Voters select finalists for Legislature

1st District
House Position 1

Republican Dennis Richter and Democrat Derek Stanford, both of Bothell, were leading a crowded field of five candidates to fill the seat of longtime representative Al O'Brien, D-Mountlake Terrace, who's retiring from state politics.

Stanford had received 27.8 percent of the vote compared to 23.4 percent for Richter. Their closest challenger, former Bothell Councilwoman Sandy Guinn, 59, trailed with 21.7 percent of votes.

The top two vote-getters advance to the Nov. 2 general election.

Other candidates include Democrat Vince DeMiero and Lynnwood insurance agency owner Dick Lapinski.

The 1st District covers areas of Bothell, Woodninville, Mountlake Terrace and Brier as well as portions of Lynnwood and Edmonds.

House Position 2

Heidi Munson, a Bothell Republican, held a commanding primary election lead late Tuesday in her bid to earn a spot on the Nov. 2 general election ballot.

Munson had received 48.2 percent of votes cast compared with 26.2 percent Luis Moscoso, 60, a Mountlake Terrace Democrat.

David Griffin, 47, an east Snohomish County Democrat, trailed with 25.6 percent of votes.

They vying to win the seat held by Mark Ericks, who's retiring from state politics. He's been nominated to be U.S. Marshal for the Western District.

10th District
House Position 1

Incumbent Rep. Norma Smith ran unopposed on the ballot, but was challenged by a late write-in campaign by longtime Stanwood area Democrat Laura Lewis.

Lewis must come away with 1 percent of all the votes cast in order to be listed on the November ballot against Smith. In Snohomish County on Tuesday night, about 4 percent of the vote was for write-in candidates.

Lewis, 71, is the vice chairwoman of the Snohomish County Democratic Party.

Smith, 59, a Clinton Republican, won her last election after originally being appointed to her position in the state House of Representatives.

The 10th District covers the Stanwood area, Island County and southwest Skagit County.

House Position 2

Incumbent Rep. Barbara Bailey held an early lead of about 61.1 percent over Democratic challenger Tom Riggs, who is the park ranger at Camano Island State Park.

The candidates will meet again in the November election. Bailey, 65, an Oak Harbor Republican, is running for a fifth term in the state Legislature. Riggs, with about 38.8 percent of the vote, is a first-time candidate.

21st District
Senate

Veteran Sen. Paull Shin, D-Edmonds, will likely face a challenge from Republican David Preston in November.

Shin received 64.8 percent to 22.6 percent for Preston. Republican Glen Sayes received 12.6 percent.

Shin, 74, was elected to the state Senate in 1998. Preston, 50, of Edmonds, is a newcomer to politics. He is an employee health insurance agent.

House Position 1

Rep. Mary Helen Roberts, D-Lynnwood, faced only one challenger in the primary, Republican Ed Borey of Mukilteo. The two automatically move on to the general election.

Roberts received 9,016 votes, 59 percent, to Borey's 6,229, or 40.8 percent.

Roberts, 62, was elected to the state House of Representatives in 2004. Borey, 60, is making his first try at public office. He is a retired executive for computer technology and security companies.

32nd District
Senate

Incumbent Maralyn Chase, D-Edmonds, and Republican challenger David Baker, Kenmore's mayor, were the top vote-getters in early returns Tuesday.

Chase, 68, received 46.6 percent of the vote compared to 40.6 percent for Baker, 66. They held a commanding lead over Democrat Patty Butler of Shoreline, who had 12.7 percent of the vote.

House Position 1

Former Shoreline Councilwoman Cindy Ryu was the leading vote-getter in early primary election returns late Tuesday.

She received 41.3 percent of the vote. Shoreline physician and Republican Art Coday garnered 38.5 percent.

Democrat Doris Fujioka McConnell was third with 20.2 percent.

House Position 2

Incumbent Ruth Kagi, D-Lake Forest Park, with 55.3 percent of the vote and Republican newcomer Gary Gagliardi, 36.6 percent, were leading a three-person field in early returns Tuesday night. Democrat Stan Lippmann, was trailing with 8.2 percent.

38th District
House Position 1

Representative John McCoy, D-Tulalip, held an early lead over Republican candidate Hugh Fleet of Marysville on Tuesday night in the Legislative District 38, State Representative Position 1 race.

McCoy had 55.3 percent of the vote while Fleet had 44.7 percent.

McCoy, 66, is seeking his fifth term as state representative. He is chairman of the House Technology, Energy, and Communications Committee and also serves on the advisory board for the Cascade Land Conservancy.

McCoy is the retired general manager for Tulalip's Quil Ceda Village.

Fleet, 62, is a Telecom manager for the Marysville School District.

House Position 2

Rep. Mike Sells, D-Everett, a former teacher in the Everett School District, appeared to hold a strong lead over Republican challenger, Iris Lilly of Marysville when the earliest count was released on Tuesday night.

Sells, 65, won 57.6 percent of the vote and Lilly, 48, won 42.4 percent of the vote.

Sells is seeking his fourth term in the State House of Representatives.

Lilly is a training specialist with Service Alternatives, a company that works with people with developmental disabilities.

The 38th Legislative District covers parts of Snohomish County including Everett, Marysville, and the part of the Snohomish Valley west of Highway 9.

39th Legislative District
House Position 1

Incumbent state Rep. Dan Kristiansen, R-Snohomish, was trouncing his Democratic opponent for the 39th Legislative District's Position 1.

Kristiansen won 61.3 percent votes tallied by Tuesday night in Snohomish County, where much of the district lies. Democrat Eleanor Walters had 38.7 percent of the votes there. Both candidates advance to the Nov. 2 election.

The district also includes pieces of Skagit, Whatcom and King counties.

Kristiansen, 47, is seeking a fifth term in office. Walters, 55, of Snohomish, has identified education as the key to the state's health and wants to "stir the pot" for improvements on U.S. 2. Walters has not held elected office.

44th Legislative District
House Position 1

Veteran state Rep. Hans Dunshee's likely challenger in November will be Bob McCaughan.

Dunshee, D-Snohomish, has served eight terms in the Legislature and Tuesday's primary returns shone favorably on his chances for a ninth.

He garnered 50.4 percent of the 17,133 votes. Dunshee's nearest rival was McCaughan, 62. The Republican from Snohomish won 33.2 percent of the vote. If the relative vote tallies hold, Republican Shahram Hadian will not advance to the general election. The 39-year-old pastor from Everett had 16.1 percent of the vote.

House Position 2

State Rep. Mike Hope had a comfortable lead Tuesday night -- though he didn't face much of a formal challenge for the 44th Legislative District's Position 2.

The Lake Stevens Republican had 62.6 percent of the 17,020 votes counted. Democrat John Boerger of Lake Stevens had 37 percent of the vote, even though he announced in June that he intended to exit the race. His name remained on the ballot because the announcement came after the withdrawal deadline. Democrats still ask voters to support Boerger so they can appoint somebody to the seat.