Area city races still hang in the balance

By Leslie Moriarty

Herald Writers

With votes yet to be counted by the Snohomish County Auditor’s Office, a number of area city races could go either way.

Among them are three council seats in Monroe, two separated by a margin of 3 percentage points and one by 2 percentage points.

The last race saw newcomers Verna Korslund and Bruce Hansen vying for a two-year council-at-large seat. Hansen, an aerospace export buyer, has a 29-vote lead on Korslund, a homemaker and volunteer.

In another close race, challenger Art Larson, a control systems engineer, leads incumbent Penny Sopris-Kegerreis, a retired Chamber of Commerce director, by only 27 votes.

"It looks good so far," Larson said. "But it’s close."

Sopris-Kegerreis said she’ll wait until Friday’s final numbers to comment.

"I am surprised that all the races in Monroe are cliff hangers," she said.

The race that has been most closely watched pitted incumbent councilman Jim Hunnicutt against Mayor Bob Holman, who hoped to end Hunnicutt’s 12-year council career.

Hunnicutt’s 51 percent to Holman’s 48 percent lead is actually just 49 votes, but appears to be the most decisive of the three council races.

Holman did not return telephone calls to The Herald on Wednesday.

Supporters of both candidates say they are waiting to see Friday’s, which will include absentee ballots, before declaring the race final.

In east Snohomish County, only five votes separate challengers for a council seat in Granite Falls, with Heather Buchholz leading Richard Smith. Prior to Tuesday’s election, Buchholz’s candidacy was ruled invalid because she lives outside the city limits.

State law requires that candidates for city council live in the city.

Buchholz filed with an address of 18905 Highway 92, which is within the city limits. However, the county canvassing board ruled that her true address is 6618 Robe-Menzel Road, which is outside the city.

She said she lives in town on the weekdays and out of town on weekends. She apparently changed her voter’s registration address at the same time that she filed for city council.

Current city councilman Matt Hartman challenged the matter and asked for the ruling from the canvassing board.

If Buchholz continues to hold the lead, Auditor Bob Terwilliger said she will serve unless the election is challenged in court.

Her opponent, Smith, said he doesn’t plan to do that because he wants a clear victory and not one by default.

However, Hartman is expected to challenge Buchholz’s victory if it holds up.

Granite Falls City Attorney Cheryl Beyer was unable to comment on the matter. But another city attorney in the same firm, Don Lyderson, said they were in the process of looking at filing papers to challenge Buchholz’s right to serve.

"The state provides a way to bring action," he said. "But whether a city council member or the city attorney has to initiate it, that’s what we’re looking into."

One other race in east Snohomish County hangs in the balance — a Sultan City Council race between Robert Criswell and Cindy Broughton. Criswell has a nine-vote lead.

Both are current members of the council, but Criswell gave up his seat to challenge Broughton. Both were appointed to the council in 2000, Broughton to fill a vacancy and Criswell to a new position when the council was increased from five to seven members.

"I’m absolutely going to wait for final numbers," Broughton said. "Early counts had me ahead. I think the early absentee count was in my favor, and I think the absentees yet to be counted will be, too."

Two city council races in Arlington are also too close to call.

Steve Baker is 38 votes in front of incumbent Craig Hedlund for the Position 1 seat on the city council. And in the race for Position 2 between two political newcomers, Ryan Larsen is beating Marvin Monty by 74 votes.

Monty is a part-time real estate agent who grew up in Arlington. Larsen is the son of former Arlington councilman Dick Larsen and the brother of U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen.

And there’s another nail-biter, in Darrington. Incumbent town councilor Cynthia Anderson is trailing challenger Gary Willis by three votes.

Anderson, a member of the council for eight years, was tied with Willis when the first tally was announced. It’s the first time that Willis, a mechanic who has lived in Darrington since 1973, has sought public office.

You can call Herald Writer Leslie Moriarty at 425-339-3436

or send e-mail to moriarty@heraldnet.com.

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