In the largest field among three Pierce County Council races, two Tacoma Democrats – state Rep. Connie Ladenburg and real estate agent Sharon Benson – were advancing Tuesday night.
Ladenburg held a sizable lead to fill the District 4 position being vacated by term-limited Tim Farrell, D-Tacoma. Ladenburg represents the 29th District in the Legislature.
In the same race, Benson was edging University Place Mayor Ken Grassi, a Republican, who was finishing third in the contest to represent Fircrest, University Place and much of Tacoma. University Place Councilman Chris Nye, another Republican, was a distant fourth.
In District 2, incumbent Republican Joyce McDonald, the council chairwoman, was advancing along with Republican challenger and Edgewood Mayor Jeff Hogan. McDonald held a large lead. Puyallup auctioneer and real estate agent J.R. Wikane, another Republican, was in a distant third. District 2 includes Puyallup, Sumner, Fife, Northeast Tacoma, Milton and Edgewood.
In District 3, two veteran legislators – Marilyn Rasmussen and state Rep. Jim McCune, R-Graham – were advancing in a close race to represent a region stretching from Spanaway and Frederickson to Graham, Eatonville and Ashford.
The race marks the return of Rasmussen, who was unseated in 2008 after 22 years as a legislator. The Eatonville Democrat then lost to McCune in 2010 when she ran for the state House. They’re competing for the seat to be vacated by term-limited Roger Bush, R-Frederickson.
Corey Drury, a Spanaway Republican who works as an engineer for a Sumner baking company, was losing by a large margin in third place.
In the District 6 race where both candidates automatically advance to the general election, Lakewood Mayor Doug Richardson, a Republican, led Anderson Island resident Ann Dasch, a Democrat. The district, now represented by term-limited Republican Dick Muri of Steilacoom, includes Lakewood, west Parkland, Joint Base Lewis-McChord and DuPont.
If Tuesday night’s first-place leaders all win in November, the council’s Republican majority would drop by one to 4-3.
The primary also was a test run in the race for Pierce County executive. Incumbent Pat McCarthy, a Democrat, held a large lead over Bruce Minker, a corrections deputy at the Pierce County Jail. Minker, union president for corrections deputies, is running without a party preference.
Both candidates for county executive automatically advance to the November election.
steve.maynard@thenewstribune.com
253-597-8647
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.