UPDATE: Wednesday primary election tallies show little shift in results, including in close DNR race

Candidates and voters seeking different news from the primary election results were disappointed Wednesday when new vote counts showed little movement in any of Washington state’s statewide or federal races.

The race for Commissioner of Public Lands — a wide open race because DNR chief Hilary Franz is running for Congress — continues to be unresolved, with at least three candidates in contention for the two spots on the November ballot.

Here are the latest results of that and other contested state and federal races.

These numbers are as of 6 p.m. Wednesday from the Washington Secretary of State’s website. More than 1.2 million ballots have been counted so far, with an estimated 500,000 more to go.

Commissioner of Public Lands

The top three finishers remain exactly the same, with the same percentage of the votes: Former Republican congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler continues to lead with 22.6% of the vote. Right behind Beutler are fellow Republican Sue Kuehl Pederson with 20.7% and Dave Upthegrove, a Democrat, with 19.9%.

But not far behind are the rest of the candidates. The four remaining Democrats are Patrick DePoe with 13.4%, Allen Lebovitz with 10.6%, Kevin Van De Wege with 8% and Jeralee Anderson at 4.8%.

Additional ballots will have to be counted statewide before the top two candidates will be determined to advance to the November general election.

U.S. Senator

Incumbent Democrat Maria Cantwell, first elected in 2000, is leading with 57.4% of the vote tally as of Wednesday night. Unless something dramatic happens in remaining vote tallies, she will be facing off against Republican Dr. Raul Garcia, who so far has tallied 21.8% of the vote.

“As a child growing up in Cuba, I could only dream of one day living in America, a place I loved before I ever stepped foot on it,” said Garcia, who fled communist Cuba with his mother at age 11. “To not only achieve the American dream by becoming a citizen, and building a family and a career, but also now to be a candidate for United States Senate, is something that could only happen in this great country.”

There were 11 candidates on the primary ballot for the position.

Governor

Attorney General Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, is leading with 45.1% of vote. He will be facing off against Republican Dave Reichert, who had tallied 28.1% of the vote.

Only two other candidates in the 28-candidate field garnered substantial support in early returns: controversial Republican nominee Semi Bird with 9.9% of the early tallies, and Mark Mullet with 5.9%.

There is no incumbent in this race because current Gov. Jay Inslee, 73, who has served since 2013, is retiring.

Lt. Governor

Democratic incumbent Denny Heck is leading with 48.5% of the vote so far. Initial results indicate he will be facing off against Republican Dan Matthews, who has received 22.9% of the vote so far.

The other candidate in the five-way race with a substantial number of votes is Republican Bob Hagglund with 16.8% of the vote.

Attorney General

Republican Pete Serrano continues to lead the field with 42.2% of the vote so far. Results indicate he will be facing off against Democrat Nick Brown, who so far has tallied 35.5% of the vote.

Democratic legislator Manka Dhingra is running in third with 22.2% of the vote.

“Obviously the results are disappointing, but I am so proud of the campaign we ran to lift up critical issues like abortion rights, worker protections, and the needs of marginalized communities,” Dhingra said in a statement issued Wednesday night. “Congratulations to Nick Brown on his victory. I am resolved to continue fighting for the rights and protections of all Washingtonians in the State Senate.”

Secretary of State

Democratic incumbent Steve Hobbs is leading the four-candidate field with 48.7% of the votes so far. He will be running against Republican Dale Whitaker, who has so far tallied 37% of the vote.

Superintendent of Public Instruction

Incumbent Superintendent Chris Reykdal is leading the four-candidate field with 39.4% of the vote. So far results indicate he will be facing off against David Olson, who won 31.4% of the vote.

Reid Saaris is running in third with 23.4% of the vote.

Insurance Commissioner

Democrat Patty Kuderer is leading the eight-candidate field with 44.7% of the vote. In second place is Republican Phil Fortunato, who has tallied 28.4% of the vote so far.

Eight candidates appeared on the primary ballot for the wide open seat. Incumbent Democrat Mike Kreidler, who is 80, is stepping down after serving six four-year terms.

State Treasurer

Incumbent Democrat Mike Pellicciotti so far has garnered 58.3% of the votes tallied, while his only opponent Republican Sharon Hanek has 41.6%.

State Auditor

Incumbent Democrat Pat McCarthy has 58.8% of the votes so far, while her only opponent, Republican Matt Hawkins, has 41.15%.

U.S. Congressional District 3

Incumbent Democrat Maria Gluesenkamp Perez is leading with 46% of the vote. And it appears it will be a rematch of 2022 against Donald Trump-backed Republican Joe Kent, who has so far tallied 39.2% of the vote.

Republican Leslie Lewallen is trailing with 12.4% of the vote.

“I got into this race to protect and grow the Republican majority in the House of Representatives. I couldn’t sit on the sidelines while the people, values and country I love fall apart,” Lewallen wrote in a statement released late Tuesday.

“I believe in this country and will continue to fight for conservative principles. We are at a pivotal crossroads right now between strength and success and weakness and failure. There is no margin for error and we have to flip this seat. I support Joe Kent in his campaign to defeat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez. We need to get this country back on track because Southwest Washington deserves better.”

U.S. Congressional District 3 encompasses southwest Washington, including part of southern Thurston County.

U.S. Congressional District 10 Representative

Incumbent Marilyn Strickland, a Tacoma Democrat, is leading with 54.4% of the vote. Initial results indicate she will be facing off against Republican Don Hewett, who has tallied 27.5% of the vote.

The ballot included seven candidates, but the only other candidate with a substantial number of votes is Nirav Sheth, a Republican, with 11.5% of the vote.

“The South Sound needs a voice in Congress who is committed to delivering results over making headlines, and bipartisan progress over extremism,” Strickland said in a statement issued Tuesday night. “I’m honored to work on behalf of the people I represent throughout the district, and I will continue to focus on making progress to address our biggest challenges.

U.S. Congressional District 3 encompasses most of Thurston County and Northwest Pierce County, including part of Tacoma.

This story was originally published August 7, 2024 at 7:05 PM with the headline "UPDATE: Wednesday primary election tallies show little shift in results, including in close DNR race."