Election night leaders unchanged in updated Grant County tallies
GCFD 7 levy lift dips below percentage needed for approval.
Updated
EPHRATA — Six candidates leading contested Grant County races maintained their Election Night margins following an updated ballot count Wednesday evening.
The revised figures reflected only slight percentage changes from Tuesday’s initial tallies and all of the leaders were comfortably ahead with an estimated 8,000 ballot remaining to count.
For county courthouse positions, those candidates include Anson Bartrand of Beverly (assessor), Shannon Falstad of Ephrata (auditor), Kelly Raap of Ephrata (commissioner/District 3), Darrik Gregg of Moses Lake (sheriff), and Ken Chadwick of Moses Lake (superior court judge/Position 3).
None have held elective public office before. All ran as Republicans with the exception of the judge’s position, which is non-partisan. If they ultimately prevail, each will begin a new four-year term Jan. 1.
In another non-partisan race, incumbent Grant PUD commissioner Larry Schaapman of Quincy is headed toward a third 6-year term representing the utility’s Third District.
Wednesday’s ballot updates also showed slight gains for leaders in area congressional and state legislative contests. Republican Yakima County commissioner Amanda McKinney has received 54.4% of the vote against Democrat John Duresky of West Richland in their race to represent central Washington’s 4th Congressional District. The winner will succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside.
In the state’s 13th District House races, Position 1 incumbent Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, has received nearly 67% of the vote against Democrat Juan “Jerry” Garcia. For Position 2, Ellensburg city councilman Josh Thompson has a 52.5% advantage over fellow Republican Deanna Martinez of Moses Lake. They are vying for the House seat held by state Rep. Alex Ybarra, R-Quincy, who is unopposed for the state Senate with the pending retirement of longtime Sen. Judy Warnick, a Moses Lake Republican.
Counties in Washington are required to certify their results by Nov. 24 for submission to the Secretary of State’s Office, which must finalize all results statewide by Dec. 3.
Grant County’s election ballot also included four local funding propositions: three are continuing to pass, but one has dipped below the percentage needed for approval.
Grant County Public Hospital District No. 4’s proposed $9.94 million construction bond for expansion of McKay Healthcare in Soap Lake is passing at 64.8%, above the needed 60% mark; the City of Moses Lake’s public safety 0.1% sales tax increase is at 54.3%; it only needs a simple majority vote for approval; and the Wilson Creek Cemetery District’s maintenance-and-operations levy renewal is easily passing at 73.4%.
But a levy lift sought by Lakeview-based Grant County Fire District No. 7 is at 59.5% approval, just shy of the needed 60%. That equates to a difference of eight votes. The district is seeking to raise its property tax levy rate from 25 cents to 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation to provide additional funding for emergency medical services. Officials say calls for EMS responses in the greater Soap Lake area have grown significantly in recent years.
A non-binding advisory vote to gauge public sentiment on raising the county sales tax rate by 0.1% — once penny on every $10 purchase — is opposed by 59.8% of voters. The proposal was placed on the ballot by Grant County commissioners; supporters say revenue would be dedicated to expanding mental health, chemical dependency, and therapeutic court services.
Updated Grant County and regional election results as of Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026:
FEDERAL
4th Congressional District: Amanda McKinney, R-Yakima — 82,528 (54.4%); John Duresky, D-West Richland — 69,011 (45.5%).
STATE
13th Legislative District: Position 1: Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake — 21,387 (66.9%); Juan “Jerry” Garcia, D-Othello — 10,535 (33%). Position 2 — Joshua Thompson, R-Ellensburg — 14,299 (52.5%); Deanna Martinez, R-Moses Lake — 12,312 (45.2%).
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Election night leaders unchanged in updated Grant County tallies
GCFD 7 levy lift dips below percentage needed for approval.
EPHRATA — Six candidates leading contested Grant County races maintained their Election Night margins following an updated ballot count Wednesday evening.
The revised figures reflected only slight percentage changes from Tuesday’s initial tallies and all of the leaders were comfortably ahead with an estimated 8,000 ballot remaining to count.
For county courthouse positions, those candidates include Anson Bartrand of Beverly (assessor), Shannon Falstad of Ephrata (auditor), Kelly Raap of Ephrata (commissioner/District 3), Darrik Gregg of Moses Lake (sheriff), and Ken Chadwick of Moses Lake (superior court judge/Position 3).
None have held elective public office before. All ran as Republicans with the exception of the judge’s position, which is non-partisan. If they ultimately prevail, each will begin a new four-year term Jan. 1.
In another non-partisan race, incumbent Grant PUD commissioner Larry Schaapman of Quincy is headed toward a third 6-year term representing the utility’s Third District.
Wednesday’s ballot updates also showed slight gains for leaders in area congressional and state legislative contests. Republican Yakima County commissioner Amanda McKinney has received 54.4% of the vote against Democrat John Duresky of West Richland in their race to represent central Washington’s 4th Congressional District. The winner will succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside.
In the state’s 13th District House races, Position 1 incumbent Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, has received nearly 67% of the vote against Democrat Juan “Jerry” Garcia. For Position 2, Ellensburg city councilman Josh Thompson has a 52.5% advantage over fellow Republican Deanna Martinez of Moses Lake. They are vying for the House seat held by state Rep. Alex Ybarra, R-Quincy, who is unopposed for the state Senate with the pending retirement of longtime Sen. Judy Warnick, a Moses Lake Republican.
Counties in Washington are required to certify their results by Nov. 24 for submission to the Secretary of State’s Office, which must finalize all results statewide by Dec. 3.
Grant County’s election ballot also included four local funding propositions: three are continuing to pass, but one has dipped below the percentage needed for approval.
Grant County Public Hospital District No. 4’s proposed $9.94 million construction bond for expansion of McKay Healthcare in Soap Lake is passing at 64.8%, above the needed 60% mark; the City of Moses Lake’s public safety 0.1% sales tax increase is at 54.3%; it only needs a simple majority vote for approval; and the Wilson Creek Cemetery District’s maintenance-and-operations levy renewal is easily passing at 73.4%.
But a levy lift sought by Lakeview-based Grant County Fire District No. 7 is at 59.5% approval, just shy of the needed 60%. That equates to a difference of eight votes. The district is seeking to raise its property tax levy rate from 25 cents to 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation to provide additional funding for emergency medical services. Officials say calls for EMS responses in the greater Soap Lake area have grown significantly in recent years.
A non-binding advisory vote to gauge public sentiment on raising the county sales tax rate by 0.1% — once penny on every $10 purchase — is opposed by 59.8% of voters. The proposal was placed on the ballot by Grant County commissioners; supporters say revenue would be dedicated to expanding mental health, chemical dependency, and therapeutic court services.
Updated Grant County and regional election results as of Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026:
FEDERAL
4th Congressional District: Amanda McKinney, R-Yakima — 82,528 (54.4%); John Duresky, D-West Richland — 69,011 (45.5%).
STATE
13th Legislative District: Position 1: Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake — 21,387 (66.9%); Juan “Jerry” Garcia, D-Othello — 10,535 (33%). Position 2 — Joshua Thompson, R-Ellensburg — 14,299 (52.5%); Deanna Martinez, R-Moses Lake — 12,312 (45.2%).
GRANT COUNTY
Assessor: Anson Bartrand, R-Beverly — 8,217 (57.9%); Clayton Johnson, NP- Ephrata — 5,899 (41.6%).
Auditor: Shannon Falstad, R-Ephrata — 7,601 (56.9%); Darci Homesley, R-Moses Lake — 5,599 (41.9%).
Commissioner/District 3: Kelly Raap, R-Ephrata — 7,151 (54.1%); Shannon Durfee, R-Quincy — 5,873 (44.4%).
Sheriff: Darrik Gregg, R-Moses Lake — 7,653 (54.9%); Joey Kriete, R-Moses Lake — 6,156 (44.1%).
Superior Court Judge/Position 3: Ken Chadwick, NP-Moses Lake — 7,110 (53.8%); Trevor Bevier, NP-Soap Lake — 6,062 (46%).
Grant County PUD commissioner/District 3: Larry Schaapman, NP-Quincy — 9,877 (87.4%); write-in candidate(s) — 1,431 (12.7%).
Local funding propositions:
Proposition 1 advisory vote/sales tax increase for therapeutic services: Yes — 5,938 (40.2%); No — 8,844 (59.8%).
Grant County Hospital District No. 4/McKay Healthcare construction bond: Yes — 854 (64.8%); No — 465 (35.3%).
City of Moses Lake public safety tax: Yes — 1,947 (54.3%); No — 1,637 (45.7%).
Grant County Fire District 7 levy lift: Yes — 626 (59.3%); No — 430 (40.7%).
Wilson Creek Cemetery District M&O levy: Yes — 47 (73.4%); No — 17 (26.6%).