It’s a close contest between two Democrats for a Washington state House seat in the 33rd Legislative District.
As of Nov. 7, State Rep. Edwin Obras was leading with 11,343 votes compared to Kevin Schilling’s 10,702, according to King County Elections.
The 33rd Legislative District includes Burien, Normandy Park, Des Moines, SeaTac and much of Kent.
Schilling, the mayor of Burien, led Obras by 358 votes on election night, Nov. 4.
“We are excited we got a lot closer. We will keep looking at the numbers the next couple days but this is a good sign,” said John Wyble, Obras’s campaign advisor. “The most important thing is that every vote is counted.”
Schilling also preached patience citing the many ballots left to tally.
“We always knew no matter what it was going to be a close race,” he said. Noting his campaign knocked on 30,000 doors, he added, “Each vote matters. Each of those conversations is going to be a big difference maker here.”
Obras, from SeaTac, was appointed in December, filling the vacancy created when Democratic state Rep. Tina Orwall moved from the House to the Senate.
He was one of nine Democratic state lawmakers seeking to retain their seats in this year’s general election.
Schilling, served as political director for retired congressman Derek Kilmer. He enjoyed the backing of U.S. Rep. Adam Smith, D-Bellevue, Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove and Secretary of State Steve Hobbs.
Obras snagged endorsements from U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Seattle, state Superintendent Chris Reykdal and many House colleagues.
Schilling outspent Obras by a slight sum, $283,000 to Obras’ $237,000. But outside groups spent hundreds of thousands more on independent campaigns targeting each candidate.
County canvassing boards will certify local results on Nov. 25 and the secretary of state will certify the results of the general election no later than Dec. 4.
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Washington State Standard is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Washington State Standard maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Bill Lucia for questions: info@washingtonstatestandard.com. Follow Washington State Standard on Facebook and Twitter.
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