Upthegrove advances after recount

OLYMPIA - Democrat Dave Upthegrove will advance to the Nov. 5 general election following a certified recount in the primary race to become the next state lands commissioner.

He will face Jaime Herrera Beutler, who "prefers Republican," but has been censured by Republican committees for her vote to impeach President Donald J. Trump when she was a congresswoman.

The recount was ordered because of the narrow margin between Upthegrove and third-place finisher Sue Kuehl Pederson, who finished third in the primary and won't advance to the general election. Only the Top 2 candidates advance.

The Office of the Secretary of State certified the results of the mandatory statewide manual recount Sept. 4.

The recount revealed a 49-vote difference between second-place finisher Upthegrove and Pederson. Originally, the margin was 51 votes.

Spokane County's ballot recount showed no changes from the original vote count reported on Aug. 20, according to Spokane County Auditor Vicki Dalton.

After reviewing the amended results from each county's canvassing board, Upthegrove gained four votes, while Pederson gained six.

During the recount, discrepancies such as over-votes or under-votes were identified, which contributed to the changes, election officials said. These variances were found during a thorough review of voter intent on certain ballots.

Washington's elections follow the statewide standards on what is a vote to determine intent when ballot markings are unclear.

"This recount required careful attention to detail to ensure that every vote was counted fairly and accurately," Assistant Secretary of State Kevin McMahan said. "The process shows the accuracy of Washington's elections, as vote counting equipment performed correctly.

Ballots for the Nov. 5 General Election will be mailed to voters by Oct. 18.