Issaquah bond would finance new fields for middle schools
March 28, 2012
NEW — 3:15 p.m. March 28,2012
There are several themes that come up over and over as backers and school officials talk about the prospect of placing artificial turf on the fields of each of the five Issaquah School District middle schools, including Maywood Middle School.
The upcoming bond package would provide the middle schools with rubberized outdoor running tracks if voters decide to approve the $219 million capital improvement plan on April 17.
District officials hope to install the turf and tracks at a cost of $1.5 million per school, not counting fields that could go in at a transplanted Issaquah Middle School.
Voter registration still available for upcoming ISD, RSD school bonds
March 20, 2012
NEW — 11:35 a.m. March 20, 2012
Issaquah School District and Renton School District voters face a choice about a $219 million school construction bond and $97 million building improvement bond, respectively, in special elections next month.
Qualified residents can register to vote in person at King County Elections in Renton or a registration annex at the King County Administration Building in Seattle. The deadline for first-time voters to register in person is April 9.
In order to register as a Washington voter, a person must be a U.S. citizen, a Washington resident, at least 18 by Election Day and not under the authority of the state Department of Corrections.
Gordon Bisset takes lead in contested City Council race
November 8, 2011
NEW — 8:45 p.m. Nov. 8, 2011
As ballots for the 2012 general election begin to roll in, Gordon Bisset has established a dominant lead over challenger Frank Irigon for the Newcastle City Council’s only contested race this year, according to information provided on the King County elections website.
With about 71 percent or 1,077 votes — of about 28 percent of the ballots counted so far — Bisset leads Irigon for the council’s fourth position. Irigon earned 28 percent of the vote, or 425 votes.
“I’m very pleased with the results,” Bisset said. “I’d like to thank the voters of Newcastle and will be getting ready to carry out my campaign themes.”
Bisset previously served a four-year term on the council from 2002-2005 and has lived in the Hazelwood neighborhood of the city for 41 years.
Irigon has lived in the Rainer Crest neighborhood of Newcastle for 25 years. This is the first time he has run for the position.
Glitch delays ballots for 11,000 Eastside voters, including Newcastle residents
October 28, 2011
NEW — 5:15 p.m. Oct. 28, 2011
King County Elections officials said ballots for 11,000 Eastside voters — including more than 100 people in Newcastle — did not go out last week as planned due to a glitch.
The elections office plans to mail ballots Saturday; voters should receive them early next week. The deadline to return ballots via mail, drop box or accessible voting center is Nov. 8.
Overall, the issue impacted 11,000 Eastside voters, including 54 in Issaquah, 141 in Newcastle and 875 in Sammamish. Some North Bend and Snoqualmie voters also face delays in receiving ballots.
King County Elections started mailing 1.1 million ballots to voters Oct. 19.
City Council race gets more competition
July 1, 2011
Candidates file for August primary
Resident Frank Irigon and former City Councilman Gordon Bisset have filed to run for City Council Position 4 in this year’s election.
Gordon Bisset
Frank Irigon
Bisset — who served as a member of the council from 2002-2005 — and Irigon will face off against Parks Commission Chair Andrew Shelton in a primary election in August.
The top two finishers will advance to the general election in November.
Councilman Sonny Putter, who holds Position 4, announced in April he would retire from the council at the end of the year.
Reagan Dunn enters race for state attorney general
July 1, 2011
Reagan Dunn, Newcastle’s representative on the King County Council and a former federal prosecutor, entered the race June 14 for state attorney general.
Reagan Dunn
In a long-expected campaign announcement, Dunn, a Republican, referenced his experience at the U.S. Department of Justice as a key asset in the race, and rolled out a series of high-profile endorsements. Read more
Two more candidates emerge in City Council race
June 14, 2011
NEW — 4 p.m. June 14, 2011
Resident Frank Irigon and former City Councilman Gordon Bisset filed to run for City Council Position 4 in this year’s election. Bisset — who served on the council from 2002-2005 — and Irigon will face off against Parks Commission Chair Andrew Shelton in a primary election in August.
The top two finishers will advance to the general election in November.
Steve Litzow elected to represent Newcastle in state Senate
December 2, 2010
NEW — 10:10 a.m. Dec. 2, 2010
Republican Steve Litzow appears to be the next state senator to represent Newcastle after defeating incumbent Randy Gordon.
King County Elections completed a mandatory machine recount for the contest Wednesday afternoon. The unofficial results present a solid lead for Litzow, a Mercer Island councilman.
Democrat Gordon trailed Litzow by more than 1,000 votes in the days after the Nov. 2 election. The gap between the candidates slimmed to 194 votes — or 0.32 percent — as the county tallied ballots.
Newcastle state Senate race appears headed for recount
November 18, 2010
NEW — 12 p.m. Nov. 18, 2010
The last undecided race to represent Newcastle in Olympia appears to be headed for a recount.
State Sen. Randy Gordon trailed challenger Steve Litzow by more than 1,000 votes in the days after the Nov. 2 election. In the 15 days since the campaign ended, the gap between the Democrat Gordon and Republican Litzow has slimmed to 142 votes.
Under state law, a machine recount is required if the difference between the candidates is less than 2,000 votes and also less than one-half of 1 percent of the total number of votes cast for both candidates.
Incumbents lead in early election results
August 17, 2010
NEW — 8:35 p.m. Aug. 17, 2010
Incumbent candidates outpaced challengers in the initial election results released Tuesday night.
The primary set up a showdown for a 41st Legislative District in the state House of Representatives, a competitive congressional race and a chance to elect a judge to the King County District Court bench.
State Rep. Judy Clibborn, a Mercer Island Democrat seeking a fifth term, outpaced Stephen Strader, a Bellevue Republican, and independent Orion S. Webster.
Clibborn represents the 41st Legislative District — Talus and other Cougar Mountain communities, plus Mercer Island, Newcastle and parts of Bellevue, Renton and unincorporated King County.
The incumbent led Strader by about 55 percent to about 40 percent to set up the general election contest. Webster, like Strader, a political newcomer, trailed at 5 percent.
