TURNER, COOPER TO FACE OFF FOR SHERIFF

WALLA WALLA - Incumbent Sheriff John Turner received less than half of the votes cast in Tuesday's primary election, but easily outpolled his two challengers. Tom Cooper appears to have bested fellow deputy Barry Blackman, by less than five percentage points, and will move on to face Turner in the general election in November. All three candidates were running as Republicans.

Preliminary results Tuesday show that Turner received 4,874 votes, which was 45.5% of the votes cast. Cooper received 3,177 votes, or 29.6%, and Blackman got 2,672, for 24.9%.

In other Walla Walla County primary results, former coroner Frank Brown, won the right to face incumbent coroner Richard Greenwood in the general election. Challenger Derek Hayden was knocked out of the race. Preliminary results showed that Greenwood received 53.8% of the vote, compared with Brown's 27.3%. Hayden got 18.9%.

In the race for Walla Walla

County Auditor, incumbent Karen Martin easily outpolled challenger Mark Spinks. She received 76.9% of the vote, compared to Spinks' 23.1%. Both candidates will move on to the general election.

The District 3 position on the Walla Walla County Board of Commissioners was very close. Jim Duncan received 41% of the vote, with challenger Dale Johnson getting 31.4% and Stephen Ames receiving 27.5%. Only voters in District 3 weighed in in the primary. Duncan and Johnson will likely face off in November, and voters throughout the county will cast ballots in that race.