Wilson takes lead in Superior Court Judge race

As of 4:33 p.m. Nov. 4, with 86,866 votes counted, Joe Wilson has the lead in the Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Position 2 race with 34,745 votes for 40 percent of the vote, and the other candidates seemed ready to acknowledge him as the victor by Nov. 4.

David Hulbert received 13,922 votes for 16.03 percent of the vote. He complimented Wilson on "a well-run campaign and a sizable victory," and wished Wilson the best in his new position.

"I hope he enjoys it as much as I did," Hulbert said. "I live in Snohomish County, so I'm not going anywhere. I'll be continuing my arbitration and mediation practice."

Rico Tessandore received 25,849 votes for 29.76 percent of the vote. He congratulated Wilson, but also considered his own campaign successful as a first effort.

"It shows the importance of running twice," Tessandore said.

Tessandore and Scott Peterson, who received 7,183 votes for 8.27 percent of the vote, both praised The Marysville Globe and The Arlington Times for publishing question-and-answer articles with responses from all the candidates.

"I think Joe Wilson is a good person, and he was nice to me throughout the campaign," Peterson said. "When I talked to people, I found that those who had read the voters pamphlets were voting for me, but a majority of voters still voted for Joe, so next time, I'll rely on more than just the voters pamphlets. Still, I think he's a really good guy who will make good decisions, so the people have made a good choice."

If his numbers hold, Wilson plans to close down his practice and looks forward to serving on the Superior Court bench.

"I'm prepared for the hard work this will require and I'm honored by the opportunity given to me by the citizens of Snohomish County," Wilson said. "This has been a grueling process, but I've made so many new friends."

Scott Lord, who received 4,668 votes for 5.37 percent of the vote, did not respond to requests for an interview.