Thursday’s update from King County Elections on Proposition 1 – the King County Library System “Library Levy,” has increased its “Yes” lead to 3.5%, up from 2.26% yesterday:
KING COUNTY RURAL LIBRARY DISTRICT”
Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 224,563 / 647,133 • 34.70%
Proposition No. 1:
- YES: 115,269 • 51.75%
- NO: 107,477 • 48.25%
We’ll post further results as they are released (usually weekdays around 4pm), and the final tally won’t be official until Feb. 24th.
The language for Prop. 1, according to the Voter’s Pamphlet:
The Board of Directors of the King County Rural Library District adopted Resolution No. 2009-11 concerning an increase in the District’s regular property tax levy. In order to provide continued funding for the normal operation and maintenance of the King County library system, this proposition would authorize the District to restore regular property tax levy rate to $0.50 per thousand dollars of assessed value for collection in 2011, and to increase the levy in each year thereafter as allowed by chapter 84.55 RCW. Should this proposition be approved?
Jack Block Jr. with Manuela Horn, Burien's 6'2" "Yodeling Dominatrix" (photo from www.jackblockjr.com)
Jack Block Jr. declared victory late Wednesday afternoon (Nov. 4th) in his race for election to the Burien City Council.
Block, who served on the City Council from 2003 to 2007 and then made an unsuccessful bid for election to the Port of Seattle Commission, challenged first-term incumbent Councilwoman Sue Blazak for her Position 1 seat.
After Wednesday’s update was posted by King County Elections (with Block at 55% and Blazak at 45%), she said of her chances to overcome his lead of almost 10 percent, “It doesn’t look good.”
Blazak, who has served as deputy mayor for the past two years, indicated that she would call Block later in the day to congratulate him.
“I want to thank the voters of Burien for their confidence in me, and I will work hard to fulfill their expectations,” Block said.
With Wednesday’s update, Block now has 2,413 votes (54.61%). Blazak has 1,981 votes (44.83%). There was virtually no change in the gap between them from Tuesday’s initial vote.
Mayor Joan McGilton and Councilwoman Rose Clark, along with Brian Bennett, who will replace retiring long-time Councilwoman Sally Nelson, were not opposed in their election bids.
Soundly defeated was Proposition 1 on Burien’s ballot to create Transportation Benefit District No. 1, which would have funded sidewalks, curbs, bike paths and trails with a $25 motor vehicle license tab fee.
With Tuesday’s update, the transportation district proposal was going down to defeat by a 76.23 percent margin (3,647 votes) to 23.77 percent (1,137 votes).
Sue Blazak
Blazak was also a leading advocate for the transportation district.
Block said he “worked hard on the campaign and that’s reflective of what I’ll do in office.”
The city, he continued, needs “to refocus energy on being more active. We need to re-energize our community. There is a growing apathy and we need to engage our citizens to become more involved.”
As an example, Block noted that only one City Council race in Burien was contested this year, adding that more citizens need to run for office and work on city programs.
“Without that, we won’t grow and prosper as a community,” he said.
Block also wants the city to do more to “involve all of our citizens” in the community. The Nov. 1 “Day of the Dead celebration shows what can be done” to get various ethnic groups involved. “We need to do more of this.”
On the question of annexation, he said the city “botched the job” when it failed to take advantage of “an excellent bargaining position” to get funding from King County for capital projects in North Highline as part of the process.
Block said he will insist on this if there is any move by Burien to annex the rest of the North Highline unincorporated area.
Blazak attributed her loss to the fact that “he sent out three mailers and I sent out one. And he had a lot more yard signs out there.” [EDITOR'S NOTE: Jack Block Jr. also advertised on The B-Town Blog; Blazak did not.]
The proposition for a transportation district was defeated because “we didn’t inform the public well enough,” she added. I think it’s a great idea … when I talked to people they were usually pretty supportive. I hope we try again.”
UPDATE WED. 11/4/ 5pm: The second round of election returns has been released by King County Elections, and with between 28-30% of the votes counted, Dow Constantine still leads with 58%, Jack Block Jr. with 55% and 76% voting NO against Burien’s Transportation Benefit District (sidewalks & bike paths) proposal.
Also, Initiative 1033 is still failing with 67% voting “No,” and R-71 is still passing with 67% “Yes.”
Here are the updated results culled from the King County Elections website as of 4:19pm Wed., 11/4/09:
KING COUNTY EXECUTIVE:
Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 308,650 / 1,079,842 • 28.58%
- Susan Hutchison: 125,607 • 42.26%
- Dow Constantine: 171,006 • 57.53%
- Write-in: 621 • 0.21%
Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 308,650 / 1079842 • 28.58%
Initiative Measure No. 1033:
- YES: 92,654 • 33.28%
- NO: 185,721 • 66.72%
Referendum Measure No. 71:
- APPROVED: 202,125 • 66.59%
- REJECTED: 101,403 • 33.41%
CITY OF BURIEN:
Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 5,006 / 16,617 • 30.13%
Council Position No. 1:
- Sue Blazak: 1,981 • 44.83%
- Jack Block, Jr.: 2,413 • 54.61%
- Write-in: 25 • 0.57%
Council Position No. 3:
- Joan McGilton: 3,214 • 97.01%
- Write-in: 99 • 2.99%
Council Position No. 5:
- Rose Clark: 3,212 • 96.69%
- Write-in: 110 • 3.31%
Council Position No. 7:
- Brian Bennett: 3,363 • 98.22%
- Write-in: 61 • 1.78%
Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 5,006 / 16,617 • 30.13%
Transportation Benefit District No. 1 Proposition No. 1:
- YES: 958 • 23.50%
- NO: 3,118 • 76.50%
CITY OF NORMANDY PARK:
Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 1,553 / 4,676 • 33.21%
Council Position No. 2:
- Clarke Brant: 1,025 • 97.99%
- Write-in: 21 • 2.01%
Council Position No. 4:
- John L. Rankin: 972 • 96.05%
- Write-in: 40 • 3.95%
Council Position No. 6 short and full term:
- Marion Yoshino: 995 • 98.03%
- Write-in: 20 • 1.97%
Proposition No. 1:
- YES: 680 • 47.16%
- NO: 762 • 52.84%
HIGHLINE SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 401:
Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 13,664 / 57,961 • 23.57%
Director District No. 2:
- Angelica M. Alvarez: 10,372 • 98.47%
- Write-in: 161 • 1.53%
Director District No. 3:
- Susan Goding: 10319 • 98.53%
- Write-in: 154 • 1.47%
KING COUNTY
Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 254261 / 1079842 23.55%
Sheriff:
- Sue Rahr: 220,802 • 97.96%
- Write-in: 4,597 • 2.04%
Assessor unexpired 2-year term
- Graham Albertini: 52,192 • 20.91%
- Gene Lux: 12,175 • 4.88%
- Lloyd Hara: 82,864 • 33.20%
- Bob Rosenberger: 72,525 • 29.06%
- Bob Blanchard: 29,041 • 11.63%
- Write-in: 806 • 0.32%
It’s hard not to win when you run totally unopposed, as the three Reps for Burien’s 34th District did this year, but it’s always interesting to see how many votes they got vs how many write-ins.
Here are the latest local election tally results as of 9am Wed. Nov. 5th:
| LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT NO. 34 |
| Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: | 26515 | / | 76831 | 34.51% |
| Poll Precincts Counted/Total Poll | 204 | / | 204 | 100.00% |
| State Senator Legislative District No. 34 2-year Unexpired Term |
| Joe McDermott | Prefers Democratic Party | 20246 | 98.00% |
| Write-in | 413 | 2.00% |
| State Representative Legislative District No. 34 – Position 1 |
| Eileen L. Cody | Prefers Democratic Party | 18940 | 98.38% |
| Write-in | 312 | 1.62% |
| State Representative Legislative District No. 34 – Position 2 Short and Full Term |
| Sharon K. Nelson | Prefers Democratic Party | 18878 | 98.42% |
| Write-in | 304 | 1.58% |
In the 33rd District, the races had actual opponents, with the winners being Tina Orwall for Position 1 and Dave Upthegrove for Position 2:
LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT NO. 33
| Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: | 18672 | / | 58524 | 31.90% |
| Poll Precincts Counted/Total Poll | 140 | / | 140 | 100.00% |
| State Representative Legislative District No. 33 – Position 1 |
| Tina L. Orwall | Prefers Democratic Party | 10605 | 63.28% |
| Todd Gibson | Prefers G.O.P. Party | 6136 | 36.62% |
| Write-in | 17 | 0.10% |
| State Representative Legislative District No. 33 – Position 2 |
| Dave Upthegrove | Prefers Democratic Party | 11837 | 70.92% |
| Tan Lam | Prefers GOP Party | 4829 | 28.93% |
| Write-in | 25 | 0.15% |
Here are the judicial results:
JUDICIAL
| JUDICIAL |
| Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: | 367237 | / | 1108128 | 33.14% |
| Poll Precincts Counted/Total Poll | 2489 | / | 2526 | 98.54% |
| State Supreme Court – Justice Position No. 3 |
| Mary Fairhurst | 226063 | 98.73% |
| Write-in | 2897 | 1.27% |
| State Supreme Court – Justice Position No. 4 |
| Charles W. Johnson | 226052 | 98.98% |
| Write-in | 2328 | 1.02% |
| State Supreme Court – Justice Position No. 7 Short and Full Term |
| Debra L. Stephens | 220688 | 99.07% |
| Write-in | 2071 | 0.93% |
| Court of Appeals, Division No. 1, District No. 1 – Judge Position No. 5 Short And Full |
| Linda Lau | 216305 | 99.03% |
| Write-in | 2117 | 0.97% |
| Court of Appeals, Division No. 1, District No. 1 – Judge Position No. 6 |
| Ann Schindler | 213823 | 99.15% |
| Write-in | 1834 | 0.85% |
| Superior Court – Judge Position No. 1 |
| Tim Bradshaw | 150286 | 58.55% |
| Suzanne (Sue) Parisien | 105565 | 41.13% |
| Write-in | 835 | 0.33% |
| Superior Court – Judge Position No. 22 |
| Julia Garratt | 112484 | 45.51% |
| Holly Hill | 133667 | 54.08% |
| Write-in | 997 | 0.40% |
| Superior Court – Judge Position No. 37 |
| Jean Rietschel | 116109 | 46.96% |
| Barbara Mack | 130105 | 52.62% |
| Write-in | 1060 | 0.43% |
Here are live, real-time election results for the state of Washington:
Below is a continually-updated feed from MSNBC of election returns (refresh page to get latest results):
