Sammamish defeats ST3, Rodne in final vote count

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Sammamish residents narrowly defeated Sound Transit 3. The greater Klahanie area supported the $54bn mass transit program by votes although seven of the 13 precincts opposed it. Two precincts in the far northeast part of the City that are not colored are outside the Sound Transit taxing district. Click on the image to enlarge, then click on it again. Map and analysis by Sammamish Comment.

Sammamish voters defeated Sound Transit 3, an analysis of the final precinct vote results revealed. This mirrors the trend at the mid-point in the vote counting.

ST3 was narrowly defeated, 51.2% to 48.8%, about the same as the mid-point analysis, in final precinct data released by King County Elections Nov. 30.

The great Klahanie area supported ST3 51.2% to 48.8%, although the results were split: six of the 13 precincts voted against ST3.

The portion of Sammamish in the 41st Legislative District (the southern half of the City, delineated by SE8th St.) rejected ST3 by 53% to 47%. The portion in the 45th LD (the northern half) rejected ST3 by 50.36% to 49.63%, with just 46 votes between the Approve and Reject tallies.

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Final Nov. 8 election results; Precinct analysis to come

Final results for the Nov. 8 election, posted last night by King, Pierce and Snohomish counties and Washington State, for the races and propositions affecting Sammamish, show no surprises from initial election night results.

Sammamish Comment called all but a handful of races on election night and the Too Close To Call races within the first week.

The only race that maintained suspense was for the 5th Legislative District State Senate race between incumbent Democrat Mark Mullet and Republican challenger Chad Magendanz. Mullet led by nearly 3,000 votes on election night with a six point spread in the percentages. The Comment called the race for Mullet then, noting that since 1999, final results didn’t waver by more than 1%-2% from election night.

In this case, however, Mullet’s lead shrank as votes were counted to a low of 509 and by less than a one point spread. The race concluded with 515 votes and 0.69% separating the two. Magendanz conceded Nov. 23.

The 5th LD includes the greater Klahanie area within Sammamish.

Sound Transit 3

The $54bn Sound Transit 3 proposal passed by a 54% result, but this was no area-wide mandate for the agency. Pierce County voters thumped the $27bn tax hike, giving only a 44% approval. Snohomish County barely approved the plan, with a 51%-49% result.

King County, largely on the strength of Seattle, approved it by a 57% margin.

Midway through counting, Sammamish was rejecting the plan by a 51% margin.

Certification and Precinct breakdown

Certification of the comes today. King County releases the precinct voting results tomorrow. Sammamish Comment will analyze Sammamish voting in selected races and report later this week.

The full election tally for selected Sammamish races is below.

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“Save Sammamish” formalizes, talks growth, trees, roads and budgets at first meeting

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Jennifer Kim

A group on Facebook that has about 1,000 followers formalized last night with its first meeting, at the Klahanie Fire Station 83 at Issaquah-Pine Lake Road and SE 32nd.

“Save Sammamish” is a group that discussed growth issues on Facebook. Created by Jennifer Kim, a two-year resident of Sammamish who moved here from California, the Facebook conversations are active if sometimes heated.

Kim distinguished herself from a large crowd in September when, during public comment at a City Council meeting discussing the prospect of a building moratorium, she came armed with facts and figures on a citywide basis instead of personal stories and emotional pleas.

About two dozen people attended the launch meeting, including Council Members Christie Malchow, Tom Hornish and Ramiro Valderrama. Council members Don Gerend, Kathy Huckabay, Bob Keller and Tom Odell did not attend.

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Rossi, Nixon, Hussey nominated for Andy Hill’s seat; Valderrama passes

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Ramiro Valderrama

Precinct committeemen of the 45th Legislative District selected Dino Rossi, Toby Nixon and Joel Hussey as their candidates to forward to the King County Council to fill the vacancy on an interim basis created by the death of State Sen. Andy Hill, a Republican.

Sammamish Deputy Mayor Ramiro Valderrama, who just lost his bid for the State House for the 45th, as a Republican, was nominated but withdrew his name to concentrate on his current duties as a City Councilman.

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Mullet lead narrows again, but too few votes remain for Magendanz to overtake

Votes counted by King County Elections over the weekend and today continued to narrow the lead of incumbent State Sen. Mark Mullet, a Democrat, against a strong challenge from Republican Chad Magendanz, but there are too few remaining votes outstanding for the latter to overcome a deficit and unseat the former, according to a Sammamish Comment analysis.

Mullet holds the 5th Legislative District seat. The 5th encompasses the greater Klahanie area of Sammamish.

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