Larsen almost certain of re-election
By Jerry Cornfield, Herald Writer
Democratic U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen seems almost certain of re-election Saturday night after another tally of ballots gave him his largest lead yet over Republican challenger John Koster.
A win would give Larsen a sixth term and settle the last undecided congressional race in the state. It also would assure Democrats will hold a majority of the state’s nine seats in the House of Representatives.
Larsen, who trailed on election night, is ahead by 3,841 votes. Of the 260,000 votes tallied, Larsen has received 50.7 percent to Koster’s 49.3 percent.
Larsen and Koster, both natives of Arlington, are competing for the 2nd District congressional seat that serves residents from Mukilteo to the Canadian border. The district includes north Snohomish County, a slice of King County and all of Island, Whatcom, Skagit and San Juan counties.
Koster is leading in Snohomish, Island and Skagit counties, while Larsen is ahead in Whatcom, San Juan and King counties.
Meanwhile, the margin is growing in two closely watched contests for Snohomish County seats in the state Legislature.
For the fifth straight night, state Sen. Steve Hobbs, D-Lake Stevens, added to his lead over Republican Dave Schmidt of Mill Creek.
Hobbs is ahead by 706 votes. Of the nearly 53,000 votes counted, he has received 50.7 percent to Schmidt’s 49 percent.
The two are dueling in the 44th Legislative District that includes Snohomish, Mill Creek and Lake Stevens. Schmidt is trying to regain the Senate seat he lost to Hobbs in the 2006 election.
Democrat Luis Moscoso of Mountlake Terrace and Republican Heidi Munson continue to battle in one of the closest legislative races in the state.
Munson led Tuesday but Moscoso moved ahead Thursday, and now holds a 638-vote lead, collecting 50.7 percent of the vote to 49.3 percent for Munson.
They are seeking to replace Rep. Mark Ericks, D-Bothell, in the 1st Legislative District which covers south Snohomish County and north King County.
With the number of uncounted ballots declining, the possibility of recounts grows.
A machine recount is required if the candidates are fewer than 2,000 votes apart and less than one-half of a percentage point. A hand recount is required if the difference is fewer than 150 votes and a quarter-percentage point of total votes cast for both candidates. |
