Denton concedes race for Thurston County commissioner. Menser, Blake headed for fall vote

Melissa Denton, a candidate for Thurston County commissioner, has conceded the race.

As of Wednesday evening, Denton was in third place, trailing Tye Menser by about 750 votes. Bud Blake, the incumbent, was leading.

The top two finishers in the primary will go on to November’s election.

In a statement, Denton backed Menser, the other Democrat in the race.

“The relationship that I’ve had with Tye during this tough election is proof that he will be able to work well even when he disagrees with others. He has my support and advice when he wants it,” Denton said.

The next vote count is scheduled for Thursday evening.

This story was originally published August 9, 2018 at 8:44 AM.