In early returns Tuesday night, Kirkland City Council incumbent Doreen Marchione and candidate Jay Arnold hold the lead over their challengers.
Marchione, the city’s current deputy mayor who holds the Position 7 seat, leads with more than 62 percent of the vote. Her challenger Bill Henkens has more than 37 percent of the vote, according to the initial vote count that King County Elections released at 8:15 p.m.
Planning Commission member Jay Arnold is poised to join the Council, with more than 71 percent of the vote for Position 1. His opponent Martin Morgan, who is running for the seat for the third time, has more than 28 percent of the vote.
Mayor Joan McBride, who currently holds the Position 1 seat, announced earlier this year that she would not seek re-election.
Three incumbents are also running unopposed, including Amy Walen with nearly 99 percent of the vote for Position 5, Penny Sweet with more than 98 percent for Position 3 and Shelley Kloba, with 82 percent for Position 2.
Candidate Dave McDonald dropped out of the race after filing deadline, so his name still showed up on the ballot.
EvergreenHealth board of commissioners
Evergreenhealth board of commissioners incumbent Rebecca Hirt takes a strong lead, with nearly 68 percent of the vote, according to early returns.
Her challenger Kinnon Williams has more than 32 percent of the vote for the District No. 2 seat.
During a contentious race for that seat, Kirkland Councilman Toby Nixon and several in the community called out board chair Al DeYoung and his family, who contributed more than $55,000 towards Williams’s campaign, according to the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission. Some accused DeYoung of attempting to “buy” Williams’s seat.
For the Position 5 seat, incumbent Jeanette D. Greenfield holds the lead with nearly 88 percent of the vote. Her opponent Ivars Zageris has 12 percent.
Houghton Community Council
Voters also showed strong support for the continuance of the Houghton Community Council in early results. More than 742 voters supported the measure, while 260 voters voted against the continuation of the council.
Voters in Kirkland’s Houghton neighborhood vote on the measure every four years.
