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Inslee, McKenna Advance To November Election

Democrat Jay Inslee and Republican Rob McKenna will advance to the November election, after winning the top two spots in Tuesday's primary for Washington governor. At last count, Inslee won 47 percent of the vote to McKenna’s 43 percent.

Republican attorney general Rob McKenna began election night with a slight lead. But as the vote tallies streamed in - especially from heavily Democratic King County - former Democratic Congressman Jay Inslee took command of the statewide count. Both candidates for governor move on to the general election as the top two vote getters. But it’s not clear what Inslee’s lead in the primary means for the general election.

“It really is not that good a predictor. It’s a milestone. It’s not a predictor,” says pollster Stuart Elway.

He says Democrats can take encouragement from the vote. But he says twice as many Washington voters can be expected to turn out in November. And there will be a lot more campaigning before then.

“So it’s not preordained just because one plays for the red team and the other plays for the blue team,” Elway says.

Elway says Washington’s primary electoral map looks typical: Republican McKenna won all of eastern and southwest Washington, while Democrat Inslee took most of the more populated northwest counties.

Democrat Jay Inslee (left) and Republican Rob McKenna (right) move on to the November election. Photos courtesy the candidates' campaigns.
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Democrat Jay Inslee (left) and Republican Rob McKenna (right) move on to the November election. Photos courtesy the candidates' campaigns.

Copyright 2012 Northwest News Network

Copyright 2012 Northwest News Network