By Dee Camp
The Chronicle

     OKANOGAN - Republicans Charleen Groomes and Rae Jean Kelley lead in the race to decide who will succeed longtime Okanogan County Clerk Jackie Bradley.
     In a three-way race, Groomes, with 2,572 votes, and Kelley, with 1,847 votes, took the primary election night lead Aug. 17, leaving Democrat Cindy Gagne in third with 1,585 votes, according to unofficial returns from the county auditor's office.
     Another ballot count is planned for Friday, Aug. 20. The top two will advance to the Nov. 2 general election.
     The clerk's race was the only primary on the Okanogan County ballot, though candidates for most other county races also appeared on the ballot as a preliminary to the general election.
     In the race for sheriff, incumbent Frank Rogers, with 4,007 votes, leads challenger Dave Yarnell, with 1,903 votes. Both are Republicans.
     District No. 3 county commission hopefuls Jim DeTro garnered 1,325 votes and Becki Andrist has 861 votes in election night returns. They seek to replace fellow Republican Mary Lou Peterson, who did not file for re-election.
     In the only other contested county race appearing on the Aug. 17 ballot, incumbent Treasurer Leah McCormack, a Democrat, has 3,191 votes and Republican challenger Pamela Wyllson has 2,869.
     In legislative races, incumbent Sen. Bob Morton, R-Kettle Falls, with 9,556 votes or 75.67 percent, leads Democratic challenger Barbara Mowrey, with 3,073 votes or 24.33 percent, in the 7th District. In Okanogan County, Morton garnered 2,967 votes or 77.21 percent, to Mowrey's 876 votes or 22.79 percent.
     They will meet again in the general election.
     The mid- to north Okanogan Valley and area east of the Okanogan River are in the 7th District.
     Rep. Mike Armstrong, R-Wenatchee, leads Republican challenger Cliff Courtney, Stehekin, in the 12th District. As of election night, Armstrong had 5,420 votes district-wide to Courtney's 2,651 and 1,275 in Okanogan County to Courtney's 618.
     The Methow Valley and south Okanogan Valley are in the 12th District.
They will meet again in the general election.
     Incumbent U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers leads in Okanogan County with 4,247 election night votes. Barbara Lampert garnered 738 votes for second place with county voters.
     In partial district-wide returns, McMorris Rodgers had 70.51 percent of the vote, with Lampert at 9.68 percent. Four other challengers garnered fewer votes.
     Okanogan County voters bucked the statewide trend and voted for Republican Dino Rossi over incumbent U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat, in election night returns.
     Rossi garnered 2,885 votes, 45.41 percent, to Murray's 2,055 votes, 32.35 percent, in the county. Clint Didier, another Republican, received 984 votes, 15.49 percent.
     Statewide, Murray led in early election night returns, 47.84 percent to Rossi's 33.25 percent. Didier had 11.23 percent of the statewide vote in partial election night returns.
     Rossi was the front runner in a field of 14 challengers to Murray.
Election officials sent out 20,367 ballots countywide. As of election night, 6,514 ballots had been returned and were counted, and another 1,800 were returned and were awaiting processing to be included in Friday's count.
     Ballots had to be postmarked or dropped off at the auditor's office or Omak City Hall on or before election day.