Gadman leads the three-person race for the seat he now holds, with 47.94 percent of the vote; Arras is next with 33.88 percent; Raymond Payne, a member of the Lacey Planning Commission, is in third place with just more than 17 percent.
Gadman said Tuesday night that the vote affirmed the council’s decision to appoint him to the position earlier this year.
“I think it says that the Lacey voters are confident in the current council,” he said.
Arras also had a strong showing and said he’s happy with the results. He said the choice between Gadman and himself will become clearer as the fall campaign rolls along.
“You’re going to find a lot of stark differences,” he said.
On top of leading the pack in votes, Gadman outraised and outspent his competition so far, raising more than $8,600, according to figures from the state Public Disclosure Commission.
He also has received endorsements from five fellow City Council members and the Lacey Professional Firefighters Union Local 2903.
During the campaign, Gadman stressed bringing family-wage jobs to the area, making sure city policies line up with growth at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and creating a greater civic presence in the Hawks Prairie neighborhood.
This is the second time in two years that Gadman’s name has appeared on the primary ballot. He finished fourth in the Thurston County Assessor race last year. Gadman is the appraisal division manager for the Assessor’s Office.
For Arras, seeing his name in the general election will be nothing new. He ran for the same council seat back in 2003, losing to Mary Dean.
Arras, who has spent 26 years working for the State Patrol, has held up the issues of public safety, removing roadblocks to economic development and taking a defensive approach to the city’s budget. He also touts his 26 years in law enforcement and the budget and management opportunities that came with it.
Tuesday’s results mean it’s likely the end of the line for Payne.
He called the results “politics as usual” and said the race had nothing to do with issues and everything to do with partisan politics.
Payne touted his time on the planning commission and even made a campaign promise that, if elected, he would not collect his stipend and not run for re-election if he didn’t reduce traffic congestion, restructure the business and occupations tax, and set up an advisory committee to deal with environmental issues.
Payne was the only candidate not to file with the PDC, meaning he had to keep his fundraising to less than $5,000. He also said he didn’t go out looking for endorsements.
Nate Hulings: 360-754-5476 nhulings@theolympian.com www.theolympian.com/outsideoly
