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0000017b-f971-ddf0-a17b-fd73f4140000Coverage of the 2018 Elections in Spokane, throughout the region, and across the country. Support for SPR Election reporting is provided by Spokane Journal of Business, Express Employment Professionals, and SPR members.Click here for a list of 2018 Election Coverage Special Events

McMorris Rodgers-Brown Congressional Race Unexpectedly Tight

Doug Nadvornick/SPR

UPDATED at 10:35 pm

With the first round of primary election results in, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Kettle Falls) has a slim lead over Democrat Lisa Brown in their Fifth Congressional District race. McMorris Rodgers has 47.5% of the vote to 47% for Brown. In Spokane County, Brown leads with 51.4% of the vote to 44% for McMorris Rodgers.

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) will face off against former state Republican Party chairwoman Susan Hutchison in November for the right to keep her seat. Cantwell won 55% of the vote in a race that featured 29 candidates. Hutchison won nearly 24%.

In the Third, Fourth, Seventh and Ninth Legislative Districts, the incumbents are all winning. In the Sixth, it's a different story. With Republican Michael Baumgartner leaving to run for Spokane County treasurer, Rep. Jeff Holy (R-Cheney) is in a tough race with Democrat Jessa Lewis. Lewis holds at 51-49% lead. Holy's seat will be filled by either Democrat Dave Wilson or Republican Jenny Graham. Wilson has nearly 43% of the vote in a four-person race; Graham has 31%. Democrat Kay Murano is leading one-term incumbent Rep. Mike Volz (R-Spokane), 53-47%.

Incumbent Spokane County Commissioner Mary Kuney leads fellow Republican Rob Chase by 19 percentage points in her bid for re-election. They'll run against each other again in November. More surprisingly, Democrat Robbi Katherine Anthony leads long-time Republican incumbent Commissioner Al French by 16 percentage points.

Two Republicans are vying for an open county assessor position, with Leonard Christian collecting 56% of the vote to Tom Konis's 44%. State Senator Michael Baumgartner leads Democrat David Green (54-46%) for county treasurer. Republican County Clerk Tim Fitzgerald leads Democrat Michael Kirk by a 52-48% margin. Republican Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich has a seven-to-one vote lead over Scott Maclay. Randy Brandt and Patrick Johnson are the two leading vote getters for a District Court seat.

See Washington state results here and Spokane County election results here.