Clark County primary elections: Blom, Ridgefield bond likely out

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The first count of ballots for the August primary election are in, with Clark County Councilor John Blom looking to be eliminated in his re-election bid and a $40.5 million construction bond for the Ridgefield School District looking to be defeated.

After the 8 p.m. deadline for the election Aug. 4, Clark County released its preliminary results on the primary. As of the deadline more than 94,000 ballots were counted in the county, with 30,000 estimated to still be counted. The next count of results was set for 4 p.m., Aug. 5.

Clark County Council

The first count of primary votes appears to show an exit for one Clark County Councilor seeking re-election, as John Blom looks to be coming in third-place for his campaign to retain his District Three seat.

Blom, a former Republican running with no party preference, had fewer votes than Republican Karen Dill Bowerman, who came in first with about 43.1 percent of the vote. Democrat Jesse James picked up about 34 percent of the vote, while Blom managed roughly 22.7 percent of the vote.

Incumbent Gary Medvigy had a more successful showing, though with only two candidates no one will be eliminated in the primary contest. Medvigy, a Republican, had about 58.3 percent of the vote to retain his District Four seat, leading over Independent candidate Matt Little who had about 41.1 percent of the vote in the first count of ballots.

20th Legislative District

The four-person race to replace retiring Rep. Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis, shows his endorsed successor nabbing the most votes for the 20th Legislative District seat, as fellow Republican Peter Abbarno leads the pack in the first count of votes. District-wide, Abbarno had just shy of 46 percent of the votes, including about 43.5 percent of Clark County’s ballots.

Abbarno appears to have a November opponent in Democrat Timothy Zahn, as he had about 26.7 percent of the vote among all 20th District voters in the first count. Clark County itself voted similarly, putting Zahn in second with about 27.7 percent of the vote. Fellow challengers Brian Lange, a Republican, and Kurtis Engle, no party preference, appear to be eliminated as of first numbers, gaining 24.3 percent and about 2.8 percent of the district-wide vote, respectively.

Though it didn’t result in anyone being eliminated, Rep. Ed Orcutt’s bid for re-election appears secure if the first count of primary votes is any indication. Orcutt, R-Kalama, had about 72.5 percent of the district-wide vote, with Democrat challenger Will Rollet taking about 27.2 percent of votes. Orcutt had a relatively stronger showing in Clark County against Rollet, with candidates gaining about 75.1 percent and roughly 24.6 percent, respectively.

Sen. John Braun did not have any candidates against him on the ballot, though he faced a number of write-in votes but not enough to prove a challenge. Braun, R-Centralia, had 94.7 percent of the votes in the whole district, with about 5.3 percent of votes going to write-ins. Clark County voters had a smaller percentage of write-ins against Braun, as he took about 94.9 percent of votes in the first count.

18th Legislative District

The one consequential race for the 18th Legislative District appears to show incumbent Sen. Ann Rivers surviving a challenge from a fellow party member, as the La Center Republican managed to come in second in the first count of votes. Democrat challenger Rick Bell came in first place with about 41.1 percent of the vote, with Rivers following with about 31.6 percent. Republican challenger John Ley looks to be eliminated in the first count, netting about 27.1 percent of votes.

The other two races in the district featured only two candidates, though incumbents had solid showings. Rep. Brandon Vick, R-Vancouver, had roughly 58 percent of the vote over challenger Democrat Kassandra Bessert, who netted about 41.8 percent of the vote.

Fellow Vancouver Republican Rep. Larry Hoff was also ahead but with a smaller margin, gaining about 53.7 percent of the vote in his re-election campaign. Hoff’s Democratic challenger Donna Sinclair had about 46.1 percent of the vote in the first count.

17th Legislative District



Though none of the races in the 17th Legislative District will lead to any cuts to candidates running in November, the first count of primary votes shows Republican incumbents with majorities in each race.

Sen. Lynda Wilson, R-Vancouver, had about 53.7 percent of the vote in her bid to retain her seat, with Democrat challenger Daniel Smith holding about 46.1 percent of the vote.

Rep. Paul Harris, R-Vancouver, had a greater margin of votes in the first count, netting about 66.3 percent of the vote, while challenger Bryan White, a fellow Republican, gained about 28 percent of the vote.

The closest race in the district this August was for Rep. Vicki Kraft’s seat. Kraft, also a Vancouver Republican, maintained a lead with 51.8 percent of the vote to repeat Democrat challenger Tanisha Harris’s 48.1 percent of the vote. Harris challenged Kraft in 2018, with the incumbent taking about 50.7 percent of the vote in that year’s November general election.

Ridgefield bond likely out, Woodland fire annexation likely passes

Two items on the ballot not featuring candidates had differing results as of the first count of ballots, with a $40.5 million construction bond for Ridgefield School District looking toward defeat while an annexation of Woodland into Clark County Fire & Rescue’s fire protection district showing strong approval.

The bond for Ridgefield, which would fund the construction of a new elementary school, didn’t have a majority approval as of the first count, netting only about 47.5 percent of the vote. The bond would have to surpass a 60-percent supermajority in order to be approved, giving a low likelihood the measure will be able to move forward.

Clark County Fire & Rescue’s measure to make the city of Woodland an official part of its jurisdiction had high majorities in both the city and existing district in the first count. Woodland citizens approved the annexation with roughly 73.1 percent approval, while fire district voters showed approval with about 77.1 percent of the votes in favor.

Another fire district also showed voters approving of its ask this primary election based on the first count of votes, as about 66.8 percent of Fire District 6 voters were in favor of a levy lid lift to fund the district. The measure will lift the district’s tax rate from $1.16 per $1,000 of assessed value to $1.50 per $1,000.

Herrera Beutler leads Third District primary

U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, has a roughly 14-point lead over her next-highest challenger in the first count of August primary election votes, coming out on top in a five-way race to retain her seat in Congress for another two years.

With all eight counties in the Third Congressional District reporting preliminary results as of 9:45 p.m. Aug. 4, Herrera Beutler had about 54.7 percent of total votes in Washington’s Third Congressional District. Challenger Democrat Carolyn Long came in second with about 41.2 percent of district voters in her primary rematch with Herrera Beutler, which was farther away from her first August race against the incumbent back in 2018.

That year, Herrera Beutler was not able to get a majority in the primary, though she did top out that race and ultimately won out against Long in the November general election. In 2018 Herrera Beutler had about 42.1 percent of the vote against Long’s roughly 35.3 percent, with a number of alternative candidates including challengers from both parties taking the remainder of votes that year.

Long proved to be Herrera Beutler’s most-competitive challenger for re-election yet that November, though the incumbent managed to win with about 52.7 percent of the vote over Long.

For this August the primary for Herrera Beutler’s seat had fewer in the running with five candidates compared to 2018’s seven. Candidates looking like they will be eliminated this election include returning challenger Martin Hash, no party preference, who came in third with about 1.6 percent of the vote, and Democrats Davy Ray and Devin Gray nabbing about 1.4 percent and roughly .9 percent of the vote, respectively.

Editor’s note: In most cases, write-in vote percentages were not included in results covered.