Othello mayor’s race too close to call

With only six votes currently separating the bottom two candidates, the mayoral race won’t be decided until the election is certified on Sept. 2.

Eleanor Brodahl

Yet, even with that close of a count, the chances of a recount are slim.

“For a mandatory recount, the count has to be one half of 1 percent,” Nancy McBroom, county auditor said.

Tim Wilson, who is in the lead with 367 votes or more than twice what the other two candidates have, said he was surprised at the current count.

“I expected a tight race because all three of us have been on the council for a long time,” Wilson said. “I have to say thanks to those who voted for me.”

This isn’t the first close race Eleanor Brodahl has been involved in. She has 142 votes at this point, just behind Ken Johnson at 148.

Her last push for her council seat was decided by a close vote as well.

Johnson said he doesn’t expect the vote to go to a recount.

“I’m pretty confident it won’t,” he said. “The numbers aren’t there to trigger a recount.”

Ken Johnson

Brodahl said if the numbers stay the same as they are now, she expects there to be a recount.

“The difference between me and Ken is only .09 percent,” she said.

The primary election across the county had a low turnout, with only 36.54 percent of the registered voters casting a ballot.

That, in itself, means the winner between him and Brodahl will have their work cut out for them.

“If I win, I’ll have a lot of work in front of me,” Johnson said. “The numbers mean there are 1,000 more votes out there for us to go after.”

Brodahl agreed.

“I will be very busy if I win,” she said. “For now, though, we need the process to go ahead and let the voters speak; then, we can move on to the general election.”

Tim Wilson

There are 6,188 voters in Adams County. So far, 2,261 ballots have been cast in the primary.

McBroom said any candidate can call for a recount during any election. However, if they still lose, they are then responsible to pay for the process.

The primary election determines which of the three candidates will progress to the general election in November. The top two vote getters move on.

Wilson is a given.

“I’m shocked,” Wilson said. “But I’m excited at the same time.”

Other election results

In the race for state representative, position 1, Pat Hailey leads the pack with 49.88 percent of the votes.

Hailey’s 1,072 votes compare to Art Swannack at 351 (16.33 percent); Susan Fagan, 344 (16.01 percent); Glen Stockwell, 271 (12.61 percent); and Darin Watkins at 111 (5.17 percent).

Residents of Lind are also voting for a new mayor.

Those results are Larry Koch with 84 votes (43.08 percent); Jamie Schmunk, 52 (26.67 percent); Gary DeMoss Sr., 45 (23.08 percent); and Annette Kaye Casady, 14 (7.18 percent).

In Ritzville, 469 voters, or 63.64 percent, have approved the Park and Recreation 4 maintenance and operation levy thus far, with 268, or 36.36 percent, voting no.

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