OKANOGAN COUNTY – Although the numbers have increased for all candidates in the second ballot count, those leading in the first count seem to be hanging on by about the same percentages.

As in the election night count, the second count of Okanogan County ballots held last Friday, Nov. 5, favor Jim Detro, Frank Rogers, Charleen Groomes, Leah McCormack and Henry Rawson in their respective races.

Detro, who is running for Okanogan County Commissioner in District 3, leads fellow Republican Becki Andrist with 5,743 votes to 3,870. Detro still has about 60 percent of the total votes counted thus far.

Sheriff Rogers, the incumbent, was also leading his opponent, Deputy Dave Yarnell, by a healthy margin for the sheriff’s position. Voters cast 6,774 votes, or 68 percent, in favor of returning Rogers for another term. Yarnell, who also ran as a Republican, has 3,214 of the votes counted so far in the Tuesday, Nov. 2 general election.

Groomes continues to lead fellow Republican Rae Jean Kelley in the race for the county clerk’s position. Groomes had 5,603, just under 61 percent of the votes counted, to Kelley’s 3,652.

In what was shaping up to be one of the closest races for county office, Democrat Leah F. McCormick pulled slightly further ahead in the second vote count, gaining about one percentage point more in her bid for county treasurer. McCormack has 5,585, or 58 percent of the votes, to Republican Pamela Wyllson with 4,279.

Henry “Hank” Rawson is edging out Rick Weber in the non-partisan election for Okanogan County District Court Judge, Position 2. Rawson leads with 5,013 votes cast in his favor, or about 54 percent, to Weber’s 4,321.

As of the last count, voter turnout of the county’s 20,510 registered voters was about 53 percent, according to Okanogan County Elections officials. They say 10.905 ballots were cast in the county’s 221 precincts and that there are 4000 ballots left to count. The next ballot count is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 10 at 5 p.m. at the county courthouse. The election is unofficial until certified and certification is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, Nov. 23.