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| November 9, 2023 Shelton Mason County Journal |  |
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J
Thursday, Nov. 9,2023
SHELTON-MASON COUNTY
ourna
The Voice of Mason County Since 1886 —- Vol. 137, No. 45
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Shelton Mayor Eric Onisko consoles Kathy McDowell on Tuesday evening at the
Mason County auditor’s elec—
tion center after she learns she lost her bid for re—election to the
Shelton City Council to Melissa Stearns. Both
Stearns and McDowell are lifelong Shelton residents. Journal photo by
Gordon Weeks
Blush, Stearns win City Council seats
McDowell ousted
after eight years
By Gordon Weeks
gordon@masoncounty.com
In three Shelton City Council races
on Tuesday’s ballot, the longest-serv—
ing member was handily defeated by
a fellow lifelong Shelton resident, a
downtown businessman was elected
after losing a council race two years
ago by five votes, and a third contest
was too close to call on the initial count.
Results from the second ballot count
were released by the Mason County
Auditor’s Office at 5 pm. Wednesday,
after the Journal went to press. Up~
dates are available on the Journal’s
website.
Melissa Stearns, a Realtor and
lifelong resident Shelton, defeated
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ma page it}
eight-year incumbent Kathy McDowell
for a four-year term as council mem—
ber 2. On the first ballot count, Stearns
had 549 votes for 58.10%, and McDow—
ell 392 votes for 41.48%. Four write-in
candidates received votes.
McDowell was the last remaining
member of the three-person Shelton
City Commission. Voters in November
2017 expanded the governing body to a
seven—member council.
George Blush, the owner of Nita’s
Koffee Shop in downtown Shelton and
the nonprofit 5XL Shelton Pet Food
Bank that provides pet food to peo-
ple in need, won a four-year term as
council member 1 with 557 votes for
57.30%. Tristen Smith, who moved
with her family from Olympia to Shel-
ton six years ago, garnered 410 votes
for 42.18%. Five write-in candidates
received votes.
“I want to thank God, my amazing
and supportive wife and kids, the people
who supported me and the city of Shel-
ton for your vote of confidence,” Blush
wrote to the Journal. “I look forward to
working with the other council mem-
bers to make Shelton a cleaner, safer
place for us all to be proud to call home.”
On the initial ballot count, only
28 votes separated Mark Frazier and
Tom Gilmore for a four-year term as
council member 5. Gilmore, a tax pol-
icy specialist With the state, had 480
votes for 51.23%. Frazier, a lieutenant/
paramedic for Central Mason Fire and
EMS, had 452 votes for 48.24%. Five
people received write-in votes.
In an email to the Journal, Frazier
said he didn’t want to comment on the
initial results. “We’re in a very close
race,” he wrote.
Stevens has decisive lead in judicial race
By June Williams
jane@masoncountycpom
Challenger David Stevens
appears to be the new Mason
County Superior Court Judge, if
early election results hold.
Stevens, Mason County senior
deputy felony prosecutor, is heat-
ing his opponent, Judge Cadine
Ferguson-Brown, in the first bal—
lot count after polls closed Tues-
day with 6,194 votes for 57.24% to
Ferguson-Brown’s 4,595 votes for
42.46%.
There were also 33 write-in
votes for 0.3% and 10,822 total
votes in the first tabulation.
“I feel bad for her. I wish
her the best,” Stevens told the
Journal when reached on election
night. “I just felt she wasn’t the
right fit for the county,” he said. “I
look forward to taking office.”
Ferguson-Brown was appoint—
ed by Gov. Jay Inslee to the Mason
County Superior Court in May
2022. She previously worked as
a Mason County Superior Court
commissioner from 2021—2022.
Stevens
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SMALL TOWN PAPERS
927 W RAILROAD AVE
SHELTON WA 98584-3847
Se ‘24 380
The Mason County Elections
: Office released the first ballot
l count at 8 p.m. Tuesday night.
3 More than 1.000 ballots remained
f on hand to be counted. A second
ballot count, which will include
3 many ofthose on hand ballots.
- was scheduled for 5 pm. Wednes—
day, after the Journal ‘s press
deadline. Updated results will be
f available on the Journal '8 website.
masoncountycom. Additionally.
Mason County had the highest
percentage of contested ballots in
Washington‘s 39 counties, with
.1 more than 3.5% of votes cast being
I contested. That is more than triple
, the statewide percentage of 1.08.
1 Voters will have the opportunity
‘ to cure many of the more than 400
v ! contested ballots before the elec-
InCumbents
leading .
in Shelton
school races
By Gordon
gordon@masoncounty com
Two incumbents on the Shelton
School Board were winning big on the
first ballot count Tuesday night, while
a third incumbent was holding a solid
lead. '
The results of the second ballot count
were released by the Mason County
Auditor’s Office at 5 pm. Wednesday,
after the Journal went to press.
School Board President Keri Da-
vidson, in her bid to retain Director
Position 2, received 1,895 votes for
66.58%. Challenger Tommy Stearns
received 936 votes for 32.80%. .
“I am very thankful and apprecia—
tive of all the voters,” Davidson wrote
to the Journal. “I’m hopeful with these
first numbers coming in that I will be
able to continue serving the students
and community another four years.”
Karla Knudsen-Johnston, who
taught in Shelton School District e1-
ementary schools for 33 years, easily
won another term representing Dis-
trict 1 with 1,971 votes for 68.34%.
Challenger Brandi L. Housh got 899
votes for 31.17%.
Incumbent Lauren Gilmore, repre-
senting District 2, had 1,488 votes for
52.27% in the initial count. Challenger
Andrew Wilford had 1,345 votes for
47.24%.
Running unopposed for a two-year
unexpired term as Director Position 1,
Becky Cronquist received 2,147 votes
for 96.89%. Write-in candidates re-
ceived 69 votes.
— LINSIDE THIS WEEK ~
PUD 1 celebrates
broadband project
Veterans Day
special section
Successful salmon count
on Union River in Belfair
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