Monroe candidate may launch write-in campaign

Published 6:47 pm Friday, August 27, 2010

Tight primary races have spurred different reactions in Snohomish County, as a Monroe candidate contemplates a write-in campaign for mayor and Edmonds City Council candidates brace for a recount.

Monroe City Councilman Mitch Ruth continued to trail former Councilman Robert Zimmerman by a narrow margin in the Aug. 18 mayoral primary.

Ruth said he may run as a write-in candidate in the Nov. 3 general election if he fails to make the ballot.

“I’ve been asked not to give up,” he said, noting he has yet to make up his mind.

Only two candidates will appear on the ballot. Mayor Donnetta Walser had 37 percent of the vote with 717 votes, Zimmerman had 32 percent with 618 votes and Ruth had 30 percent with 576 votes on Friday. Results will be certified Wednesday.

Zimmerman discouraged a write-in campaign, saying it could benefit Walser, a target of both men during the primary.

“If he is truly looking for change here in Monroe, that probably wouldn’t be the best way,” Zimmerman said.

Walser, meanwhile, is looking ahead to the general election. She plans to rebut calls for change by focusing on her experience as mayor, a position she has held since 2002.

“What I’m doing is basically concentrating on my record and my reputation,” she said.

The race between Zimmerman and Ruth was not on pace to meet the threshold for an automatic recount, unlike the race for Edmonds City Council position 3.

There, incumbent Ron Wambolt held a razor-thin lead over former Councilwoman Lora Petso, with both taking 32 percent of the vote for the second spot on the ballot. Wambolt led by two votes — 2,821 to 2,819, or by three-hundredths of a percent.

That’s well within the requirements for an automatic hand recount, which occurs when candidates are separated by less than 150 votes and less than one-fourth of 1 percent.

The close race surprised Wambolt’s supporters.

“The only conclusion we can come to is that perhaps this is one of those elections where it’s, ‘Throw all incumbents out,’ ” he said. “I don’t know. I just don’t know.”

The race served as a solid reminder to Petso that every vote counts, as does every bit of campaigning.

“I’m sure that if I had spent more money, or done more doorbelling, I could have managed to gain two additional votes,” she said in an e-mail. “Some folks just won’t vote for you unless you send out a glossy brochure or show up on their doorstep.”

Meanwhile, Adrienne Fraley-Monillas is waiting to see who will win. She has taken 34 percent of the primary vote, or 3,011 votes.

“I don’t think my plan changes one way or the other, who I run against,” she said. “The facts are the facts about what the city needs.”

Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455, arathbun@heraldnet.com.