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CONTACT THE ENTERPRISE Jocelyn Robinson, News editor jrobinson@heraldnet.com

Gough on track to keep job

Lynnwood mayor is one of several incumbents leading in early returns

By Oscar Halpert
For the Enterprise

Several incumbents were holding their own in early election returns Tuesday.

Lynnwood Mayor Don Gough was beating longtime Councilman Jim Smith 55 percent to 45 percent. In Edmonds, 12-year veteran Councilman Michael Plunkett was leading challenger Priya Cloutier 63 percent to 37 percent.

Meanwhile, city leaders are feeling a sense of relief with voters turning down Tim Eyman’s latest attempt to curb government consumption of tax dollars. Initiative 1033 was falling well short of passing.

Local elections officials said they expected to count ballots through Friday.

Gough, who served on the Lynnwood City Council for 10 years, is seeking his second term as mayor. He far outspent Smith, who has served continuously on the council since 1988 and has run three unsuccessful campaigns for mayor.

Records show Gough raised $28,834.46 while Smith raised $8,638.36.

“When this whole election started, we were really the underdogs,” Smith said. “We had some points we needed to get across and I think the people are starting to understand that.”

Gough could not be reached for comment.

Lynnwood Council

Councilwoman Ruth Ross trailed newcomer Kerri Lonergan in the race for Position 3. Lonergan, a corporate executive, led Ross, an eight-year council veteran, 63 percent to 36 percent.

“I’m very humbled by the voters tonight and I intend to work hard to represent them,” Lonergan said.

In a race of two newcomers, Kimberly Cole, who stepped down from her Stevens Hospital board position to seek a council seat, led challenger Dan Swank, a business owner, 58 percent to 42 percent.

“I’ve had better days but I can say we gave them a good run for the money,” Swank said.

Incumbent Councilman Mark Smith led activist Craig Parsons 56 percent to 44 percent for Position 2.

Edmonds City Council

Plunkett was leading Cloutier for Position 1 as well as in fundraising, bringing in $33,573.56 with Cloutier raising $27,393.02.

Incumbent Strom Peterson led Diane Buckshnis 54 percent to 46 percent. Peterson was appointed last year to a vacant seat.

Adrienne Fraley-Monillas was leading former councilor Lora Petso 54 percent to 45 percent. Like other candidates, Fraley-Monillas ran a campaign focused on controlling spending.

I-1033

Initiative 1033 was trailing 56.2 percent to 43.8 percent statewide. In Snohomish County, where Eyman resides, the measure was failing 54.5 percent to 45.5 percent.

Fueled by big donations from unions, the No on 1033 campaign raked in $3.48 million as of Tuesday. That’s nearly six times what the Mukilteo initiative promoter collected.

Eyman, in an e-mail to supporters election night, said he’ll be back in 2010. “Taxpayers all over Washington are counting on us to keep fighting for them — we won’t let them down.”

Oscar Halpert writes for the Herald in Everett. Herald reporter Jerry Cornfield also contributed to this report.