Cook holds big lead in mayoral race

Ritzville Mayor Gary Cook is on his way to being re-elected to a second term as Ritzville's mayor on Tuesday night, currently receiving 77.78% of the vote against challenger David Ahrens. The race was the only contested matchup on the 2019 general election ballot in eastern Adams County.

As of 9:15 p.m. on Nov. 5, 225 votes have been counted in the mayoral race. Cook has received 175 of those votes, while Ahrens has received 50 votes. It is unclear exactly how many votes remain to be counted for the mayoral race.

Turnout in Adams County is currently at 17.51%, below the overall state turnout rate of 22.98%.

In a second term, Cook told The Journal that he'd like to finally be able to resolve the lawsuit surrounding Well No. 9, as well as rehabilitate the standpipe reservoir, install a new electrical system in the Koch Well, and work with the Ritzville Public Works Department on an evaporative system on the city's sewer plan.

Cook would also like the city to stay involved in the ongoing process of revitalizing downtown, which could involve transportation issues such as implementing a quiet zone and possibly working with Amtrak about adding Ritzville as a stop on routes. He'd also like the city to continue working with the Ritzville Area Chamber of Commerce in efforts to involve the public in holding events and celebrations in downtown Ritzville.

Statewide results

There were three binding statewide measures on the general election ballot, with two of the measures currently passing and one measure failing.

Initiative 976, the Tim Eyman-sponsored measure that would limit annual license fees for vehicles weighing under 10,000 pounds at $30 and would result in a projected revenue loss to the state of $1.9 billion and a loss to local governments of $2.3 billion over the next six years, is currently passing as of 9:15 p.m. on Nov. 5 with 55.41% of the vote. Almost 950,000 votes have been cast so far, with the Secretary of State website estimating that almost 320,000 votes remain to be counted across the state over the coming days. The initiative is all but certain to face legal challenges if passed.

In Adams County, voters have overwhelmingly supported I-976, with 'yes' currently passing with 73.8% of the vote.

Referendum 88, a veto referendum seeking to block I-1000-which allows affirmative action without the use of quotas by the state of Washington and bans preferential treatment-from going into effect is currently failing with 48.82%. An 'approved' vote supports allowing I-1000 to go into effect, while a 'rejected' vote supports blocking I-1000 from going into effect and retaining current state law. The final result will likely remain unknown for several days as more than 300,000 votes remain to be counted across the state.

In Adams County, 'rejected' currently leads with 65.9 percent of the vote.

The Washington Government Continuation Legislation for Catastrophic Incidents Amendment, a legislatively referred constitutional amendment, is currently passing with 65.24% of the vote and is on its way to being easily approved. Currently, the legislature can only pass bills that address the succession of powers and duties of public offices during periods of warfare against the United States that cause substantial damage and injury in the state. The amendment seeks to ensure governmental continuity in the case of damage resulting from natural disasters, such as earthquakes and tsunamis.

In Adams County, 'approved' currently leads with 52.37% of the vote.