Menser leads Blake in tight race for Thurston County commissioner

Tye Menser had a slight lead over Bud Blake in early returns in the race for Thurston County Commissioner.

Menser, a Democrat, has said he will offer a different perspective on the conservative commission. He leads Blake by about 1,600 votes out of more than 80,000 ballots counted as of Tuesday.

Menser told The Olympian his priorities as a commissioner would be the county’s budget and leadership on a regional response to housing issues.

“The fact that we have a shortage of housing supply and a low vacancy rate means that any kind of housing is going to create a positive effect on the market, but we also need to focus of course on folks who are getting priced out of housing,” he said. “It’s a deep and wide crisis.”

In his re-election campaign, Blake, an Army veteran, has highlighted his work on addressing homelessness and mental health issues.

Turnout in Thurston County was at 48 percent as of Tuesday night.

This story was originally published November 6, 2018 at 8:47 PM.