Blake, Menser leading in Thurston County commissioners race

Bud Blake and Tye Menser were leading in early results for the Thurston County commissioners primary election.

Blake, the incumbent and an independent, had 4,629 votes as of the 8 p.m. vote count. Menser, a Democrat, had 4,318 votes.

Melissa Denton, a Democrat, had 3,822 votes, while Jed Haney, an independent, had 706 votes.

About 10,000 ballots still had to be counted. The next vote count is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Turnout in Thurston County is 24 percent so far.

The county commissioners race was one of the few local races in Tuesday’s primary with more than two candidates running. In each race, the two candidates who receive the most votes go onto November’s general election, no matter their party.

Non-partisan races with one or two candidates don’t appear on the primary ballot.

Elsewhere on the ballot, a proposition authorizing the merger of Thurston County Fire Protection District No. 5 and Thurston County Fire Protection District No. 9 was passing in early results with 91 of voters approving the plan.

The only other local races decided in the Tuesday’s election were for precinct committee officers.

For a full list of election results, click here.

For the latest results from state races, click here.