Down to the Wire: GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Pads Slim Lead in Washington Race

AP ^ | Nov 23, 2004 | David Ammons

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Republican Dino Rossi kept a razor-thin lead in the Washington governor's race as counties raced a Wednesday deadline for recounting 2.8 million ballots - and girded for yet another possible recount.

Both political parties were poised to request a hand recount if they do not like Wednesday's results. That count would take until nearly Christmas to complete.

"It looks like that's the only way we'll ever break this tie," state Democratic Party Chairman Paul Berendt said Tuesday.

GOP Chairman Chris Vance said he expects Rossi to win Wednesday's count and called on Democrat Christine Gregoire to "do the decent thing, the honorable thing and concede, instead of dragging this into the Christmas season with the state not knowing who the governor is."

Gregoire's camp said she still expects to win, and that a manual recount would make sure every valid ballot is counted.

The new governor, succeeding retiring two-term Democrat Gary Locke, is to be inaugurated Jan. 12. Both Gregoire and Rossi have named transition teams.

The nation's last unsettled governor's race has drawn the attention of both national parties, including the Bush White House, which dispatched its election experts, and the Democratic Governors' Association, which has offered to help finance a new hand recount.

With all but three of the state's 39 counties reporting by Tuesday afternoon, Rossi had gained a net 55 votes over Gregoire. Still recounting were King, Kitsap and Whitman counties.

Rossi, 45, a self-made real estate millionaire and former state Senate budget chairman, ended the regular count last week 261 votes ahead. That's the closest gubernatorial election in state history, and triggered an automatic machine recount.

Gregoire, 57, the three-term state attorney general, held out hope the recount in King County, the state's largest county and her stronghold, would boost her into the lead.

"We're upbeat," said Gregoire's campaign director Tim Zenk.

[EllaMinnow]

It looks like that's the only way we'll ever break this tie," state Democratic Party Chairman Paul Berendt said Tuesday.

You can bet that if Gregoire were up by only one vote, Mr Berendt wouldn't consider it a "tie."

[colorado tanker]

King County's still out? I'd worry about bags of ballots in closets and car trunks.

[proudpapa]

It looks like that's the only way we'll ever break this tie," state Democratic Party Chairman Paul Berendt said.

Since when is trailing your opponent by any margin considered a tie?

[mdittmar]

Watch out for King County

You are using an older browser, such as Netscape Navigator 4 or you have chosen to view this page in "TEXT ONLY" mode. To view the optimized site, please update your browser software.

Washington State 2004 General Elections

Vote.Wa.Gov » 2004 General Elections » Statewide Offices » Statewide Results By County

---

body { font-size: small;} .sectiontitle { font-size:small;}

All Offices

Measures

Recount

Federal

Statewide

Legislative

Judicial

PRINT PAGE

RECOUNT RESULTS BY COUNTY

NOTE: Gain/Loss results are only available for counties with 100% of precincts reporting.

GOVERNOR
County	Christine Gregoire(D) (Recount | Previous | Gain/Loss)			Dino Rossi(R) (Recount | Previous | Gain/Loss)			Ruth Bennett(L) (Recount | Previous | Gain/Loss)
Adams	1529	1517	12	3486	3459	27	81	79	2
Asotin	3525	3524	1	4904	4905	-1	193	193	0
Benton	19831	19830	1	44890	44888	2	1118	1119	-1
Chelan	10077	10074	3	18437	18436	1	523	523	0
Clallam	16226	16225	1	18832	18831	1	919	919	0
Clark	72800	72797	3	85894	85887	7	4123	4123	0
Columbia	671	670	1	1370	1370	0	37	37	0
Cowlitz	20207	20236	-29	20047	20087	-40	1094	1094	0
Douglas	4359	4357	2	8666	8662	4	219	218	1
Ferry	1278	1275	3	1900	1898	2	118	118	0
Franklin	4967	4968	-1	10619	10618	1	227	226	1
Garfield	428	427	1	840	839	1	25	25	0
Grant	7826	7800	26	17429	17385	44	535	534	1
Grays Harbor	13719	13713	6	13449	13444	5	575	575	0
Island	16888	16888	0	19997	19992	5	814	814	0
Jefferson	10642	10641	1	7289	7293	-4	466	465	1
King	0	505243	N/A	0	350779	N/A	0	18906	N/A
Kitsap	0	56149	N/A	0	57712	N/A	0	3097	N/A
Kittitas	6125	6106	19	9567	9541	26	277	275	2
Klickitat	3919	3919	0	4767	4766	1	265	265	0
Lewis	10245	10243	2	20842	20838	4	756	756	0
Lincoln	1850	1850	0	3686	3685	1	100	100	0
Mason	11788	11787	1	12507	12505	2	682	681	1
Okanogan	6101	6100	1	9450	9451	-1	465	465	0
Pacific	5210	5209	1	4730	4730	0	295	295	0
Pend Oreille	2567	2561	6	3366	3364	2	179	179	0
Pierce	145199	144957	242	157704	157443	261	7241	7230	11
San Juan	5872	5872	0	3660	3661	-1	321	320	1
Skagit	23266	23195	71	27224	27135	89	1267	1260	7
Skamania	2232	2232	0	2522	2522	0	178	178	0
Snohomish	139070	138939	131	145553	145423	130	6852	6842	10
Spokane	90573	90452	121	105569	105435	134	3878	3872	6
Stevens	6992	6992	0	12293	12293	0	566	566	0
Thurston	58955	58953	2	49413	49409	4	2574	2574	0
Wahkiakum	993	993	0	1100	1099	1	61	61	0
Walla Walla	8006	7947	59	14277	14240	37	381	376	5
Whatcom	44056	44053	3	41978	41978	0	2177	2177	0
Whitman	0	7724	N/A	0	9367	N/A	0	458	N/A
Yakima	24735	24735	0	46044	46044	0	1351	1351	0
Totals	802727 (44.64%)	802037 (44.64%)	690	954301 (53.07%)	953556 (53.07%)	745	40933 (2.27%)	40885 (2.27%)	48

Results last updated on: 11/23/2004 4:23:00 PM

---

Address Confidentiality | Apostilles | Archives | Charitable Trusts & Solicitations | Corporations | Digital Signatures
Elections & Voting | International Trade | Library | Medals of Merit & Valor | News Releases | Oral History | Productivity Board
State Flag | State Seal | Washington History

Washington Secretary of State
520 Union Avenue SE, PO BOX 40220, OLYMPIA WA 98504-0220
(360) 902-4180

[frannie]

What am I missing,I just checked and if Rossi was 261 ahead and has picked up 55 wouldn't that make 316.

The number of votes counted up to 4:23PM PST Rossie is ahead 51574, there is some mistake some place, probably mine.

I'll check again. I click on Washington Secretary of State and go to Recount..

Frannie

[Brilliant]

Two counts put Rossi in the lead. Let's keep counting them until we get one in which he loses, then declare his opponent the winner.

[Soul Seeker]

When is it a tie? When the Dems are losing.

The nation's last unsettled governor's race has drawn the attention of both national parties, including the Bush White House, which dispatched its election experts

Thank God. We can use all the help we can get with the Leftist Courts trying to stack this for the Dems, Bush's people have experience preventing theft of an election.

I'm still afraid to hope. I know we won this election but I know who controls this state.

[lunarbicep]

ping

[Bellflower]

May the LORD hold back their cheating wickedness and have his own perfect way. In Jesus Holy Name, AMEN

[Politicalities]

This page keeps a constant update of how things are going. Rossi has gained 55 votes, for a net lead of 316, but actually that's not good... he's gaining proportionally less than his totals on election day, reducing his percentage margin of victory.

Three counties remain: Kitsap, which went for Rossi 49-48, Whatcom, which went for Gregoire 50-48, and the dreaded King, which was Gregoire's by 58-40 and which is making a concerted effort to divine voter intention on undervotes.

[PeoplesRepublicOfWashington]

Why to 'Rats believe that hand recounts always favor them?

[MissouriConservative]

bump for later reading

[GraniteStateConservative]

Of course they should be counted by hand, it's easier to fill out blank ballots for Gregoire if you use your hand.

[PeoplesRepublicOfWashington]

Just heard from one who was at the scene that Rossi will win the recount tomorrow by at least 100 votes. King Co. essentially did a hand recount and can't mine more votes. Any additional hand counting elsewhere should favor Rossi.

The Bush recount team has performed awesomely and apparently there are no allegations of fraud. Sounds like a fair, close election where the good guy wins.

[Chad Fairbanks]

"It looks like that's the only way we'll ever break this tie," state Democratic Party Chairman Paul Berendt said Tuesday.

A 200+ lead is not a tie, Mr. Berendt. But then, you knew that already, didn't you Paul.