Most incumbents ranged ahead of challengers in state and regional races in initial returns Tuesday, while Mike French came in ahead of incumbent Bill Peach for the Clallam County District 3.

Voter turnout for the midterm elections in Clallam County was 24,328, or 42.46 percent, out of the 57,094 ballots provided registered voters. Another 12,000 ballots are estimated still to be counted, election officials said.

The next Clallam County ballot counts will be Wednesday.

French, a Democrat, had 12,815 votes (53.6 percent) after Tuesday night’s initial ballot count to Peach’s 11,080 (46.3 percent).

Incumbent Mike Chapman, a Port Angeles Democrat, garnered 30,398 votes (59.4 percent) district-wide to Sequim Republican Sue Forde’s 20,768 (40.6 percent) for Position 1 in Legislative District 24. In Clallam County, Chapman garnered 13,416 votes (55.6 percent) to Forde’s 10,708 (44.4 percent).

Incumbent Steve Tharinger, a Port Townsend Democrat, won 29,773 votes district-wide (58.4 percent) to Carlsborg Republican Brian Pruiett’s 21,175 (41.5 percent) for Position 2 in Legislative District 24. In Clallam County, Tharinger holds a slightly slimmer lead over Pruiett (13,090-10,985, or a 54.3-45.6 split, percentage-wise).

The state representative races featured the same candidates from 2020, when Chapman and Tharinger successfully held their seats from challenges by Forde and Pruiett, respectively.

Chief Criminal Deputy Brian King, with the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office, boasted a big lead Tuesday night in the race for Clallam County Sheriff, over Marc Titterness, now a Port Townsend Police Officer and formerly a deputy with Clallam County. King had 17,085 votes, or about 77 percent, to Titterness’ 5,049 votes (22.8 percent). The two are seeking the position vacated by Sheriff Bill Benedict.

Challenger Ken Hays has a slim lead over incumbent Will Purser for a seat on the Clallam County Public Utility District commission. After Tuesday’s initial count, Hays has 9,049 votes (51.7 percent) to Purser’s 8,417 (48.1 percent).

Bruce Emery was leading for Port Angeles mayor Cherie Kidd by nearly a 2-to-1 margin in the race to fill the vacated seat of Department of Community Development director. Tuesday’s initial ballot count had Emery garner 14,891 votes (66.3 percent) to Kidd’s 7,507 votes (33.4 percent).

Photo by Keith Thorpe/Olympic Peninsula News Group / Election observers Elizabeth Clark of Port Angeles, representing the Democratic Party, left, and Gayle Baker of Sequim, representing the Republican Party, watch as ballot signatures are verified on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8, at the Clallam County Courthouse in Port Angeles.

Federal races

Incumbent U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, a Seattle Democrat, held a firm lead after initial ballot counts from most counties Tuesday night with 951,354 votes (57.5 percent) statewide to Spokane Republican Tiffany Smiley’s 699,545 votes (42.3 percent).

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer had 135,096 votes (61.8 percent) compared to Elizabeth Kreiselmaier’s 83,314 (38.1 percent) for the 6th Congressional District seat, which includes the North Olympic Peninsula. In Clallam County, Kilmer garnered 13,835 votes (57.2 percent) to Kreiselmaier’s 10,322 votes.

Kilmer, a Democrat, and Kreiselmaier, a Republican, are both from Gig Harbor.

For the unexpired term of Washington Secretary of State, initial counts statewide were 813,284 votes (50.2 percent) for appointee Steve Hobbs, a Democrat, and 757,390 votes (46.8 percent) for Julie Anderson, who has said she is nonpartisan. In Clallam County, Hobbs and Anderson were in a near dead-heat; Hobbs had 11,526 votes to Anderson’s 11,436.