WENATCHEE — The November election will see sitting Wenatchee City Councilmember Mike Poirier against former councilmember Bryan Campbell for the Wenatchee mayorship, left open by the end of Mayor Frank Kuntz’s third and final term.
Poirier drew 45.7 percent of nearly 5,100 votes cast in the citywide race, a five-point lead over Campbell as the second-highest vote-getter. The two men advance to the general, leaving third candidate James McLaughlin, a Wenatchee builder-developer, with a 14-percent share.
In the only three-way race for Wenatchee School Board, incumbent Martin Barron drew 56.5 percent of the vote over his nearest challenger, Tricia Cleek, who held just over 36 percent in the Tuesday count. The finish eliminates John LaCasse from consideration in the general, earning 7.3 percent.
A second Wenatchee School Board race, in board district 4, featured three candidates on the ballot but only two still in the running. Miranda Skalisky, a previous contender, won a 54 percent share over Kendra Martin, with 26.8 percent. The third candidate, Joe Cortez, announced his withdrawal from the race in June.
Outside Wenatchee, two other mayoral seats went to multi-candidate primaries. Chelan City Councilmember Erin McCardle scored a 32 percent upset against incumbent Mayor Bob Goedde, who goes on to the November ballot with a 29 percent vote share.
And in Leavenworth, Mayor Carl Florea will face Rich Brinkman, a Wenatchee Valley College educator who formerly worked as chief administrator for both the city of Wenatchee and Leavenworth. Brinkman’s 28 percent vote share edges out Becki Subido, whose campaign against denser residential zoning left her with 22.4 percent. Florea, finishing his first mayoral term, received 49.4 percent.
Vote results will not be certified until Aug. 15, but the Chelan County Auditor’s Office said there are only 127 ballots left uncounted after the first round Tuesday.
