Steele maintains lead as Adams widens advantage for second

NORTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON — Rep. Mike Steele maintained a commanding lead Wednesday afternoon in the race for Washington's 12th Legislative District State Representative Position 2 seat, while Democrat Maggie Adams widened her advantage over Republican Adam James for the second spot in November's general election.

In Chelan County, Steele received 9,332 votes (52.48%), followed by James with 4,673 (26.28%) and Adams with 3,768 (21.19%).

Because Washington's top-two primary advances the two candidates receiving the most votes regardless of party affiliation, the contest has centered on which two candidates will move on to the November general election.

The 12th Legislative District also includes portions of Snohomish and King counties. In King County, Adams led the field with 3,291 votes (50.88%), followed by Steele with 1,934 (29.90%) and James with 1,230 (19.02%). In Snohomish County, Adams again led with 2,929 votes (46.34%), followed by Steele with 1,732 (27.41%) and James with 1,651 (26.12%).

Across the district, Steele led with 12,998 votes (42.52%), followed by Adams with 9,988 (32.67%) and James with 7,554 (24.71%), positioning Steele and Adams to advance to the November general election if the results hold.

Steele, a Republican from Chelan, is seeking his sixth term in the Washington House after first being elected in 2016. His campaign has emphasized support for small businesses, agriculture and rural communities.

James, a Republican from Wenatchee, is making his first run for elected office after spending his career in ministry. He is the co-founder of Grace City Church in Sunnyslope.

Adams, a Democrat and union representative from Snoqualmie, is also seeking office for the first time. Her campaign has emphasized healthcare access, labor protections and affordability.

As Steele said Tuesday night, he was "proud of the positive campaign" he has run and of the bipartisan record he has built in the district, saying he believed those were the issues voters rewarded in the primary.

Washington will continue counting ballots received by Election Day throughout the week before certifying the election.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media