Warren McLeod, the incumbent Lewis County coroner running for his fifth and final time, is far ahead of challenger Jessica Stickley, according to preliminary election results.
As of 8:04 p.m. Tuesday, McLeod had received 54.97% of the 31,582 votes cast in the race, a total of 17,362 votes.
Stickley had received 44.69%, a total of 14,114 votes.
Write-in candidates received 106 votes, 0.34% of the total.
A total of 33,294 ballots had been counted as of election night, a voter turnout of 55%.
An updated ballot count is expected on Wednesday afternoon. The election will be certified on Nov. 24, 21 days after election day.
McLeod, a Republican, has served as Lewis County coroner since 2011. Stickley, an independent, is a former Lewis County Coroner’s Office employee.
McLeod and Stickley were the top two vote-getters in the August primary election, surpassing Lewis County Coroner’s Office Deputy Chief Chelsie Niemcziek.
“I’m pretty excited,” McLeod told The Chronicle Tuesday night after preliminary results were posted. “Happy to see that it looks like the voters are giving me my request of another four-year term, my last four-year term. So I’d be able to continue to serve the people of Lewis County.”
McLeod congratulated Stickley and applauded her for choosing to run.
“A lot of people are in a position where they say they can do a better job and sit back and don’t step up and do anything,” McLeod said.
“She did very well,” he added later.
McLeod first took over as coroner from Terry Wilson after defeating former DEA agent Micheal Hurley in the 2010 election.
At the time, McLeod was a forensics professor at South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) in Olympia. He has continued to teach as an adjunct professor at SPSCC and Grays Harbor College.
After winning in 2010, McLeod ran unopposed every cycle until this year.
McLeod previously told The Chronicle he will not run for Lewis County coroner again.
“If I win the election, this will be my last term,” McLeod said. “If I do win, after the next term, it'll be time to turn the reins over. It would be 20 years.”
