The race is getting tighter for the second spot on the November ballot in the District 1 race for Island County commissioner.

In the latest vote tally released late Wednesday, no-party candidate Curt Gordon has pulled to within 31 votes of second place. Incumbent Republican Phil Bakke remains in second in votes counted so far, with 1,708, while Gordon now has 1,677 votes.

In the first vote tally on Election Day, Bakke was in front of Gordon by 80 votes.

Both trailed leader Democrat Helen Price Johnson, who slightly increased her lead in the four-way race on Wednesday.

In the second vote count released by Island County, Price Johnson was ahead with 3,995 total votes, or 46 percent of ballots counted so far – up one point from Tuesday’s count.

Price Johnson is one of three candidates hoping to unseat Bakke, the incumbent.

Republican Reece Rose remains in fourth place with 1,225 votes.

Bakke has 19.8 percent of the vote so far, while Gordon has 19.4 percent and Rose, 14 percent.

In the first vote tally Tuesday evening, Price Johnson led with 45 percent of the vote out of 6,973 ballots cast in the race. Bakke was second with 20 percent of the vote; Gordon collected 19 percent, while Rose had 14 percent.

Under Washington's new, top-two primary, the two candidates with the most votes, regardless of party, will advance to the November general election.

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