Grant Co. primaries show few results, decide levies
Recording/Licensing Lead Shannon Falstad reaches for a stack of ballots as Grant County Auditor Dave Firebaugh looks on Wednesday at the Grant County Courthouse.
EPHRATA - While Grant County's primary election Tuesday didn't decide or narrow any local races, politicians on the ballot still took the vote quite seriously.
"I didn't know what to expect, so that's a nice thing to have a primary. It gives you an idea of what you're up against," incumbent Grant County Commissioner candidate and Moses Lake resident Carolann Swartz said.
Swartz took in 2,152 votes, a 63-percent lion's share over challenger James Liebrecht, also of Moses Lake.
"I have to say that I'm pleased," Swartz said. "I look forward to the rest of the race and I'll be out there working."
Liebrecht, a former Moses Lake City Council member, said he did pretty well for not advertising as heavily as his opponent.
He garnered 37 percent of the ballots, with 1,290 respondents filling in the circle next to his name.
"It's really hard to get the county's attention. The representation of the people is not what I think it should be," Liebrecht said. "My policy is facts, and doing the right thing."
Both candidates will advance to the November general ballot, as will current Grant County Commission Chair Richard Stevens, of Soap Lake, who ran unopposed.
In the state's 13th district, state Rep. Judith (Judy) Warnick took 100 percent on her unopposed re-election ticket.
The 12th district, new to Grant County after boundary lines were redrawn last year, saw incumbents beat out opponents in the primary.
State Sen. Linda Evans Parlette, R-Wenatchee, ran unopposed, and easily scooped up 100 percent of the vote.
Grant County voters followed the rest of the 12th district in choosing current state Reps. Cary Condotta, R-East Wenatchee, and Mike Armstrong, R-Wenatchee.
The district ?encompasses parts of Grant and Okanogan counties, and all of Chelan and Douglas counties
All three incumbents of Grant County's Superior Court seats ran unopposed.
Judges John Antoz, John Knodell and Evan E. Sperline will all advance to the general ballot.
A special election for Grant County Fire Dist. No. 3 passed 62 percent to 28 percent.
The measure will continue an existing property tax in the district, which covers Quincy, Crescent Bar, Sunland Estate, Winchester and George.
The assessment, beginning in 2014, would continue a $.38 charge per $1,000 of assessed property valuation.