Gutierrez holds 3-vote lead in council race

In the most recent ballot count from the Nov. 2 election, Miguel Gutierrez held a three-vote lead over George W. Blush for a seat on the Shelton City Council.

In the Mason County Auditor’s Office results released on Nov. 4, Gutierrez had 714 votes for 49.51% and Blush 711 votes for 49.31% in their race for a four-year seat as council member No. 7. Write-in candidates had received 17 votes.

The votes are scheduled to be updated yesterday, after the Journal had gone to press.

On Friday, Mason County Auditor Paddy McGuire told the Journal his office was caught up in the ballot count, leaving only ballots still in the mail or with signature questions left to count. His office had 385 challenged ballots with either unsigned or mismatched signatures. Voters have until Nov. 22 to resolve those issues, with the count certified on Nov. 23.

By law, an automatic machine count will be conducted if the difference is less than one-half of 1%, and a hand recount if the difference is less than one-quarter of 1%, McGuire said.

A tie between candidates would be resolved by a coin flip, he said.

Blush owns Nita’s Koffee Shop in downtown Shelton. He is the executive director of the nonprofit 5XL Shelton pet food bank and is chairman of the Mason County Housing Authority. Blush ran unsuccessfully for a council seat four years ago.

Gutierrez taught special election, and wrote grant proposals for the Conservation Corps. He also trained volunteers for BAYAC AmeriCorps and developed a youth camping program for the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.

In an email to the Journal, Gutierrez wrote, “I am so excited that so many voters took the time to evaluate the candidates and chose me. I am grateful for the professional people like Paddy McGuire who are the caretakers of our democratic process. I believe him when he said local elections have major effects on our lives. I am confident that the county auditor’s office will accurately count the ballots and ensure a fair tabulation. Finally, I want to reinforce the idea that every vote counts.”

In an email to the Journal, Blush wrote, “I love my community and when this is over I will still be here fighting for you like I have been. Thank you to all of you who have reached out to me for your prayers and support. My family and I appreciate all the love and it has helped me remember why I ran for office in the first place! See ya’ll downtown!”