Republican Jim Walsh of Aberdeen is the front runner in the 19th District State House race for Position 1, obtaining 5,092 votes, almost 30 percent of ballots cast in Tuesday’s Primary Election.
“I’m still shaking a little bit,” Walsh said Tuesday night. “I’m real happy with the outcome — it’s our best-case scenario.”
Incumbent Rep. JD Rossetti, D-Longview, received 4,192 votes, a 24.6 percent draw. Teresa Purcell, D-Longview, came in a fairly close third with 3,992 votes, 23.4 percent.
Walsh and Rossetti will run for the seat in the Nov. 8 General Election.
In the State House race for 19th District Position 2, incumbent Democratic Rep. Brian Blake, of Longview, obtained 9,380 votes, 55.4 percent, and will face off in November against Jimi O’Hagan, R-Grayland, who received 6,533 votes, 38.6 percent.
Incumbent State Sen. Dean Takko, D-Longview, ranked first with 9,659 votes, 58.2 percent. Challenger Sue Kuehl Pederson, R-Aberdeen, garnered 6,903 votes, 41.7 percent.
There are only two candidates in this race and both advance to the General Election.
Rossetti was appointed to the House in October after now-State Sen. Steve Takko, the most recent person in that State House post, was appointed to the State Senate.
The district includes portions of Grays Harbor, Lewis and Cowlitz as well as Pacific and Wahkiakum counties.
These are the unofficial results as reported by the Washington Secretary of State’s office. Write-in votes haven’t been counted yet. Results will be certified Aug. 19.