Local News

Recount: Stokes wins Bellevue City Council seat

It’s John Stokes.

Stokes was elected to the Bellevue City Council Friday, defeating Aaron Laing by 54 votes in a manual recount.

That was an increase of three votes over Stokes’ machine tally among 35,867 ballots. King County Elections said in a statement that technology has reduced but not eliminated errors. “We are still dependent upon people to perform tasks in coordination with technology.”

Stokes received 49.93 percent of the vote, Laing 49.76 and write-ins 0.31.

A longtime member of committees supporting Bellevue schools and parks, Stokes will replace Grant Degginger, who did not run for re-election. Stokes will become part of a council minority that has supported Sound Transit’s light-rail plans and that wants the city to fund road improvements to support redevelopment of the Bel-Red commercial district.

0 comments | More in General news, Government | Topics: Aaron Laing, Bellevue City Council, Election 2011

Stokes wins in Bellevue, recount scheduled

A hard-fought battle for an open Bellevue City Council seat ended Tuesday, with a 51-vote victory by John Stokes over Aaron Laing.

But the narrow margin separating the candidates — just under 0.17 percent — means the results will be subject to a manual recount, which will begin Dec. 8.

The election, which focused largely on Sound Transit’s light-rail plans, maintains the council’s current 4-3 balance of power.

Stokes said in a statement that he was confident his lead would hold through the recount of more than 35,000 ballots. He said he had won a race “that will long be remembered as the most contentious and contested in Bellevue history.”

Stokes’ statement said voters “rejected a special-interest driven opposition campaign that engaged in some of the most negative tactics imaginable, proving that Bellevue is a community of educated, thoughtful individuals who appreciate leadership and service over super-heated rhetoric.”

Laing hasn’t conceded and said in an interview, “My perspective is there’s a reason the state requires a mandatory recount of votes and we’ll see what comes from that process.”

Laing, who at one point condemned an independent-expenditure campaign that challenged Stokes’ honesty, said Tuesday he was unhappy about negative campaigning by Stokes.

The King County Canvassing Board on Tuesday certified the results that were counted in batches through Monday night.

0 comments | More in Government | Topics: Aaron Laing, Bellevue City Council, Election 2011

Laing narrows gap with Stokes for Bellevue council

Bellevue City Council candidate Aaron Laing gained ground on John Stokes in Monday’s vote count, narrowing Stokes’ lead to 141 votes.

Monday’s count was the first count in which Laing, an attorney backed by downtown developer Kemper Freeman, received more votes than Stokes, a retired attorney backed by developer Wright Runstad and other light-rail supporters

Stokes is ahead 50.15 percent to 49.58 percent.

The number of uncounted ballots received by King County Elections through Sunday in the vote-by-mail election was 3,233.

Ballots counted through Monday totaled 28,934.

0 comments | More in Government | Topics: Aaron Laing, Bellevue, Election 2011

Stokes moves closer to Bellevue victory

John Stokes moved closer Thursday to a seat on the Bellevue City Council, edging further ahead of Aaron Laing in a still-tight race.

With a lead of 169 votes, Stokes was ahead 50.25 percent to Laing’s 49.47 percent.

Stokes wasn’t yet declaring victory yet. “I’m excited to still be in the lead, and we’re gaining something each time. I think the trend is good,” he said.

A Stokes victory would keep council members backed by developers Kemper Wallace and Bob Wallace from widening their current 4-3 majority. Stokes was supported by light-rail transit supporters, including Wright Runstad, which plans a large development around a planned Sound Transit rail station east of downtown.

Stokes and Laing are running for the seat currently held by Grant Degginger, who didn’t seek re-election.

0 comments | More in General news, Government | Topics: Aaron Laing, Election 2011, John Stokes

Reardon wins in Snohomish County

Aaron Reardon, Snohomish County executive

Votes counted Wednesday cemented Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon’s victory over state Rep. Mike Hope.

Reardon, a two-term Democratic incumbent, captured 56 percent to Hope’s 43 percent, as of Wednesday’s count.

The county reported fewer than 10,000 new votes out of about 200,000 expected. In those votes only, Reardon led by 13 percentage points — 55 percent to Hope’s 44 percent.

If the county’s projected turnout is correct, Hope would have to get about 60 percent of the remaining votes.

“I think it’s improbable” that Hope will win, Reardon said Wednesday. “The numbers are clearly in our favor.”

Hope, R-Lake Stevens, conceded Tuesday night after seeing Reardon’s 14-point lead in the initial returns. But Reardon was cautious about declaring victory. Reardon was concerned about ballots sent in later, because on Thursday, media began reporting about a criminal investigation into whether Reardon misspent county funds on travel.

Mike Hope

Reardon was concerned about ballots sent in later, because on Thursday, media began reporting about a criminal investigation into whether Reardon misspent county funds on travel.

Reardon says he thinks his opponent somehow caused the allegations to become public just a few days before ballots were due.

0 comments | More in General news, Government | Topics: Election 2011

Stokes widens lead over Laing in Bellevue

In a tight Bellevue City Council race, John Stokes increased his lead over Aaron Laing to 146 votes Wednesday, but the race remained too close to call.

Thousands of ballots are yet to be counted, and Stokes barely topped 50 percent of votes counted Wednesday. Stokes leads Laing by just over three-quarters of a percentage point.

Stokes, a strong supporter of Sound Transit’s light-rail plan, and Laing, supported by light-rail foe Kemper Freeman, are vying for the seat being vacated by Grant Degginger.

0 comments | More in General news, Government | Topics: Aaron Laing, Bellevue City Council, Election 2011

Marty McLaren increases lead over Seattle School Board President Steve Sundquist

New vote counts released Wednesday afternoon showed an even larger lead for West Seattle challenger Marty McLaren over Seattle School Board President Steve Sundquist.

McLaren, a retired teacher, led Sundquist by almost 3,000 votes – 51.5 percent to 48.1 percent.

A little more than half of the expected vote had been counted.

In the other school board races, challenger Sharon Peaslee pulled within 3,500 votes of District 1 incumbent Peter Maier but was still trailing.

The other incumbents, Sherry Carr (District 2) and Harium Martin-Morris (District 3), maintained their large leads over challengers Kate Martin and Michelle Buetow.

0 comments | More in Education, Government | Topics: Election 2011, Harium Martin-Morris, Kate Martin

Election reports from Times news partners

Here’s a roundup of election coverage from Seattle Times news partners:

• Issaquah Press: Issaquah School Board victories ensure ‘a very good team

• My Edmonds News: Earling decisive winner over incumbent Mayor Cooper

• Shoreline Area News: Eggen, McClelland, McConnell lead Shoreline Council races

• SnoValley Star: Incumbents, parks district propositions lead in early election results

• The Sammamish Review | Whitten, Valderrama and Vance leading in early election returns

• My Everett News | Everett city incumbents winning; Upset at Port of Everett

0 comments | More in Government | Topics: Election 2011

The Morning Memo / Wednesday: Trucker killed, Bellevue boy still missing, Costco gets to sell liquor

Weather: Look at that big sun over there on the weather chart. And the temperature is expected to be 58 tomorrow. Hey, that’s almost 60 degrees. Yes. Take that November! No rain expected Friday either. More weather.

A truck driver was killed in a crash early this morning when his tanker truck overturned on a ramp from eastbound Interstate 90 to southbound I-405 in Bellevue.

As if you didn’t know… we had an election yesterday: Costco gets to sell liquor, three cities appear to have nixed red-light cameras, Tim Eyman’s tolling initiative trailing…

What has happened to the missing Bellevue boy? Too many unanswered questions. Here’s one about the boy’s mother from today’s story by staff reporter Christine Clarridge:

Why would a woman who had previously been cited for leaving the boy alone in a car do it again, reportedly while driving the sick toddler to a hospital?

Fire overnight at a Bank of America: There was a fire that appears to have started at an ATM at the bank in Madison Park early this morning. The fire got inside the bank, too, but firefighters got it out in about 45 minutes. Police say it’s suspicious. See the post below for more details.

It's a cattle stampede confronting artist Ken Carter as he helps maintain one of more than 70 murals in Toppenish. This one depicts cattle spooked by an approaching storm running down the middle of Main Street. (Photo by Alan Berner / The Seattle Times)

The photo above is one of some 70 murals on display in the Lower Yakima Valley town of Toppenish, which has a new identity, the City of Murals. Here’s more on this project in which the murals were painted on buildings or large boards throughout the city.

Most-read stories this morning on seattletimes.com:

1. Voters kick state out of liquor business
2. Missing-boy mystery: ‘Nothing about the story adds up’
3. Tolling initiative trails
4. Initiative 1183: Thar she blows, Captain Sinegal
5. Patty Murray staff holds retreat at lobbying firm

0 comments | More in Morning Memo | Topics: Bellevue, Costco, Election 2011

Bellingham mayor trailing after supporting red-light cameras

Voter discontent with red-light camera operations may have helped cost Bellingham’s mayor his job.

In Tuesday returns, former state legislator Kelli Linville led one-term mayor Dan Pike by nearly 400 votes, with 14,000 votes counted.

Linville had signed the petition that put the challenge to red-light cameras on the ballot.

Pike, in contrast, signed a contract that allowed an Arizona-based company to begin work on setting up a red-light camera system in Bellingham, although it has not yet been installed. A spokesman for the mayor said he backed the contract on the advice of his police chief.

0 comments | More in Government | Topics: bellingham, Election 2011