Lewis County Auditor Larry Grove locks the ballot box as ballots prepare to be counted Tuesday night at the Lewis County Historical Courthouse in Chehalis.
In the race for Centralia City Council Position 1 at-large, the two first-time candidates have been neck-and-neck since Tuesday.
Matt Evans, initially ahead by less than 20 votes, now trails Elizabeth Cameron by 16 votes as of Thursday.
Challenger Kelly Smith Johnston continues to lead in the Centralia City Council Position 2 at-large race against incumbent Lee Coumbs after the third batch of results was released Thursday.
Smith Johnston now has 56.052 percent of the vote to Coumbs’ 42.95 percent.
The Chronicle contacted Smith Johnston for comment on the preliminary votes and she said she is encouraged by the results.
“I believe Centralia is ready for change. I am looking forward to being a member of the City Council and providing thoughtful leadership to help the city flourish as we grow,” she said.
Smith Johnston mentioned citizens’ hopes for improvements including: neighborhood roads, code enforcement for safety and security, developing partnerships with community leaders and a plan for the future.
Peter Abbarno ran unopposed collecting 1,927 votes, shows the preliminary results from the Lewis County Elections website.
