Lantz, D-Gig Harbor, is not seeking re-election.

The significance of a good showing by Angel is that Republicans tend not to fare so well in the Kitsap portion of the 26th District, yet Angel was winning up north and in the Pierce County portion of the district, where Republicans are expected to do well.

Angel and Abel are the only two candidates in that particular race, so they will face off again in the November general election.

Elsewhere, Washington voters were winnowing a field of 272 legislative candidates down to the top two in each of 80 state House races and 19 state Senate races. A total of 25 other candidates – 18 incumbent House members and seven incumbent senators – were unopposed. So when all the votes are tallied from the primary, there will be 223 legislative candidates on the Nov. 4 ballot.

Tuesday’s election was a first in two respects:

 • It was the first time legislators faced a “top two” primary election, which sends the top two vote-getters in each race to the general election, regardless of whether they are from the same party. It was not a nominating election, although most candidates are likely to say they are their party’s nominee in the weeks to come.

 • It was the first time legislators statewide stood for election in August, a full month earlier than past primary elections. The date was moved up to allow more time to send ballots overseas to military voters and others.

Some of the winnowing took place in the South Sound.

2ND DISTRICT

In the race to decide who will oppose Sen. Marilyn Rasmussen, D-Eatonville, in November, it appeared that Randi Becker would get the nod. She was leading fellow Republican Kelly Mainard, the only other candidate in the race. Both trailed Rasmussen.

JeanMarie Christenson apparently will face incumbent state Rep. Jim McCune, R-Graham, in a rematch of the 2006 general election. She was emerging from a field of three Democrats to make the top two in the race for McCune’s seat in the 2nd District.

Incumbent state Rep. Tom Campbell, R-Roy, is expected to face Democrat Michael Powell in the other 2nd District House race. Powell was leading Rick Payne in early returns.

25TH DISTRICT

In the 25th District race to replace state Rep. Joyce McDonald, R-Puyallup, Progressive candidate Larry Pratt placed a distant third, as expected. That means Democrat Rob Cerqui, a Fife councilman, and Bruce Dammeier, a Puyallup School Board member, will face off in the general election. They were neck-and-neck in Tuesday’s primary returns.

McDonald is running for Pierce County Council.

In the other 25th District House race, Ron Morehouse, a fire commissioner, was leading fellow Republican Caleb Heimlich and likely will face incumbent Rep. Dawn Morrell, D-Puyallup, in November.

31ST DISTRICT

In the 31st District, it’s unclear who incumbent Rep. Chris Hurst, D-Enumclaw, will face in November. Republicans Sharon Hanek and Josh Hulburt were in a dead heat.

ELSEWHERE

The top two election did produce some of what the Democratic and Republican parties had predicted: two candidates from the same party advancing to the general election.

For instance, incumbent state Sen. Margarita Prentice, D-Renton, chairwoman of the Senate budget committee, will face a fellow Democrat in the general election. But it’s unclear whether it will be Juan Martinez or Scott McKay. Each was getting about 24 percent of the vote Tuesday. Prentice had almost as many votes as both of them combined.

Joseph Turner: 253-597-8436

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