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McKenna Has Time, But Not Statistics On His Side In Wash. Governor’s Race

There are still three-quarters of a million ballots to be counted in Washington’s too-close-to-call governor’s race. Democrat Jay Inslee holds a narrow lead over Republican Rob McKenna.

But McKenna isn’t conceding. To overtake Inslee, McKenna would need to gain a significant advantage among voters who waited to cast their ballots. C With so many ballots yet uncounted, there’s no reason to call the race right now.

McKenna isn’t getting any tremendous pressure from either side. Democrat Jay Inslee is acting like the Governor-elect, but hasn’t declared victory and McKenna’s in a position where he has a couple of days here to kind of wait to see how things shake out.

A disproportionate number of the outstanding ballots are in heavily Democratic King County. McKenna is trending better there. But Inslee is still winning more than 60 percent of the vote in that key county.

On teh Web:

Latest election tally (Washington Sec. of State)

Copyright 2012 Northwest News Network

Republican Rob McKenna needs to gain a significant advantage among voters who waited to cast their ballots. Photo by Austin Jenkins
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Republican Rob McKenna needs to gain a significant advantage among voters who waited to cast their ballots. Photo by Austin Jenkins

Copyright 2012 Northwest News Network

Since January 2004, Austin Jenkins has been the Olympia-based political reporter for the Northwest News Network. In that position, Austin covers Northwest politics and public policy, as well as the Washington State Legislature. You can also see Austin on television as host of TVW's (the C–SPAN of Washington State) Emmy-nominated public affairs program "Inside Olympia."