Update: Upset in Prosser, Benton City gets new mayor + West Richland council

Voters in Prosser and Benton City have selected new mayors.

The latest results from Tuesday’s election show Prosser’s longtime mayor, Randy Taylor, is losing his reelection bid to a challenger while Benton City will get a new mayor after Linda Lehman did not seek reelection.

Election results were updated late Wednesday. The off-year election is focused on nonpartisan local races for city leadership, school board, port commissioner and similar local roles.

Results reflect the 19,800 ballots returned by 5 p.m., Friday. The election will be certified at 11 a.m., Nov. 28.

Here are the most current results as of Tuesday evening for municipal elections in Prosser, Benton City and West Richland.

City of Prosser

Mayor

Gary Vegar will be Prosser’s next mayor after posting an insurmountable lead over longtime mayor Randy Taylor in preliminary results. Vergar had 779 votes to Taylor’s 297, or 72% to 27.5%.

Vegar is a Prosser businessman who owns a brewery and restaurant.

City council

Pos. 4: Marciela Sanchez, an anesthesiologist at Kadlec Regional Medical Center, is leading Jim Chesley, who works in the energy industry, with 594 votes to 467, or 56% to 44%.

Pos. 5: Carolina Warwick, a wine industry employee and business owner, is leading Devin Matheney, an electrician, with 612 votes to 394, or 61% to 39%.

Pos. 4: Steven W. Becken ran unopposed.

Pos. 7: Anna Kellogg, who touted her experience as a union leader at Prosser Memorial Hospital, was leading Stephanie Groom, the incumbent, by 702 votes to 325, or 68% to 31.5%.

City of West Richland

City council

Pos. 7: Incumbent Kate Moran , a Navy veteran who works for the Department of Energy, was winning her reelection race over challenger David Cole, also a Navy veteran who has worked at the Hanford site for 23 years, by 1,869 votes to 1,595, or 54% to 46%.

Pos. 5: David Fetto was unopposed

Pos. 6: Fred Brink was unopposed

City of Benton City

Mayor

Len Burton was leading former Benton City City Councilman Jake Mokler in the race to be Benton City’s next mayor, succeeding Linda Lehman, who did not run for reelection. Burton had 285 votes to Mokler’s 201, or 58% to 41%.

City council

Pos. 3: David Sandretto was unopposed.

Pos. 4: Sarah Funk was unopposed

Pos. 5: Dyana M.G. Alcazar was unopposed

This story was originally published November 7, 2023 at 9:16 PM.

Wendy Culverwell

Tri-City Herald

Reporter Wendy Culverwell writes about growth, development and business for the Tri-City Herald. She has worked for daily and weekly publications in Washington and Oregon. She earned a degree in English and economics from the University of Puget Sound. Support my work with a digital subscription