Local News

UPDATE, 8:25 p.m.: Incumbent Port Commissioner John Creighton was holding a lead over Auburn Mayor Pete Lewis in Tuesday’s initial election results, and three other incumbents were also leading their challengers.

In initial returns, Creighton was leading 69 percent to 31 percent.

Voters were supporting two appointed commissioners, Courtney Gregoire and Stephanie Bowman. Gregoire was beating Socialist opponent John Naubert 83 percent to 17 percent, and Bowman was leading over former travel agent Michael Wolfe, 70 percent to 29 percent.

And commission president Tom Albro was holding a lead over his challenger, Eastside lawyer Richard Pope, with 58 percent of the vote to Pope’s 42 percent.

ORIGINAL POST: Four incumbents on the Port of Seattle Commission face re-election challenges today.

Commissioner John Creighton is up against Auburn Mayor Pete Lewis.

Courtney Gregoire and Stephanie Bowman, who were appointed to open seats this year, face John Naubert and Michael Wolfe, respectively.

Commission President Tom Albro is challenged by lawyer Richard Pope.

The four commissioners, along with Commissioner Bill Bryant, make up a commission eager to reinvent itself and gain clout after losing a high-profile battle against a proposed Sodo arena. The commissioners spent much of their campaigns arguing that the Port deserves more attention for its role in the local economy.

Appointed Seattle Port Commissioner Stephanie Bowman jumped  to a commanding victory, winning nearly two-thirds of the Tuesday vote in a three-way race.

Michael Wolfe, with 18.5 percent of the vote, was leading Andrew Pilloud, with 14.9 percent, in the competition for a berth in the November general election. Bowman won 65.9 percent of the preliminary vote.

Bowman, executive director of the nonprofit Washington Asset Building Coalition and former manager of federal government affairs for the Port of Tacoma, was appointed in April to fill the the vacancy created when Rob Holland resigned from the Port Commission. She has called for more cooperation among Washington’s ports.

Wolfe, director of sales for Seattle mobile-app company Useadeal.com and chair of the 37th District Democrats, said that as the only candidate with experience in the travel and tourism industries,  he had the background to build business at Sea-Tac Airport and serving cruise lines.

Pilloud, a software engineer for EMC Isilon and a one-time Ron Paul campaign worker, advocated a focus on job creation at the port and less intrusive airport-security screening.