Soap Lake general election update
NANCE BESTON | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 months, 1 week AGO
SOAP LAKE – As of Wednesday at 5 p.m., both Soap Lake Council members Andrew Arnold and Kayleen Bryson have been re-elected by voters, both running unopposed. Rebecca Leavell is leading in the Soap Lake school board position five. The Soap Lake mayoral race is still too close to call. According to the Grant County Auditor, there are still around 4,600 ballots left to count. Around 10,000 ballots have been counted already.
Council
As of the last ballot count, Arnold received 149 votes, with 11 write-in responses. He ran unopposed. Arnold was appointed by the city council at the April 16 meeting. Bryson received 168 votes with four write-in responses. She ran unopposed. She was elected in 2021 during an unopposed election.
Mayor
The Soap Lake Mayoral race is still too close to call, with 103 votes for incumbent Peter Sharp and 90 write-in responses.
Council member Karen Woodhouse ran in opposition to Sharp as a write-in candidate. It is unknown at this time how many of the write-in votes are for Woodhouse.
School
Rebecca Leavell is leading the polls for position five. She has 244 votes or nearly 58% of the vote. Mark Novick has received 174 votes or nearly 41% of the vote. There were five write-in responses.
Incumbent Donald Clark ran unopposed for school director position two; he has received 347 votes with 7 write-in responses.
The 2025 general election will be certified Nov. 20.
ARTICLES BY NANCE BESTON
Soap Lake council tables tourism committee plan, debates planning services
SOAP LAKE — Soap Lake City Council approved several administrative resolutions Wednesday but postponed decisions on tourism funding and planning services after an hours‑long discussion over staffing, contracts and oversight.
Soap Lake council unanimously votes no-confidence in Mayor Sharp
SOAP LAKE – The Soap Lake City Council unanimously passed a vote of no-confidence against Mayor Peter Sharp Wednesday evening, taking effect immediately after passage. Councilmember Kayleen Bryson read the resolution as the only comment on the matter. Sharp did not comment during the meeting.
Measles reported in Grant County
EPHRATA — Grant County health officials are urging families to check their vaccination records after two unvaccinated children in the same household tested positive for measles, marking the county’s first confirmed infections of 2026. Grant County Health District said it was notified on March 17 that both children, who were recently exposed during international travel, had contracted the virus. One child was briefly hospitalized; both are now recovering at home. Health Officer Dr. Alexander Brzezny said the cases underscore how quickly measles can spread — and how effectively it can be prevented.
