Lewis County Sirens.com

Lewis County coroner candidate Warren McLeod talks with supporters after learning the election numbers Tuesday night. Next to him is Maleea Morales, a Centralia fifth-grader who got school credit for assisting with McLeod's campaign

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

This news story was updated with a concession from Hurley at 9:10 a.m. today Wednesday Nov. 3, 2010

CHEHALIS – Lewis County will be getting a new coroner after almost 30 years and it looks like it will be Warren McLeod.

Community college instructor McLeod has captured almost 55 percent of the votes while retired DEA agent Micheal Hurley got just over 45 percent.

There are still more ballots to be counted, and Lewis County Auditor Gary Zandell says it “arithmetically possible” for the lead to switch.

McLeod however, was ecstatic.

“I have almost 55 percent of the vote, it means I got the message out,” he said Tuesday night at the Historic Courthouse in Chehalis.

The 51-year-old said he sees a lot of work ahead so he can hit the ground running in January. He said he doesn’t know yet what kind of transition outgoing coroner Terry Wilson is interested in.

He’ll work with Wilson, “as much as he’ll work with me,” McLeod said. “I’ll get in touch with him.”

McLeod worked at the corners office in Las Vegas, Nevada, for almost 10 years before moving to Chehalis in December 2008 when he took a job as a professor of forensics at South Puget Sound Community College in Olympia.

Hurley, a Mossyrock resident, didn’t come to the courthouse to hear the ballot count.

Micheal Hurley

He said he was attending a a veterans function, a commitment he made some time ago. Hurley didn’t return a phone call for comment Tuesday night.

Hurley conceded this morning with the following  brief message: “I lost, but won my freedom,” he wrote. “I met some very good people during this journey and met others who I am glad I don’t have to put up with for the next four years.”

With retired Centralia police officer Bradd Reynolds as his campaign manager, the 70-year-old raised $7,014, according to information available this weekend from the state Public Disclosure Commission. Hurley loaned $4,329 of that to his campaign.

McLeod has raised $6,247. His campaign manger Steve Carmick, retired Chehalis attorney, accompanied him to the courthouse tonight

The initial tally gives McLeod 10,346 votes and Hurley 8,477

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Read more about election night and the races for Lewis County sheriff and Lewis County prosecutor by scrolling down.

Look at all the preliminary election results available on the Auditors Office website.

Look up details on how much money each candidate has raised and spent by looking at PDC reports available from the Public Disclosure Commission.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The sheriff’s race is not clear enough to call tonight, with challenger Sgt. Ken Cheeseman nearly closing the gap between him and Lewis County Sheriff Steve Mansfield that existed in the primary.

Mansfield leads tonight with 51.47 percent while challenger Cheeseman has 48.53 percent.

Ken Cheeseman

Cheeseman was clearly delighted when he spoke briefly about the initial outcome.

“I’m thinking, great,” Cheeseman said. He is working tonight and spoke on his cell phone from the side of the road in Randle.

“It sounds close. I knew it’s be a close race,” he said. “We’ll take it right down to the wire.”

The 53-year-old Randle resident has not run for office before. He decided to challenge his boss following a controversy last year when deputies questioned Mansfield’s actions in handling a case that involved the sheriff’s son’s girlfriend.

“Ya know, the people wanted change,” Cheeseman said.

Mansfield attended a party with supporters at Kit Carson restaurant tonight and spoke afterward.

Steve Mansfield

“I’m in the lead; I always keep a positive attitude about things,” Mansfield said. “That’s the way I’m gonna look at it until the numbers are all in.

“If there’s a message here from the other voters, I’ve always said it’s their office.”

The sheriff said he was perhaps “a little” surprised, less than some of his supporters.

“It comes down to asking the public, do you want what we’ve given you the past six years, ’cause it’s special” the Winlock Republican said. “If so, I’m willing to do it another four years.”

At this time the night of the primary election, Cheeseman had only 40.87 percent of the votes.

According to information available this weekend from the state Public Disclosure Commission, Mansfield spent $12, 025 on his campaign and Cheeseman spent $4,610.

With ballots counted from more than half the county’s registered voters, Mansfield has 10,763 votes and Cheeseman has 10,149.

Jonathan Meyer is interviewed at the courthouse in Chehalis tonight after election numbers gave him what appears to be a big win in the prosecutor's race

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Supporters for Jonathan Meyer were gleeful when the election numbers were read tonight giving the challenger for Lewis County prosecutor just over 66 percent of the votes.

The Centralia defense attorney said he’s got work to do, to start getting ready for a new role.

“I’m just humbled by all the support,” Meyer said. “I think people thought there were issues with the prosecutors office. We’ve got cases to get ready for and that’s what we’re going to do.”

With ballots counted from more than half the registered voters in Lewis County, the numbers show its a “done deal” with Meyer beating Lewis County Prosecutor Michael Golden, according to longtime Lewis County Auditor Gary Zandell.

The preliminary results give Meyer 13,393 votes and Golden 6,815.

It’s a reversal of four years ago when initial tallies in the race for prosecutor gave Golden an overwhelming lead with almost 64 percent over attorney Don Blair.

Meyer, 39, began practicing law in 1996 at what is now McConnell, Meyer and Associates. He raised more than $32,000 during his campaign, compared with about $21,000 Golden was able to raise.

The Republican was accompanied by his wife Michelle and daughters, Payton and Emily at the historic Lewis County Courthouse in Chehalis tonight.

Golden wasn’t there and didn’t return phone calls for comment to his home and cell phone.

Meyer said he will begin transitioning on Thursday.

For existing clients, if that means getting them another attorney if their case is not finished by January, that’s what he’ll do, he said.

As for clients he has represented, whose cases are still pending in court: “We’ll have a conflict wall in place where I won’t have anything to do with their cases,” he said tonight.

“If they need to be handled by an outside prosecutor, we’ll do that,” he said.

Jonathan Meyer, in red tie, with his wife to his right and his daughters in front of him wait to hear the election numbers tonight at the historic Lewis County Courthouse in Chehalis

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Prosecutor challenger Jonathan Meyer was at the courthouse in Chehalis tonight, but incumbent Michael Golden was not.

Lewis County Sheriff Steve Mansfield stayed at a party held at Kit Carson in Chehalis. Challenger Ken Cheeseman is on the road working.

Coroner candidate Warren McLeod came to the courthouse with some of his supporters. Candidate Micheal Hurley is at a veterans function, an evening commitment he said he made some time ago.

Look at all the preliminary election results available on the Auditors Office website.

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More to come

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – I’m still waiting to hear back from Michael Golden and Sheriff Steve Mansfield …

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More to come

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Sgt. Ken Cheeseman nearly closed the gap between him and Lewis County Steve Mansfield that existed in the primary.

Mansfield leads tonight with 51.47 percent while challenger Cheeseman has 48.53 percent.

Zandell says the outcome of that race can change.

“I’m thinking, great,” Cheeseman said in a brief phone conversation. He is working tonight and spoke from the side of the road in Randle.

“It sounds close. I knew it’d be a close race. We’ll take it right down to the wire.”

At this time the night of the primary election, Cheeseman had only 40.87 percent of the votes.

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More to come

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – In the race for a new Lewis County coroner, community college instructor Warren McLeod has captured almost 55 percent of the votes while retired DEA agent Micheal Hurley got just over 45 percent.

Is it possible there are enough votes still to be counted to change that? Yes, says, Lewis County Auditor Gary Zandell.

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More to come