Still too close to call, 31 vote difference

EPHRATA - Daylight appeared Wednesday between two Republican candidates for Grant County commissioner as election officials continued counting a day after the state's primary.

Cindy Carter, of Royal City, crept from two votes behind to 31 ahead of opponent Eric Briggs, of Ephrata.

The two candidates are running for county commissioner District No. 3, a four-year post currently held by Deborah Moore, who has opted not to seek a third term.

As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, Carter received 1,172 votes, or 50.5 percent. Briggs took 1,141 votes, or about 49.2 percent.

A machine recount is automatically triggered when the top two candidates are separated by no more than one-half of 1 percent of the total votes cast for both. Either candidate can request a recount, but must fund it.

Faith Anderson, of the Grant County Auditor's Office, said about 1,350 total ballots - possibly Republican, Democratic or nonpartisan - remain outstanding and should be counted today.

Briggs, 35, said voters have spoken, but it was a "whisper."

Grant County, he said, benefited most from the hard fought campaign and the election's razor-thin margin.

"These elections force you to get out there and talk with the voters and we've both done that," Briggs said. "A lot of great issues have been identified during the race. Whoever is elected must now work even harder to address them."

Briggs runs Go Tags in Ephrata, a business selling ID tags for pets. He's the District 3 chairman of the Grant County Republican Party. He was endorsed by the party for county commissioner.

Carter, who insists "I'm not a politician, I'm just the average American," said she drew a strong block of support in south Grant County.

"I ran because I'm really, truly concerned about other people," said Carter, who was denied an endorsement by the Republican Party. "People know I'm dependable, reliable and personable."

Carter, 39, operates a farm with her husband. She has been endorsed by the state Farm Bureau.

A Democratic candidate for county commissioner, Alan Schrom of Royal City, qualified for the general election in a write-in campaign.

All Grant County elections are certified Sept. 29.