Voters in staunchly Republican Stevens County strongly supported Cathy McMorris Rodgers, voiced vehement opposition to a state initiative to extend background checks for gun purchases and cast most of their ballots for incumbents in Tuesday's races.

The Stevens County Auditor's Office counted on Tuesday 7,700 of an anticipated 17,000 ballots cast in the general election. If indeed there are that many ballots cast, it would push turnout of registered voters in the county above 50 percent.

The big winners were McMorris Rodgers, who carried the entire legislative district with 59 percent of the vote, had an even better showing over Democratic challenger and Colville Tribal Federal Corp. executive Joe Pakootas in Stevens County, winning 62 percent of the ballots counted there. McMorris Rodgers' family opened an orchard and fruit stand in Kettle Falls in the 1980s, where she worked for several years.

Republicans, in many cases squaring off against each other in competitive countywide races due to the top-two primary system, emerged victorious in Stevens County, much like their southerly counterparts. Sheriff Kendle Allen earned 65 percent of the early tally to take a 2,200-vote lead over GOP challenger Ken Barker. In the closest race at the county level, assessor candidate John Olson holds a 700-vote lead over challenger C.J. Wolfe. Both ran as Republicans.

Lorrie Sampson holds a 1,900-vote lead in the race for county coroner over Dave Baskin. Both ran as Republicans.

Tim Gray, Patty Chester, Don Dashiell, Sue Harnasch and Tim Rasmussen held their seats as county auditor, clerk, commissioner, treasurer and prosecuting attorney, respectively, by virtue of running unopposed. Gray, Chester and Harnasch are Democrats.

In the county's sole judicial race, incumbent district judge Gina Tveit held an 1,800 vote lead on Tuesday over former prosecutor and private practice attorney Michael Clay.

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