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Primary ballot deadline looms today

U.S. Senate, U.S. Rep among the key races

The Columbian
Published: August 17, 2010, 12:00am

Time’s up.

Ballots for Washington’s primary election must be postmarked today or dropped off at the Clark County Elections Department or at one of several drop boxes around the county by 8 p.m. For a complete list of sites, visit http://www.clarkvotes.com.

As of Monday, 29.8 percent of Clark County voters had returned their primary ballots. Elections officials expect a final ballot return rate of 35 percent county-wide.

The top two primary will winnow candidates for Washington’s high-profile U.S. Senate and 3rd Congressional District races and several legislative and local contests.

As an indication of the election’s national significance, President Barack Obama will be in Seattle today to campaign for Democratic U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, who is facing an aggressive challenge from Republican Dino Rossi for a fourth term.

In the 3rd Congressional District race, the suspense involves three Republicans and Democrat Denny Heck, all of whom are vying for the seat being vacated by Rep. Brian Baird, D-Vancouver. State Rep. Jaime Herrera of Camas and Olympia financial adviser David Castillo, a former Bush administration official, have battled for Republican front-runner status, while Tea Party candidate David W. Hedrick has targeted his campaign at the party’s right wing.

The 3rd District encompasses all or part of seven Southwest Washington counties. Herrera and Heck will be in Clark County to watch election returns; Castillo will spend election night at his home in Olympia.

Voters will narrow the field in open legislative races in the 17th and 18th districts. In the 17th, Democrats Monica Stonier, a middle school teacher, and Martin Hash, an animated software developer, will compete with Republican Paul Harris, a business owner, to finish in the top two. In the 18th, Republican Ann Rivers, a La Center political consultant, leads a field of seven candidates in fundraising and endorsements. Dennis Kampe, founder of the Clark County Skills Center, is the only Democrat in that race.

Many candidates and supporters are expected to show up at Clark College’s Gaiser Hall to watch election returns beginning at 8 p.m.

Elections manager Tim Likness said he expects to receive 9,000 ballots in the mail and 7,000 at drop locations today. Ballots likely will trickle in after that, he said, with about 5,000 arriving on Wednesday and a few hundred more on Thursday and Friday, for a total of about 75,000.

Washington has one of the latest state primaries in the nation. That means voters must endure a protracted primary season. But here’s the bright side: After today, it’s just 11 weeks until the general election.

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