Washington State Governorship

[rbt48]

Anyone else out there following the exciting count of absentee ballots?  As I write, the margin between Gregoire and Rossi is 4001 votes.  That is out of more than 2.4 million counted.  It will be interesting to see the final result unfold.  It is reminiscent of the Cantwell-Gorton senate race in 2000.

Check on the Washington Secretary of State webpage to follow the action:
http://vote.wa.gov/general/statewide.aspx

[Alcon]

Rossi ran a good campaign. Gregoire ran a crap one. She should be ahead by the same amount as Kerry or Murray.

I hope she wins, though. It's a nail-biter.

[rbt48]

What is a "crap" campaign? 

Seriously, from half way across the country, it is hard to envision how she managed not to win big.  Consider, sitting, popular state AG, Kerry and Murray carry the state with comfortable margins, yet five days after voting, she can't claim victory. 

[Alcon]

What is a "crap" campaign? 

Seriously, from half way across the country, it is hard to envision how she managed not to win big.  Consider, sitting, popular state AG, Kerry and Murray carry the state with comfortable margins, yet five days after voting, she can't claim victory. 

Rossi ran on the "it's time for change in Olympia" platform, or in other words the "I'm not a Democrat and everyone else here is" platform. He looked good, folksy, and conversational at the end - Gregoire looked like an ice queen. We knew him at the end - we didn't know Gregoire. His ads were warm and friendly, even when he was attacking. Gregoire's were mechanical even when friendly.

This is as close as it could possibly be unless Gregoire had sky-dived from the space needle screaming "GRUNGE MUSIC WASN'T ALL THAT GOOD AND FLANNEL IS UGLY AS HELL."

[bgwah]

Rossi also came off as a moderate, I don't think the last couple of Republicans did.

It will be fun to see if the Libertarians ruin it for the Republicans again (like what happened with Cantwell winning).

And Rossi is just so damn handsome! Not like that skeleton Gregoire.

Rossi was winning originally, but Gregoire has kept a lead the past 500,000 or so votes.

If Gregoire wins all the govt branches in WA will be controlled by dems, won't they?

[bgwah]

Gregoire ahead by 250 or so votes, 174 thousand ballots left.

[A18]

Uh, 250 or 250 thousand?

[ATFFL]

Uh, 250 or 250 thousand?

Right now it is exactly 203 votes.  Not 203k, 203 votes.

[Sam Spade]

Rossi is roughly ahead by about 2,100 votes now.

This is actually pretty entertaining as elections go.

Direct link is here:
http://vote.wa.gov/general/statewide_results.aspx?o=7FR30bVZqpnn5rCqJv1pVg%3d%3d

Still a bunch of absentees left to go.  I have heard it is now down to about 150,000 left.

[bgwah]

Rossi is roughly ahead by about 2,100 votes now.

This is actually pretty entertaining as elections go.

Direct link is here:
http://vote.wa.gov/general/statewide_results.aspx?o=7FR30bVZqpnn5rCqJv1pVg%3d%3d

Still a bunch of absentees left to go.  I have heard it is now down to about 150,000 left.

Yes, about 1/3 of which are from King County.

The question is, will that be enough to overpower 25-30 or so counties? The other large counties are pretty close, lean Rossi I believe.

[StevenNick]

What is a "crap" campaign? 

Seriously, from half way across the country, it is hard to envision how she managed not to win big.  Consider, sitting, popular state AG, Kerry and Murray carry the state with comfortable margins, yet five days after voting, she can't claim victory. 

Rossi ran on the "it's time for change in Olympia" platform, or in other words the "I'm not a Democrat and everyone else here is" platform. He looked good, folksy, and conversational at the end - Gregoire looked like an ice queen. We knew him at the end - we didn't know Gregoire. His ads were warm and friendly, even when he was attacking. Gregoire's were mechanical even when friendly.

This is as close as it could possibly be unless Gregoire had sky-dived from the space needle screaming "GRUNGE MUSIC WASN'T ALL THAT GOOD AND FLANNEL IS UGLY AS HELL."

Rossi was running a campaign based on issues.  Gregoire didn't seem to have any positions on anything.  She was running as "the democrat" and nothing more.  No personality, no opinions on the issues, just that magic "D" behind her name.  Obviously that kind of campaign has not paid off for her.  Even if she wins it will be by the slimmest of margins.

[bgwah]

Yeah she didn't even try. What a stupid bitch.

I still hope she wins, then we can be the first state with a skeleton as governor. YAY!

[Sam Spade]

As of right now:

Dino Rossi:  1,302,116  49.00%

Christine Gregoire:  1,297,098 48.81%

Ruth Bennett (L): 58,112 2.18%

Roughly a 5,000 vote lead.  Looks to me like another 50,000 or so ballots have been counted today.  I don't know from where, though.

[bgwah]

http://vote.wa.gov/general/status.aspx

That shows how many ballots are left to count and which counties they are from.

Still a very large amount from King County, once those are counted the race will be very very very close.

[Sam Spade]

Thanks for that link. 

My own personal bet is that the margin will probably +/- 5,000 votes in the end one way or the other.

[StevenNick]

Rossi's lead is up to 7259 votes as of about ten minutes ago.

[Sam Spade]

Rossi's lead is back down to about 3,500 votes, but there are now only approximately 25,000 ballots left from King County, almost roughly 85,000 left statewide.

[King]

Rossi now has a 4,000 vote lead with 74,965 ballots left to count.

[ATFFL]

Washington State Recount Law

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It must be both less than .5% and 2,000 votes.  This is most likely so tha tsmall offices, possibly some that get less than 2000 votes cast for them, do not always go to a recount, even when the result is 1,999 to 0.


Also, the current standings are:

Christine Gregoire............1345945......48.85%
Dino Rossi........................1347865......48.92%
Ruth Bennett....................61349..........2.22%

Rossi is up 1920 votes with 41,623 votes left to examine.

[The Vorlon]

[King]

Rossi by 46 votes

[Sam Spade]

With only approx. 750 votes Benton County (strong Rossi) outstanding, Gregoire leads by 13 votes.

Rossi will most likely win, the question is will it avoid a hand recount.

[ATFFL]

Rossi wins by 261.  No hand recount.