Gov. Gregoire leads Rossi in early returns, statewide and in Island County


September 22, 2008 · Updated 12:23 PM 

  • 0
  • Print Story
  • Letter/Editor

Gov. Christine Gregoire is leading Republican Dino Rossi in the rematch of their 2004 race.

Gregoire is also in front in Island County, where Rossi won the vote in 2004 with 51 percent of the vote. In Island County, Gregoire had 7,664 votes to Rossi's 7,407 in early returns.

Statewide, Gregoire had 48 percent of ballots counted, or 360,322 votes.

Rossi had 45 percent, or 341,337 of 745,917 ballots counted.

In recent days, the Rossi campaign had tamped down expectations for the primary. That continued Tuesday night.

“We had a strong showing in the primary tonight," Rossi said in a statement to the press. "Current returns show we have received over 45 percent of the vote. To put these results into perspective, during the 2004 campaign I received just 34 percent of the vote in the primary and the general election turned out to be significantly closer."

“Fewer than half of the voters who will vote in November cast their ballots in this primary. Independent polls of all voters show this race is a statistical dead heat and I feel confident going into the general election," he added. " I’m happier having 45 percent tonight than the 34 percent we got in the 2004 primary."

Comment on this story.

News Blogroll

  • Crime Time
    The latest from South Whidbey’s police blotter and the Record’s siren chasers
  • Langley Inside and Out
    All about the City of Langley from The Record and other sources.
  • The Newsroom
    Get the inside scoop on what the newsroom is working on at The South Whidbey Record
COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read.

So keep your comments:

  • Civil
  • Smart
  • On-topic
  • Free of profanity

We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters. We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.

blog comments powered by Disqus