Three Rivers Hospital levy heads for approval in early vote counts

OKANOGAN – Preliminary results from Okanogan County’s August 2 Primary Election show Three Rivers Hospital’s (TRH) one-year property tax levy headed for approval by a comfortable margin in the early report of voting figures from the Okanogan County Auditor’s office.

As of this writing following the unofficial second count of votes at 5 p.m. Friday, August 5 advisory from election central the results include:

• The third annual TRH Levy request is passing by a 68.9 percent vote margin with 2,202 in favor and 993 opposed. It will fund operations for the hospital’s emergency department through 2023. Like its two predecessors the new levy will raise 33 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. As an example, a home valued at $200,000 will contribute $66.

• Okanogan County Sheriff: Incumbent Anthony Hawley came from behind in the first unofficial count to overtake challenger Paul Budrow by 232 votes, 3,769 to 3,537 in the second unofficial results on Friday, August 5. Kevin Newport trails with 1,909.

• Okanogan County Commissioner, District 3: Tonasket Republican Lloyd Caton, Jr. leads fellow Republican Jon Neal of Oroville by 103 votes, 1,262 to 1,159. Both are vying for the vacancy of Jim DeTro who held the post for 12 years and did not file for re-election.

• Okanogan County Coroner: Rojean (Jeannie) Hughes of Tonasket was the only candidate to file for the four-year term. Hughes has received 83.5 percent of the vote compared to 16.5 percent for incumbent David Rodriguez who did not file for re-election but ran as a write-in candidate.

Several offices were unopposed including:

• Assessor – Larry Gilman

• Auditor – Cari Hall

• Clerk – Susan Speiker

• Prosecuting attorney – Albert Lin

• Treasurer – Pam Johnson

• Superior Court judge – Robert Grim

• District Court judge – Charles Short

• Public Utility District, No. 1 – Chris Kroupa

The race for U.S. Congressional District 4, which includes Okanogan County along with Adams, Benton, Douglas, Franklin, Grant Klickitat, and Yakima counties, is giving Republican incumbent Dan Newhouse a contest from leading challenger, Yakima Democrat Doug White. As of Friday, August 5, Newhouse held a narrow 140-vote lead over White, 35,628 to 35,488. White was leading Newhouse by 869 votes in Okanogan County according to the auditor’s second unofficial count.

The top two candidates to emerge from their respective primary races advance to the General Election ballot on Nov. 8.