The race for Lewis County auditor is the closest among the contests for county offices this primary election as two candidates with the same name grapple for the lead.
Both are hoping to take over for longtime Lewis County Auditor Larry Grove, who will retire after the final year of his term.
Certified public accountant (CPA) Mitchell Merrill took a narrow lead in the race for county auditor in the first tally of votes Tuesday evening. Merrill, who is endorsed by Grove, received 37.48% of the vote, a total of 5,033 ballots, in support of his bid for office.
Mitch Townsend, the former Lewis County Republicans chair and current member of the Mossyrock School District Board of Directors, followed close behind with 36.82% of the vote, representing 4,944 votes in his favor.
The candidates, both Republicans, appear certain to move forward to the general election in November in the state’s top-two primary format.
Active community member, Navy veteran and chair of the volunteer-based Lewis County Planning Commission Frank Corbin recorded 23.56% of the vote after the initial tally, representing 3,164 votes.
Races for Lewis County auditor have been relatively uneventful in recent years during the tenure of incumbent Grove, who announced this year that he would not seek reelection.
Grove was first elected to the position in 2014 and started working in the office in 1989.
Grove’s retirement opened up the race for newcomers to try and fill the void.
Ahead of the election, Townsend described himself as a leader. He said the position is an executive leadership job, emphasizing that experience as an accountant was not necessary.
Townsend is running on the slogan “audit the votes and open the books,” emphasizing a perceived need to reform elections in the state.
Merrill, on the other hand, has emphasized his experience as a licensed CPA and has also touted endorsements from both Grove and his predecessor as Lewis County auditor, Gary Zandell, as well as current Lewis County Commissioner Sean Swope and others.
Tuesday night's count is the first of several that will be released before the election is certified Aug. 21.
Ballots submitted to drop boxes on Tuesday might not be included in the initial count; likewise, ballots that were postmarked by Election Day but had not yet arrived at the Lewis County Auditor's Office are also still to be tallied.
For Lewis County results, visit https://tinyurl.com/4vcfc7ty.
