Snohomish County legislative race triggers automatic recount

More than three weeks after the general election, one Snohomish County legislative race is still so close that the results have triggered an automatic hand recount of about 69,000 ballots.

Mike Hope, a Seattle police officer making his third bid for the Legislature, leads Rep. Liz Loomis, D-Snohomish, in the 44th District by 118 votes. Loomis appeared to be the victor on Election Night with a margin of 2,000 votes.

The Snohomish County Auditor certified the general election results Tuesday. But because the difference between the two candidates is less than 150 votes, a hand recount is required by state law.

Hope was confident his lead would hold up.

"We feel really good going into the recount," he said, noting that history is on his side. The largest vote swing in a county recount was the highly contested 2004 race for governor, in which Christine Gregoire picked up 44 votes — out of about 300,000 cast. Her challenger, Dino Rossi, still won the county.

Opponents of a Marysville school levy in 2006 paid for a hand recount because the measure passed by only a handful of votes. The second tabulation changed the results by just one vote.

"The difference is always very small," said Snohomish County Auditor Carolyn Weikel.

In the Hope-Loomis race, the hand recount will begin Dec. 9 in the county ballot-tabulation center. The tally should be completed by Dec. 12 and will be certified Dec. 15, Weikel said.

Hope is already acting like the winner. He attended the state Republican Party caucus last week to help elect new leaders and plans to be in Olympia next week for freshman orientation.

The Hope-Loomis race was one of the most costly and bitter in the county. Both candidates issued attack-ad mailings, with Loomis criticizing Hope's anti-abortion position and Hope linking Loomis to tax increases passed by the Democratic Legislature.

Loomis was appointed to the Legislature in January after former representative John Lovick was elected Snohomish County sheriff.

Lynn Thompson: 206-464-8305 or lthompson@seattletimes.com