51 votes — or less than one-hundredth of a percentage point — before the recount shrunk the voting difference to just 49 votes.

“This recount was a significant undertaking that required meticulous attention to detail to ensure every vote was counted fairly and accurately,” Assistant Secretary of State Kevin McMahan said. “It demonstrates the accuracy and reliability of Washington’s elections, as the vote counting equipment tabulated votes correctly, with the few variances arising from questions about voter intent. I commend all counties for their diligent efforts in conducting a transparent and secure process that reflects the will of the voters.”

Former U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, a Republican, claimed the most votes, leading Upthegrove by just under 23,000.

The Seattle Times has called this one of the tightest statewide races in the last 20 years. Both campaigns are already pushing for a recount with the race too close to call. There are still several thousand votes to be counted, according to the secretary of state’s office, while another 9,000 ballots have already been challenged.

The lands commissioner is the elected custodian of state forests and waters, who manages Washington’s response to wildfires and the Department of the DNR. Hilary Franz has held the role since 2017.

The Washington general election is Nov. 5. Ballots will be mailed to voters by Friday, Oct. 18.

Other primary election races

US Senate seat to represent WA

Sen. Maria Cantwell cruised in her race for a U.S. Senate seat from Washington. The 23-year incumbent received 57% of the vote.

Cantwell will take on Dr. Raul Garcia currently an emergency physician and the medical director of Toppenish’s Astria Hospital. Garcia, who previously ran for governor of Washington in 2020, received slightly more than 20% of ballots counted. Garcia was endorsed by state Republican delegates earlier this year.

No other candidate received more than 6% of the vote in the primary.

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Attorney General

With Bob Ferguson departing his post for a chance to become the next governor of Washington, Pete Serrano (R), the mayor of Pasco, took a commanding lead by grabbing 42% of the vote.

If elected in November, Serrano will be the first Republican to serve as Attorney General since Rob McKenna in 2012.

U.S. Attorney Nick Brown (D) will face off against Serrano after receiving the second-most votes (35%). Brown has previously stated he wouldn’t hesitate to file lawsuits if needed to protect abortion access in Washington, according to Axios, while maintaining support for the state’s gun control laws, including the ban on selling semi-automatic rifles.

State Sen. Manka Dhingra failed to advance out of the primary after receiving just 22% of the vote.

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Seattle City Council’s 1-year seat

Winning Position 8 on the Seattle City Council, a citywide seat, only wins the person one year on the job this time around.

Normally a four-year position, this year’s candidates are vying to finish the final 13 months of former Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda’s term. Tanya Woo, a business owner and activist within the Chinatown-International District, temporarily filled the vacancy, but is now running to finish the term against Alexis Mercedes Rinck.

The primary has now revealed that Woo and Rinck will move on to the November election.

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Woo’s challenger is Alexis Mercedes Rinck, an assistant director at the University of Washington (UW) and someone who previously worked with the King County Regional Homelessness Authority. She pulled in 50% of the vote with nearly 100,000 votes — 12% and approximately 25,000 votes more than Woo.

Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here and you can email him here.