Unofficial Tacoma Election Results and Live Blog
Exit133 will be hanging out at the Pierce County Elections office while results are coming in this evening. We’ll then be posting what we know as we know it. The latest info, at least for the first couple hours, will probably be on our Twitter feed – which we have embedded below.
Polls are still open for a bit more than four hours closed. Who would like to speculate on the percentage split in each race?
Unofficial Results (Updated as of 9:22 am Wednesday)
CITY OF TACOMA
Mayor
Jim Merritt: 48.38% (18,643 votes)
Marilyn Strickland: 51.35% (19,785)
Position 2
Jake Fey: 97.45%
Position 4
Marty Campbell: 60.80%
Roxanne Murphy: 38.76%
Position 5
Joe Lonergan: 59.78%
Beckie Summers-Kirby: 39.77%
Position 6
Keven Rojecki: 43.00%
Victoria Woodards: 56.51%
PIERCE COUNTY
Charter Amendment #1
Yes: 32.05%
No: 67.95%
Charter Amendments #2
Yes: 46.84%
No: 53.16%
Charter Amendment #3
Yes: 70.66%
No: 29.34%
County Auditor
Shabro: 41.27%
Anderson: 49.93%
Baker: 8.44%
TACOMA SCHOOL DISTRICT
Position No. 2
Jerry Thorp: 44.58%
Catherine Ushka-Hall: 55.02%
Position No. 4
Kurt Miller: 60.23%
Stan Smith: 39.22%
PORT OF TACOMA COMMISSIONERS
Position No. 1
Connie Bacon: 56.73%
Bill Casper: 42.72%
Position No. 2
Charles Kelly Creso: 38.01%
Dick Marzano: 61.43%
Position No. 4
Don Meyer: 68.39%
Cathy Pearsall-Stipek: 31.19%
WASHINGTON STATE MEASURES
(Pierce County Only)
I-1033
Yes: 48.39%
No: 51.61%
I-71
Yes: 47.57%
No: 52.43%
A Few Notes – way too late in the evening
- Julie Anderson’s win for the unexpired auditor term will create a vacancy on the Tacoma City Council within the next few weeks. From what we heard this evening, the moment the election is certified she will need to be sworn in. Expect someone new on the City Council by Thanksgiving.
- We find it interesting that Pierce County Auditor Jan Shabro and Chief Deputy Auditor Deryl McCarty apparently left, we were told, after the first round of results appeared – effectively leaving Katie Blinn from the Secretary of State’s office in charge.
Filed under: elections
47 comments
E Erik B. November 3, 2009
I will take the first guess:
Jake Fey 98%
___________
Campbell 56
Murphy 44 percent
_________
Anderson 52
Shabro 48
________
I-71
Yes 54%
No 46
K Karen November 3, 2009
Did I just not see it? Are you going to give us numbers for the Tacoma mayoral race?
N Nick November 3, 2009
They’re not available yet – that’s why it’s a liveblog (it will be actively updated as information becomes available).
P Patricia November 3, 2009
@Nick – Karen’s point is – I believe – that the mayoral race is not listed along with the others. Not that she’s looking for results yet.
D Derek staff November 3, 2009
Now that I’m back in the office, a few more races and the Twitter feed will be showing up. The Mayor’s race disappeared with a cut/copy I did earlier. Oops.
K Kevin November 4, 2009
Did any of you hear about or see the fliers that “the traveler” has been putting on cars? Many of them showed up on cars near the UWT campus.
The worst part about them, is that he is almost connecting himself with Julie Anderson.
D Dan November 4, 2009
Almost connecting himself with Julie Anderson? He has her website located at the bottom of the flier, as if the event is sponsored by her.. something about wet panties.. I was very confused.
K Kevin November 4, 2009
Dan… You are correct. He is a very strange and sick person.
R RR Anderson November 4, 2009
Re: traveller propaganda
Anyone get a photo or scan?
C crenshaw sepulveda November 4, 2009
What is confusing about wet panties?
P pegsterdtown November 4, 2009
This is a very confused individual. I believe he needs to get the constant help that he needs.
A Andrew November 4, 2009
hey, you are a better auditor than Jan Shabro. you rock.
D dolly varden November 4, 2009
Oh man, we could be the only county in Puget Sound that’s anti-gay and anti-government. Let’s hope that embarrassment is avoided when the non-mail results come in.
S Squid November 4, 2009
“This just in… anti-gay and anti-government go hand-in-hand.”
T tom waits November 4, 2009
an evil side of my personality wants to let counties like pierce pass laws like 1033 and reject laws like R71 at the county level.
then when government revenues dry up, services disappear, and all those great people who refuse to live in a bigoted community move away and no longer contribute to the quality of life here…and there is just the port, a jail, a big monstrous health care hegemony and tons of little ancillary health care services, and a couple of military bases left behind (and a regional satellite university)…and the population consists of only bureaucrats, longshoremen, the mentally ill wandering the streets (remember, no services), the recently incarcerated, disaffected students, 18 year old soldiers, and doctors who demand premium pay to live in such a hole of a place…
and as the rest of the world continues to evolve, standards of living go up, transit improves, people live in equality, vibrant arts and cultural communities flourish, and creative professionals continue to innovate and bring new products to market…
i’ll say ha ha and f*** you, Pierce County.
but that’s not really a healthy attitude, and i really hope that never happens.
S Scott November 4, 2009
Omg… RCV is to confusing, it’ll take weeks to come up with any counts… but there they are… freaking tools.
Damn I wish people had brains to go along with the right to vote. At least it looks like they figured out that 1 and 2 were not in their best interest, to bad they don’t get that they’ve been had by the repubicrats and are giving away their right to a more fair and actually cheaper way to vote. At least one of the tools that was part of that little conspiracy is going away as part of this election.
M Mofo from the Hood November 4, 2009
In view of Pierce County voting so far:
To all those who in the past have called Tacoma High Schools “Drop-out Factories”—-
Where’s Your Evidence?
J Jake November 4, 2009
I have heard “Tacoma” hasn’t been counted so much yet! we still have hope?
C crenshaw sepulveda November 4, 2009
I understand that next year Tim Eyeman will have I-6942 on the ballot. It is actually fairly simple. If you are straight you get a tax reduction. If you are a homersexual you get a tax increase.
R reenerb November 4, 2009
Yay Strickland!!
M Mofo from the Hood November 4, 2009
C.S., That’s Dem fuzzy math.
J jamie from thriceallamerican November 4, 2009
@dolly varden: Yeah, my thoughts/fears exactly. We clearly need more urbanites in this county, the folks out in the sticks are making us look bad.
@Scott: Yeah, I’m generally happy about the results I’m seeing this morning in races I care about, but I’m sad to see RCV going away. (Especially knowing that it’ll never come back unless it’s at the state level.)
Also! Congratulations to King County for not electing Katie Couric as your new County Exec!
D dolly varden November 4, 2009
@Tom Waits: Funny, but perhaps too close to reality! I’d add that the “regional satellite university” would probably close down or at least quit growing under your scenario. Since 1033 is defeated, maybe UWT can grow enough over the next few years to bring a couple thousand progressive voters to town. That’s all the county would need to have voted the rational/compassionate way on this years’ ballot measures.
M Mofo from the Hood November 4, 2009
Victim Mentality = Losers
J jamie from thriceallamerican November 4, 2009
Oh yeah, forgot to @Tom Waits above… I hear you on the thing with people sometimes needing to get what they deserve. Too bad I like it here so damn much and don’t want to have to pay for the sins of others.
J jamie from thriceallamerican November 4, 2009
+1 for Dolly Varden getting one of the city council appointments.
6 6ther November 4, 2009
Please don’t let Strickland win!!!!
PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
J jamie from thriceallamerican November 4, 2009
@6ther: Huh? Know something we don’t?
K Krisandra November 4, 2009
Was anyone else dropped from the rolls? I went to my polling place (the same place I voted last year) and they couldn’t find me… I got to do a provisional but it was wierd.
C Chris Karnes November 5, 2009
@Tacoma1
I concur. Whoever is Mayor of Tacoma must orchestrate a paradigm shift in transportation with a fully funded bicycle and streetcar network throughout Tacoma.
We’ll attract and retain more businesses and educated workers as a result of these changes.
On the whole, I’m very happy with the results. I want them parsed by locality though, so we can distinguish ourselves from the concentration of R-71 bigots out in the unincorporated county.
A Anike November 5, 2009
@Tom Waits
I really want to agree with your first proposal, but I’d rather declare myself a new county than leave this place. I’d love to see a municipality breakdown of pierce county votes, so I would know if it were my neighbors, and I really should consider moving or raising more hell, or the town down the road, and I should consider never moving.
M Mofo from the Hood November 5, 2009
FROM MY INBOX:
“Four thumbs up, Tacoma!”
—-Bert & Ernie
123 Sesame St.
D Derek staff November 6, 2009
The following was sent to me via email:
"Some of your readers have posted questions wondering if the Pierce County vote against Ref. 71 also reflected the sentiments of Tacoma voters. The answer is no."
"I did an analysis of the abstract of votes counted on election day and it shows that the referendum was approved in Tacoma with a healthy 56 percent. As the vote is failing throughout Pierce County with a 53 percent no vote, that tells you that voters outside Tacoma are far more negative about the issue."
"Tacoma’s 56 percent approval is not as strong as King County’s 66 percent, but is in line with the other central Puget Sound counties level of support."
T Tacoma1 November 6, 2009
Derek
Thanks for the update on R-71 from T-Town.
Rural Pierce County is definitely more conservative than our City. I imagine the surburban cities (Gig Harbor and Puyallup) are as well.
D dolly varden November 6, 2009
Yes, thanks for confirming that Tacomans voted to approve R-71. And it’s nice to hear that the county is now rejecting 1033! (It’s always good to keep pace with Yakima…)
J jmasterflex November 6, 2009
Derek,
next time you go to the office see if they are posting results by prescient! i would love to get my hands on those stats to crunch the numbers and really SEE how the county voted!
C Chris Karnes November 6, 2009
Thanks Derek. This is fabulous news. Although I never really doubted it.
T Thorax O'Tool November 6, 2009
Man.., I figure that we had about a 17% turnout total. Granted, the numbers I found may or may not be entirely accurate, but 17% is what I got for Tacoma turnout.
Normally, I’d say that sux bad. But if Tacoma voters are anything like several commentators here, then I’m glad the other 83% stayed home.
E Erik B. November 7, 2009
With Marilyn Srickland leading the race with a 723 vote lead and by 2.54 percent of the vote, it now looks very likely she will be the next Mayor of Tacoma tasked with breathing some more life into out fair city.
Congrats Marilyn!
P pegsterdtown November 7, 2009
I concur Erik. I love that the outcome shows what can happen when you run a good clean campaign. Go Marilyn!!! ! ! !
O obie November 7, 2009
Is it possible to have a single thread on this site where streetcars don’t come up?
C Chuck November 7, 2009
You’ve got the results for 71 backwards, though. It was approved by 52%.
P pegsterdtown November 7, 2009
I believe this to be tactic by an “Unknown person” that is trying to discredit Ms. Strickland. You make the call.
T Thorax O'Tool November 7, 2009
“I believe this to be tactic by an “Unknown person” that is trying to discredit Ms. Strickland. You make the call.“
Not sure what you’re talking about… I don’t use twitter (it’s even more annoying than facebook). Can someone fill me in?
BUT Strickland is part of the “business as usual” crowd from city hall. And that alone is enough to discredit her in my opinion. Staying the course is the worst thing we can do, given the current course.
Maybe, just maybe, she’ll prove me wrong. I hope she does. I’m just glad that the mayor has less power than council members do, otherwise we’d be losing all our Tacoma-based companies to Seattle.
I’m sorry, but every member of City Council, Baarsma and Eric Anderson are incompotent. I am extremely dissatisfied with their performance.
B Buddy Rydell November 7, 2009
@47 Pegsterdtown: Not at all—you misinterpreted my intent.
I support Strickland. I am just pointing out that there has been conduct unbecoming from some of our candidates’ close associates. That the Strickland campaign (or Merritt’s, or any other Tacoma politician to be fair) should think critically about whom they bring into the fold.
There are politically active and well connected people in this town who behave in ways that should be completely unacceptable. But they’re not called out nearly enough.
At any rate, the votes are in, and there is no reason to attempt to discredit anyone.
It does seem that this behavior from a certain individual seems to be part of a larger pattern, and this should not go unnoticed.
Lastly, for the record, I’ve heard that there are mixed stories about what exactly went down. This apparently was not a one sided exchange by any means.
J justanothergeoduck November 8, 2009
The facebook comments by Ronnie Bush and Jim Merritt today are beginning to sound like a concession.
K Kevin November 9, 2009
I am by no means “defending” Ronnie Bush, but I will point out that what seemed to have happened between Ms. Bush and Ken Miller is typical of Mr. Miller. It is his MO.
He is an arrogant bully and the more he is looked at as some political wiz, the worse he gets! I would like to see the Democratic “machine” of Pierce County and Tacoma disown him or reign him in.
To do nothing, to defend him or to try and discredit others who talk negatively about him is wrong.
I have heard him referred to as Pierce County’s and Tacoma’s own Democratic version karl rove. We do not need or should we want someone like this representing the Democratic Party.