COEUR d'ALENE - Incumbents lead.

Familiar Republican names appeared to be on their way to legislative victories, according to preliminary election results posted early this morning.

One open seat, District 4 Position B previously held by a Democrat, was leaning toward the red.

Republican Kathy Sims, running against Democrat Paula Marano for the seat vacated by retired Rep. George Sayler, D-Coeur d'Alene, was leading with 56 percent of the vote by midnight - 3,370 to 2,646.

"So far it feels really good. It would be really nice," said Sims about holding on to the lead.

Seven of 24 precincts were tallied by Press deadline. "I'm just going to be like everyone else and watch the screen."

Joining Sims in early leads were Republican incumbents Phil Hart, Marge Chadderdon, Bob Nonini, John Goedde, and Dick Harwood.

Chadderdon took an early lead with 60 percent of the vote, 3,616 to 2,379 against Democrat Mike Bullard in the race for Legislative District 4 Position A.

Seven of the 24 precincts had been counted.

Hart, who was facing write-in candidate Howard Griffiths for the District 3 Position B seat, was leading with 74 percent. Two out of 22 precincts had been counted as of midnight.

"I'm ready to move on to what comes next," Hart said, watching the results start to come in at the GOP headquarters off U.S. 95. "I felt like I needed to do a lot of work, not to beat the write-in, but to restore my reputation."

Griffiths decided to run against Hart as a write-in after news surfaced that Hart had hundreds of thousands of dollars in liens filed on his property by the federal government. Hart also recently paid back the state after it was discovered the legislator seeking his fourth term took timber from state land years ago to build his Athol home.

Griffiths said he entered the race so Hart wouldn't run unopposed after his issues came up after the May primary election.

"Next time it will be a little bit different I think," said Griffiths, who wouldn't rule out another run at office. "I've learned some things since I've gotten into this thing."

Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene, had 71.31 percent of the vote for the Senate's District 4 seat. With 5 of the 24 precincts tallied, he had 3,638 votes, besting Jeremy Boggess, I-Coeur d'Alene, and Raymond Writz, a Constitution Party member from Coeur d'Alene.

Goedde said he was cautiously optimistic watching the results come in.

"I didn't have a major party candidate run against me, which certainly made my prognosis a little easier," he said.

Boggess all but conceded the race near midnight.

"Hopefully we'll come back next time and help contribute to our community," he said.

With six of 26 precincts reporting, incumbent Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d'Alene, led David Larsen, D-Coeur d'Alene, in the District 5 Representative Seat A race. Nonini had received 3,653 votes (71.68 percent) to Larsen's 1,443.

"I was not nervous, but I was anxious," Nonini said. " I did not take this (election) lightly."

Harwood, the Republican incumbent from St. Maries, was ahead of Democrat challenger Jon Ruggles in the race for District 2 Representative Seat B. In Kootenai County, Harwood received 567 votes (68.89 percent) out of 823. In Shoshone County, Harwood garnered 2,287 votes and Ruggles received 1,544.

For up to date results, go to cdapress.com.