Preliminary election results show incumbent J.T. Wilcox has retained his position two seat in Legislative District 2 with 24,083 votes, or 72.75%, against challenger Edward Meer, who garnered 8,459 votes, or about 25.55%.
Out of the 33,106 ballots cast in the race, 564, or 1.7%, were write-ins.
In Thurston County alone, preliminary election results show 8,908 people cast ballots in the race. Wilcox secured 6,101 votes, or 68.49%, in the county, while Meer had 2,661 votes in his favor, or 29.87%. There were 146 people who wrote in a candidate.
Wilcox, who is the House Republican leader, was first elected to the State House in 2010. He grew up on Wilcox Family Farms in Roy where he still lives and serves as the chief financial officer.
A Yelm High School graduate, Wilcox received a bachelor’s degree in history from Washington State University.
His top priorities, according to the voters pamphlet, are public safety, balanced budgets and “holding the government accountable.”
Meer, who stated no party preference, said he wanted to focus more on what people need and less on what the parties want, according to the voters pamphlet.
There are still an estimated 30,000 votes left to count in Thurston County. The next tally is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 9. The election will be certified on Nov. 29.
