Mejia, Steadman, Amamilo leading in early Thurston County election results
If early general election results hold, Thurston County’s board of commissioners will look much different starting in 2021, with a commission made up entirely of Democrats, and the county’s Superior Court bench will welcome its first Black judge.
Democrats Carolina Mejia and Michael Steadman were leading commission races in Districts 1 and 2 in results released by the county Auditor Tuesday evening, and Sharonda Amamilo led the race for an open position on the Superior Court.
There are plenty of votes left to be counted: County Auditor Mary Hall estimated about 27,000 ballots were in hand but uncounted Tuesday night at the Ballot Processing Center. More would be picked up at ballot drop boxes that night and will trickle in via mail in the coming days.
“This is a presidential election, we’ve got 21 days to certify for a reason,” she said.
The Olympian reached Hall by phone about 8:45 p.m. Tuesday, just after she said the final vehicle had been served at the drive-thru voting center at South Puget Sound Community College in Olympia. The office had to serve anybody who was on campus as of the 8 p.m. deadline, she said.
The latest ballot return statistics showed 78.8% of active voters had cast their ballots as of Tuesday, though just over 61% were included in initial results. In 2012 and 2016, the two most recent presidential election years, turnout hit just under 62% on Election Day. In 2008, which in the end was a record-setting turnout year, Election Day saw returns of just under 70%.
Earlier Tuesday, Auditor Mary Hall had predicted the county could hit 90% turnout by the time results are certified, breaking the 85.6% record set when Barack Obama was elected President.
Thurston County will post updated results daily until the county certifies results Nov. 24. The Secretary of State has until Dec. 3 to certify returns.
Commissioner District 1: Mejia by a wide margin
In District 1, Mejia claimed about 61.1% percent of votes (71,173), over Republican C Davis, who had earned 38.6% (45,022 votes) in Tuesday night’s tally.
“We’re just very humbled, grateful and excited,” Mejia told The Olympian. “This was definitely a team effort, and I’m happy the community has put this trust in me, and I’m grateful for everyone who went out and voted.”
As a first-time candidate, she said, she knew the race was “up in the air,” and was nervous about results. Her team was out sign-waving still, in the rain, Tuesday afternoon. She said she’ll be comfortable “once the results are actually certified.”
Mejia, a judicial assistant for Thurston County Superior Court, won the seven-candidate District 1 primary by a wide margin in August. She emigrated to the U.S. with her family from Honduras at 11 years old, she has told The Olympian. In her campaign, she emphasized the importance of a balanced budget, along with affordable housing, the environment, and other issues. Underlying her platforms was an emphasis on representing the community.
Victor Minjares, chair of Thurston County Democrats, confirmed with The Olympian that he believes Mejia would be the first woman of color to serve on Thurston’s commission.
The tumultuous District 1 general election race saw more than its share of drama this fall. First, a citizen alleged that Mejia is not a citizen. She sent copies of naturalization papers and a passport to the Thurston County Auditor’s Office, and a judge ultimately dismissed a related ballot challenge.
Multiple women alleged Republican C Davis made them uncomfortable with unwanted and persistent attention at church functions when they were teens, resulting in his departure from at least two parishes. Davis denies those allegations.
And Auditor Hall upheld a challenge to his voter registration after finding he doesn’t live where he was registered to vote. The Thurston County Republican Party withdrew its endorsement of his candidacy.
Davis gave little insight into his personal life during his campaign — he even withheld his age on The Olympian’s voter guide — but has made his political views clear, often referencing “anarcho-Marxist terrorism,” pledging to add 10 deputies to the Sheriff’s Office, and emphasizing his opposition to building a new courthouse.
The Olympian could not reach Davis for comment Tuesday night. In a livestream on his Facebook page, he seemed to react by saying “it was fun,” and when asked “how bad” it was, he deemed the results “as bad as it can get.”
Commissioner District 2: Steadman with a narrow lead
Democrat Michael Steadman, who serves on Lacey City Council and owns a commercial leasing company, was leading over incumbent Gary Edwards, a former Sheriff who identifies as an independent, to represent the district that covers the eastern third of the county. Steadman had claimed 52.3% of votes (59,975) in early results, while Edwards had 47.4% (54,415 votes).
“I’m elated, very happy, the people listened and our message resonated, you know,” Steadman told The Olympian after results were posted. “I think they saw what we’re doing in Lacey and that everybody’s at the table, everybody’s represented and everybody gets a voice” including businesses and individuals.
When asked if he considers the race over, he said he believes there’s “very little chance” Edwards will make up the margin.
Edwards, though, says he’s not ready to concede. He thought there might be a chance write-in ballots for other races had been set aside — though Hall later told The Olympian that isn’t how it works.
“I’m not making light of Mr. Steadman’s good showing,” Edwards said. “I think he did great, and I really think the auditor did a very good job on being able to handle this election with the number of votes that came in and being able to get the returns out as fast as they did.”
Superior Court Judge Position 8: Amamilo with a big lead
Sharonda Amamilo had a large early lead over Olympia Municipal Court Judge Scott Ahlf, roughly 60% (64,664 votes) to 39.5% (42,553 votes), Tuesday evening. The two are vying for a position on Thurston County Superior Court left vacant by retiring judge Anne Hirsch.
Amamilo would be the first person of color elected to serve on the bench.
Her biggest hope, she said, was that she would continue resonating with voters after the primary and attract more people to vote for her. And she believes that happened.
She told The Olympian she’s grateful for the professional and “even supportive” race experience, and for the support she’s received from family and friends.
“I am convinced that my message is one that resonates across a broad spectrum of folks and that they are trusting me with some of the hopes and dreams” that they have for the justice system, she said. “I just feel really honored.”
“The race is over, but the work is beginning,” she said. “It’s pretty awesome.”
This story was originally published November 3, 2020 at 10:12 PM.
.jpg)