Final ballot count sets races for city council, school board

EPHRATA — The Aug. 3 primary election was certified Tuesday, with some tight races in Grant and Adams counties.

Dustin Swartz will challenge incumbent Karen Liebrecht for the Moses Lake City Council 2 seat in the general election Nov. 2, as Liebrecht and Swartz were the top two vote-getters in the three-way primary race for the council seat. Liebrecht received 1,043 votes, or 34%, to 1,010 votes, or 33%, for Swartz. The third candidate in the race, Eric Eleazar Salgado, received 959 votes, or 32%.

Judy Madewell will challenge current Moses Lake Mayor David Curnel in the race for the Moses Lake City Council 5 seat this fall. Madewell received 1,394 votes, or 46%, to 1,275, or 42%, for Curnel. The third candidate in the race, Devin Deitrick, received 305 votes, 10%.

Kevin Fuhr and Rachel Roylance Gallacci will compete for Moses Lake School District Director 4. Fuhr received 2,724 votes, 40%, to 2,410 votes, 36%, for Roylance Gallacci. Two candidates, Matt Paluch and James Liebrecht, trailed. Paluch received 1,166 votes, or 17%, and Liebrecht received 435 votes, or 6%.

Moses Lake School District voters rejected the district’s three-year educational programs and operations levy request. The levy proposal received 3,617 “no” votes, 52%, to 3,331 “yes” votes, 48%. The levy would have raised about $7 million per year.

Othello Parks and Recreation District voters rejected a one-year maintenance and operations levy request. The levy received 524 “yes” votes, 54%, and 447 “no” votes, 46%. Because it is a revenue measure, the levy request required 60% approval to pass.