The heated race for two contested Pasco City Council seats was going to the incumbents in votes counted Tuesday.
Preliminary results showed Position 7 incumbent Tom Larsen leading with 2,137 votes, or 52 percent, to Todd Samuel's 1,942 votes, or 48 percent.
And Mike Garrison had a solid lead for the Position 2 seat with 2,489 votes, or 61 percent. Challenger Alecia Greenaway had 1,589 votes, or 39 percent.
Larsen's 195-vote lead appeared strong but mail-in ballots still will trickle in over the next few days, and Franklin County's election website said 800 ballots remained to be counted of the 6,823 ballots received by Tuesday. Turnout was 28.5 percent.
Larsen said he will wait for the election to be certified Nov. 24 before he starts to celebrate, but added that he's "pleased that the people of the city have confidence in me."
Samuel said Tuesday night that he enjoyed the race. "I really enjoyed the opportunity to get to know our city better."
Garrison said he was happy to be able to continue his longtime service to the city. He has served on the council for 22 years.
His campaign emphasis was to let "people know what I have done in the past and can be counted on to contribute to a good solid government in the future."
Greenaway, who was on her way home from the county annex, said she was pleased with the results of her first run. "I think (Garrison) and I had a great race," she said.
"I came out of nowhere and did a fabulous job at the polls, so things are good," she said.
Pasco Mayor Joyce Olson and councilman Bob Hoffmann also were up for re-election but were unopposed.
The next vote count is planned Friday.
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Yenney, who is finishing his first term in the District 1 position, received nearly 61 percent, or 2,806 votes. Andrew Johnson, a former real estate agent, received 1,797 votes, or 39 percent.
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Kennewick City Council: Loren Nichols takes second
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A political newcomer who campaigned on making illegal immigration a capital crime and having Kennewick declared an English language-only community will advance to the general election.
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A count of recently received ballots from last week's primary increased some candidates' leads and narrowed a few others but brought no changes in the lineup for the Nov. 8 general election.
Steve Young, Kennewick's Ward 3 councilman, still holds an easy two-to-one margin over the closest challenger, Loren Nichols, with 940 votes, for 62 percent.
Nichols, whose controversial stand against illegal immigration and call for Kennewick to be an English language-only city gave him media attention, earned nearly 26 percent, or 393 of the 1,523 ballots cast.
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