EPHRATA — Incumbent Superior Court Judge John D. Knodell appears to be on the way to re-election, leading challenger Deputy Prosecutor Kevin J. McCrae by just over seven points as of Tuesday night.

The contested election followed years-long contention between Knodell and the prosecutor’s office.

In an interview Tuesday night, Knodell said that he was gratified by the results of his first contested election since he first ran for the judicial office.

“I would have preferred to run unopposed of course, but I think the race has been a good thing,” Knodell said in an interview Tuesday night. “It’s forced an open discussion about the way we’re delivering justice in Grant County, and I think that’s a good thing.”

“I’m not claiming victory here,” Knodell quickly added, “but whether I do or not, I hope the conversation we’ve had during this campaign will continue.”

McCrae on the other hand, appeared ready to concede the race Tuesday night, saying that he expects to continue to serve Grant County as its deputy prosecutor. However, McCrae was less bullish on Knodell’s showing than Knodell was, stating that he hoped the longtime incumbent was given pause by the closeness of the race.

“I hope he realizes something else has to change,” McCrae said.

McCrae, 44, wouldn’t say definitively whether he would run for election again, saying only that he still has “lots of career left.”

Emry Dinman can be reached at edinman@columbiabasinherald.com.