Snohomish County will have a new sheriff for the first time in a dozen years but it could be several days, maybe even weeks, before voters know if it’s John Lovick or Tom Greene.
Lovick was leading Greene by 560 votes Tuesday night, Nov. 6.
About 85,000 ballots were tallied Tuesday night with tens of thousands more expected to trickle in later this week.
With only a small margin separating the men, both were claiming victory.
Lovick was encouraged by his lead. He said he was confident he would eventually prevail because of his track record as a leader and his strong crime prevention message. The retired Washington State Patrol sergeant and state representative didn’t expect a blow out but didn’t think the race would be so close.
“I’m certainly surprised I don’t have a bigger lead,” Lovick said. “Looks like it’s going to go down to the wire. We will win.”
Greene said he was pleased with his showing and believes the votes will tip in his favor later this week when more ballots are counted.
“I expected it to be a close race and I feel good about tonight’s results,” Greene said.
Lovick joined fellow Democrats at a dance studio in Everett for an election return party hosted by the 38th District Democrats. His run for sheriff marked his eighth bid for an office. The veteran lawmaker usually is able to claim victory on election night.
“I’ve never had one so close,” Lovick said. “You just walk around, bite your fingernails and do those other things you do when you’re nervous.”
Greene awaited Tuesday’s results surrounded by about 100 supporters at Barclay’s North in Lake Stevens. He said his supporters are more conservative and generally wait until the last minute to mail in their ballots.
“I’m optimistic they will,” Greene said.
Greene, a sheriff’s bureau chief, said he thinks his consistent message that he is ready and qualified for the job resonated with voters and they appreciated his clean campaign that focused on his merits versus his opponent’s weaknesses.
“Even if I lose, I can say we did everything we knew how to do. I’ve never done this before and making such a strong showing speaks to the scores of very dedicated volunteers,” Greene said. “It’s in the Lord’s hands. I have lots to look forward to either way.”
Lovick had 39,278 votes to Greene’s 38,718 after a late count of ballots on Tuesday night.
The race for sheriff was charged with partisan politics even though voters in Snohomish County decided in 1996 to make the position nonpartisan.
State and local Democrats lined up behind Lovick, 56, since he made known his intentions to run for the position even as he ran for re-election to the state Legislature.
Lovick insisted the race was never about party politics and never intended to run a partisan race. He said it only made sense that people who have backed him as a state lawmaker would offer their support in the race for sheriff.
Greene, 56, gained Republican backing in his two-year campaign, including an endorsement from Dino Rossi, who recently announced his plans to run again as a Republican candidate for governor. Greene said the race came down to party politics in large part because the county Democratic Party chose to endorse a candidate in a nonpartisan race.
Neither man earned the support of the county’s larger police unions. The unions backed sheriff’s Lt. Rob Beidler, whose bid didn’t survive the August primary. The Deputy Sheriff’s Association endorsed Beidler and chose not to endorse a candidate in the general election. Union officials said Beidler was cut out of the race because of partisan politics.
The campaign generally was free from mudslinging as seen in previous sheriff’s races.
Diana Hefley writes for the Herald of Everett.
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