The blue wave that swept Republicans from Congress on Election Day also washed over Whidbey Island, thwarting any GOP hopes of a red tide that would keep Republican control of several crucial county offices.

Democrats won election to the District 3 commissioner’s seat, the county assessor’s office, and the treasurer’s office. And Democrats also prevailed in the bruising battle for Island County prosecutor.

While Republicans will still control the county commission — Mike Shelton and Mac McDowell are not up for re-election until 2008 — Democrats will now occupy exactly half of the elected positions in Island County, long considered a Republican stronghold.

On the Democrat side of the ticket, voters gave Island County Prosecutor Greg Banks a third term. County treasurer Linda Riffe also won another term, beating challenger John Morrow, and Dave Mattens won in the open race for county assessor against GOP candidate Don Mason.

Republican Mark Brown will be the next county sheriff; he handily beat Jay Wallace, a former Republican who jumped to the Democrat party just before the September primary.

County auditor Suzanne Sinclair and county coroner Robert Bishop, both Republican incumbents, ran unopposed, as did Democrat Sharon Franzen, the incumbent county clerk.

Celebration begins early

At the Democrat victory celebration at the Bayview Cash Store on Election Night, Mattens considered his 55 to 45 percent margin over Republican Don Mason.

“I’m pretty excited by all this. I ran a clean campaign but it was really a collaborative effort by a lot of people who believed in me,” Mattens said.

“All the evidence substantiates what I said at the very beginning. It couldn’t have gone better for me; all the pieces fit together,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mason made a brief appearance at a Republican party held at the Elks Club in Oak Harbor, but left early. He did not return calls for comment to The Record.

Change on the board

In the race for Island County commissioner, Dean upset the incumbent, Republican Bill Byrd.

On election night Dean and his wife Julie, his campaign manager, watched Island County returns at Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen’s home on Camano Island.

He had planned on attending the Democratic party at Bayview Corner for a while before boating back to Camano Island, but the weather caused a change in plans.

“Due to an electrical storm, I decided to stay off the water,” he said.

Dean campaigned on a theme of giving a voice in county government to those who weren’t being heard.

“We had a lot of bipartisan support,” Dean said.

“I think we had support from all corners of Island County,” he said. “I want to build on that support, so we can all work together. I am a new voice for a united Island County.”

Dean is a Camano Island resident and was a journalist for 25 years with the Stanwood Camano News. He stepped down as editor when he announced his intention to run for office last fall.

Dean said he wants hit the ground running.

“I plan to meet with people during the next month and half before taking office in January,” he said. “I want to meet with people in county government and people in community organizations.”

“Island County must try even harder to bring government to people,” he added. “As commissioner my goal is to keep reaching out and networking with people. Without widespread participation, there is no democracy, or ‘government of the people.’”

The commissioner’s race was easily the most cordial one on the ticket. Dean praised his opponent for sticking to the issues.

“What a real gentleman Bill is, and was, during the campaign,” Dean said. “I never felt like I was running against Bill, more like running along side him.”

Byrd said the commissioner’s race followed the national trend of “out with old and in with the new.”

“John had the support of the people,” Byrd said.

“I think my loss was partially a spillover from the national level,” he said.

“Now it’s the Democrat’s turn to come up with solutions to issues and problems. If they can’t, or what they come up with is unpopular, we may see the trend reverse itself,” Byrd said.

A bitter battle

The race for the county prosecutor position was easily the most rancorous campaign in Island County this election season.

It started with high drama. Selby announced his candidacy, at the same time warning local reporters he’d probably be fired for throwing his hat in the ring.

When he was – Banks said he couldn’t have his right-hand man undermining his policies – Selby blasted back at Banks, claiming the two-term incumbent was an abrasive micro-manager who lacked the support of his staff and law enforcement agencies across the island.

“It was unlike any campaign I could have imagined. It was a fairly nightmarish campaign,” Banks said. “I just think it’s a poor reflection on our democracy when the campaign started out with insults that I didn’t work, and was lazy, and was vindictive.”

“I’m glad most of the voters were able to see through that stuff,” he said.

Midway through the campaign, Selby and his supporters verbally flogged Banks for refusing to charge a man with mental health issues who barricaded himself inside his mobile home Coupeville home. The incident led to an eight-hour police standoff.

The race quickly returned to character issues, and a whisper campaign against Banks followed, including highly-charged anonymous e-mails that came from the Republican camp.

There were signs of malicious mischief, as well.

“There was a concerted effort to destroy my campaign signs, which was childish,” Banks said.

He recalled how all of his signs along one street in Coupeville were broken at the stake. A volunteer fixed them all with splints and duct tape.

“Two nights later they were all broken again,” Banks said.

Six big Banks signs were also stolen.

The contentiousness of the campaign also spilled over into voter forums.

Banks recalled a candidates night on Camano Island. Every time he was asked a question or given a chance to talk, Banks said, he looked up to see Selby supporters who were trying to distract him by frantically waving Selby signs from the back row.

“It was kind of like I was shooting a free throw,” Banks said.

“This was supposed to be a mature discussion of issues…it was more like a middle school ASB president [election],” he added.

Selby also found himself on the receiving end of harsh criticism during the race. His lackadaisical voting record came back to haunt him, his former neighbors told the media how they had called police on Selby in the past for obnoxious behavior, and members of victims’ families who had past experiences with Selby publicly questioned his competence.

Banks said that while the campaign season was harsh, voters took time to learn about what was at stake.

“I’m real encouraged. I think people paid enough attention to what a prosecutor really does, and what makes a good prosecutor,” he said.

“I guess part of my job is to work on winning over the other 48 percent,” Banks added.

Selby did not return repeated calls for comment to The Record.

Incumbent weathers storm

Incumbent county treasurer Riffe said she was also happy voters took a close look at the claims that were made on the campaign trail.

“I am very happy and gratified. It was a very solid win,” Riffe said.

“My win shows that people really look at competency and ethics. They look beyond the rhetoric and at my accomplishments of the past four years,” she said.

Riffe, who was at home on election eve, said her telephone didn’t stop ringing.

“I want to thank the voters for their show of confidence in me, and I will continue to provide good customer service,” she said.

Morrow, her opponent, did not return calls to The Record for comment.

Brown wins big

Brown, who was taking his first shot at elected office, fared the best of any Republican on the ticket. Indeed, some voters interviewed during exit polls by The Record said they crossed party lines to vote for Brown.

After seeing initial vote tallies, Brown said he was grateful for the sizable support he had received.

“I am very happy and elated. The 2-to-1 vote margin that was consistent throughout evening was very enjoyable – both for me and my entire campaign staff,” Brown said.

“I am honored and humbled at the show of support by the citizens of Island County,” he said. “The real job begins now. I have to step up to the plate and make it happen. The challenges ahead are real.”

Wallace’s campaign was beset by controversy. He was fired as a sheriff’s deputy in April for not responding to a 911 call in Freeland where a woman was being held hostage, and he registered as a Democrat after failing to get Republican party support in the four-way primary race for the GOP spot on the ticket. He did not return calls for comment.

Bailey clings to lead

Incumbent state House Rep. Barbara Bailey was another bright spot for Republicans. She was ahead by a slim margin to retain her District 10, Position 2 seat against Democrat challenger Tim Knue.

There was guarded hope late this week as election workers continued to count ballots.

“I’m very optimistic,” Bailey said.

Although the race was separated by just five votes at one point, Bailey’s lead had widened to 172 votes over Knue’s total by Friday.

Bailey, a two-term veteran of the House, said there might be a few different reasons for the slim distance between her and her opponent.

“You can make all kinds of Monday morning quarterbacking. I think there is certainly a very well organized Democrat push throughout the country. Certainly, some of that spilled over into our state,” she said.

“But I’m still very encouraged. We had great support through the district; we’ve worked very hard and the volunteers have worked very hard.”

Knue expected a tight race.

“We knew it would be; she was a tough incumbent to go against,” he said.

Dems claim Congress

Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., was declared an early winner for a fourth term in the 2nd Congressional District. He led early with a 69-to-31 percent margin over Republican challenger Doug Roulstone.

By late on election night, Roulstone had reluctantly accepted the inevitable.

“It’s been an interesting night but you don’t run to not win,” he said. “No one can be too happy with that.”

In Island County County, Larsen was up 63 percent to 36 percent of the vote over Roulstone in totals through Friday.

Roulstone, a former Navy captain who once commanded the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis, hinted that he was considering another shot at Larsen in two years.

“We’re going to look at it; there’s probably a good chance,” Roulstone said.

“I’ve picked up a lot of name recognition during the campaign over the last 23 months,” he said.

Exiting polling conducted by The Record at all polling stations across the South End on Tuesday showed a majority of voters were casting their ballots with Iraq as the main issue.

Almost all of those polled said they were regular voters who were voting to bring about a change in leadership.

“I want to my vote to help regain control of Congress,”

Jennifer Pearson said after voting in Freeland.

Matt Armstrong, also voting in Freeland, said he wanted

“change and improvement in the way things are done.”

The newspaper’s exit polls were conducted over a period of five hours in Bayview, Langley, Clinton and Freeland.

Turnout was high, and a majority of the 40 voters interviewed in The Record’s exit polls said they were moderates.

“When I went to visit polling places Tuesday it was impressive,” said Sinclair, county auditor.

There was a constant flow of voters in the morning, and some lines started to form in the late afternoon, she said.

“It was a heavy turnout for this kind of election,” Sinclair said.

“Total turnout is unknown at this point because we haven’t finished counting. I think it will be good,” she added.

Sinclair said she expects turnout to be about 70 percent; there were 44,063 eligible voters.

Few problems were reported at the polls.

On Whidbey, one woman complained that poll workers were talking too loud, making it difficult for her to concentrate. And on Camano, another voter raised the issue of adequate privacy screens.

The next vote tally is expected to be released Monday.

Sinclair also said approximately 350 provisional ballots need to be counted.

The final, certified vote tally will be released on Nov. 28.