Lampert’s Shoestring Campaign Appears To Have Won Primary

A Democrat rabble-rouser who ran her campaign for the 6th District Position 2 House seat on a shoestring and a prayer appeared to win the primary.

Barbara Lampert, a nursing aide who refused to spend more than $2,000 on the primary, was leading educator Jerry Hopkins by 114 votes.

Neither candidate held his or her breath for final results.

“There’s no sense to get excited until it’s certified,” said Lampert, a gay-rights advocate who led the unsuccessful battle to recall Spokane County Coroner Dexter Amend. “You know, I’m 50 years old, four months older than the president. Twenty years ago, I would’ve been jumping on the ceiling. But if I jumped on the ceiling now, I’d probably break something.”

Absentee ballots that come in after the election usually are counted in Spokane County the beginning of the following week. It’s unknown how many absentee ballots need to be counted in the 6th District. A final tabulation is sometimes required later that week, just before certified results are sent to the secretary of state.

Hopkins raised more than $8,000 in campaign contributions, including many from educators such as Gary Livingston, superintendent of Spokane School District 81. He taught at North Central High School for 27 years and served for four years as the president of the Spokane teachers’ union.

He admitted he is disappointed. Hopkins blamed the apparent loss on a combination of reasons, from people supporting female candidates to anger toward educators.

The primary winner faces a tough general election against incumbent Rep. Duane Sommers, the Republican appointed last November to fill the vacancy created when Rep. Todd Mielke resigned. Sommers outpolled Lampert and Hopkins combined in the Tuesday results.

Lampert pulled in 5,358 votes, Hopkins garnered 5,244 votes and Sommers grabbed 11,828 votes.

, DataTimes