Primary Election Results

DAYTON--Two Columbia County races held a dress rehearsal and are destined for the November General Election: Republican Commissioner candidate Jack Miller edged incumbent Charles Amerein (R), and incumbent Sheriff Joe Helm (R), garnered nearly 67% of the vote compared to Republican challenger Jeff Jenkins's 32.52%, results from the August 2 Primary Election  showed.

Voter turnout in Columbia County was 46.15%, with 1,301 ballots counted as of the election deadline, with an estimated 128 remaining to be counted.

Miller received 242 votes and 56.02% compared to Amerein's 188 votes and 43.52%, out of 432 total votes.

Sheriff Helm received 822 votes and 66.83% of the vote, and Jenkins received 400 votes and 32.52%.

Columbia County voters favored U.S. Senate candidate Tiffany Smiley with 763 votes and 60.32%, compared to incumbent Democrat Patty Murray's 331 votes and 26.17%. Statewide, Murray received 557,978 and 54% of the vote. Smiley will face Murray in the General, having received 330,176 votes, or 31.96%.

Republican Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers captured 68.93% of county votes with 852 votes. Democrat Natasha Hill received 176 votes. Across the Fifth District, incumbent McMorris Rodgers, with 51% of the vote, will face Hill, who received 30%, in November.

District 9 Republican House of Representative incumbents, both unopposed, Mary Dye of Pomeroy and Joe Schmick of Colfax both received nearly 98%.

Unopposed county candidates included:

Assessor: Tammy Groom Ketterman, (R), 1,030 votes.

Auditor: Anne D. Higgins, (R), 939 votes.

Clerk: Kristin (Krissy) Chapman, (R), 1,016 votes.

Prosecutor: C. Dale Slack, (NP), 948 votes.

Treasurer: Carla J. Rowe, (R), 1,036 votes.

Brooklyn Precinct Committee Officer-Republican: Randy Schafer, 52; Lorrie R. Bensel, 48.

Top vote getters in the Secretary of State in Columbia County were Bob Hagglund, Republican, 348 votes, 31.64%; and Keith L. Wagoner, Republican,  225 votes, 20.45%. Statewide, Democrat Steve Hobbs received 415,619 votes and 41.2%; and nonpartisan Julie Anderson, 129,616 votes and 12.85%.