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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Wednesday, August 20, 2008 State schools chief: Incumbent Terry Bergeson likely to face Randy Dorn By Kaitlin Manry, Herald Writer In the heated race for Washington schools chief, it appears incumbent Terry Bergeson will face off against Randy Dorn in the general election in November. Bergeson had 42 percent of the vote to Dorn's 30 percent Tuesday night, with ballots counted from 22 percent of the state's registered voters. Among Snohomish County voters, the race was tighter, with Bergeson leading Dorn by 37 percent to 33 percent. "I'm just honored to have people give me the opportunity to go through to the general," Bergeson said. "I'll work very hard because this is going to be a hard-fought battle all the way to November, but I'm going to stick with it." Dorn is a former legislator who has the backing of the Washington teachers union, which Bergeson led in the late 1980s. Bergeson has held the office of state superintendent of public instruction for 12 years and expected a tough challenge from Dorn. Dorn called Tuesday's results "excellent" and said he's especially encouraged by the turnout in Snohomish County. He said he expects to gain votes in the general election from voters who supported four lesser-known candidates in the primary. As expected, it appears candidates David Blomstrom, John Blair, Enid Duncan and Don Hansler won't advance to the general election. "I think there's a lot of people out there saying they want a change in SPI (superintendent of public instruction)," Dorn said. "Our goal was at least to get into second place and the other people -- those are anti-Terry votes. You add them all up and we're ahead." Dorn has focused his campaign around the Washington Assessment of Student Learning. He frequently criticizes Bergeson for her support of the state test, which she says is helping prepare students for the future. The election comes just months after some high school seniors were denied diplomas because they failed to pass the WASL or an approved alternative. Though some elections watchers predicted Bergeson would win her seat outright in the primary, it doesn't look like she'll receive the majority of votes needed to avoid a challenge in the general election. Dorn, a former teacher, is executive director of the Public School Employees of Washington, a union for classified school workers such as bus drivers and custodians. Bergeson is a former teacher, counselor and administrator. The position pays $121,618 a year. Other state races While all eyes are on the governor's race, the race for state treasurer is the only one where there's even a small bit of mystery. Treasurer Mike Murphy is stepping down after three terms and has crossed party lines to endorse Republican Alan Martin, his top deputy. In early returns, Martin had nearly 44 percent of the vote, and Democratic state Rep. Jim McIntire, an economist and former House Finance Committee chairman, had nearly 41 percent. Fellow Democrat ChangMook Sohn, who was the state's chief economist for more than two decades, was trailing with about 16 percent. Voters advanced Republican Secretary of State Sam Reed and Democrat Jason Osgood to the general election. Reed had nearly 58 percent of the vote in early returns; Osgood had about 34 percent. Other races included lieutenant governor, where incumbent Democrat Brad Owen advanced. State Auditor Brian Sonntag and Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler, both Democrats, advanced to the general election, where they will face weak opposition. Republican Attorney General Rob McKenna faced Democratic challenger Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg, and Republican Public Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland faced Democrat Peter Goldmark. All four advanced under the top two format, since there weren't any third challengers in either race. The top two primary, which voters approved in 2004, was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this year. It will be the first time since 2003 that voters will be able skip back and forth along party lines as they pick a favorite candidate for each office. The top two finishers will advance to the general election on Nov. 4, regardless of party. "I think once you start moving down the ballot it's going to be very interesting to see what happens," said Cornell Clayton, a professor of political science at Washington State University. Secretary of State Reed has predicted a 46 percent turnout, and county officials surveyed by the Associated Press supported that forecast. The state's 39 counties' turnout expectations ranged from a low of 35 percent in Adams County to a high of 62 percent in Jefferson County. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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