Filing week for the August primary and November election ends today. So far, fifteen candidates have filed for eight statewide offices.

One race that could influence the power in the state Senate is the 26th Legislative District, which covers parts of Kitsap and Pierce counties. Republican state Rep. Jan Angel has filed to run against Democratic Sen. Nathan Schlicher. Schlicher is an emergency room doctor who was appointed to fill the seat vacated by Derek Kilmer. Angel is a former real estate agent who has been a state representative since 2009.

In the 8th Legislative District in Benton County, Republican state Sen. Sharon Brown will be facing two members of her same party. Brown drew widespread attention when she filed a controversial bill at the end of regular session that would have allowed businesses to refuse services based on religious beliefs. Richland City Councilman Phillip Lemley and West Richland City Councilman Tony Benegas, both Republicans, have filed to run in the race.

In the Northeastern part of the state, Sen. John Smith will be on the ballot. The Republican farmer was selected earlier this year to replace Bob Morton, a former GOP senator who served more than two decades in the 7th Legislative District before retiring in January. Republicans Mike Brunson and Brian Dansel have also filed in the race.

Other statewide races include King Superior Court, Clark Superior Court and Benton, Franklin Superior Court, as well as Court of Appeals in Districts 1 and 2.

See the full list of candidates on the Secretary of State’s website.

Senator Adam Kline at the press conference next to a stack of petitions.

Sen. Adam Kline, D-Seattle, is asking U.S. Congress to pass an amendment to the Supreme Court’s “Citizens United” decision.

He discussed his sponsorship of a Senate Joint Memorial at a press conference Thursday.

Under the 2010 Citizens United decision, corporations and unions were freed from restrictions on campaign funding, allowing them to donate unlimited amounts to so-called super PACs. The court ruled they were protected by the First Amendment. The Center for Public Integrity says the decision opened the door to nearly $1 billion in political spending during the 2012 election, much of that ultimately on ad campaigns.

Kline said separating money from politics is “good for the state government, good for the people” and “absolutely necessary.”

Also at the press conference were members of organizations that helped gather signatures in support of the amendment. Occupy Seattle’s “Get Money out of Politics” has collected 12,000 signatures in four months.

“We all share the same concern about how the voices of ordinary citizens can be heard when we don’t have a million dollars to spend on TV ads to air against politicians and ballot initiatives that threaten the profit margin for corporations,” said member Jonathan Tong.

Kline said that he will not be submitting the bill until he has asked all members of the Senate for support. Members, Kline urged, who need to hear from their constituents. “Nothing rings a legislator’s bells more than a contact, email, phone call that starts, ‘Senator, I live in your district and this is an issue I want you to pay attention to,” Kline said.

“We answer to the people, if we believe that people are against this issue, you can’t expect us reasonably to vote for it, we’re not going to lose our jobs over this unless you show us that people in our districts are in favor of it,” Kline said.

Don Benton

Clark County elections officials announced Wednesday that a mandatory hand recount shows Republican Sen. Don Benton won the district’s Senate seat by 74 votes over Democrat Tim Probst.

It’ll be Benton’s fifth term representing the 17th District in the state Senate. He released a statement calling the results “welcome news” that will strengthen the GOP in the Senate.

Democrats hold a 26-23 majority, but two fiscally conservative Democrats have previously joined forces with Republicans on budget issues. GOP leaders have suggested the same thing could happen in the upcoming session, giving them a philosophical majority.

Benton said:

“Today’s outcome also confirms Republicans will gain a seat in the Senate come January, for a total of 23, while the Democrats will fall to 26 seats. That leaves the door wide open to the possibility that when the 2013 legislative session begins, the Senate may again find itself led by a bipartisan group – a ‘coalition majority’ that will take a more conservative approach to the way tax dollars are spent.”

Benton received 27,542 votes to Probst’s 27,468 votes.

Washington voters have elected a Republican to the office of secretary of state — continuing a 48-year tradition — and approved an initiative that makes Washington the 42nd state in the nation to allow charter schools.

Kim Wyman

Republican Kim Wyman won the close race for Secretary of State with 50.6 percent of the vote. Her opponent, Democrat Kathleen Drew, conceded over the weekend and posted a statement saying Wyman “will carry forward Washington’s tradition of fair and impartial elections.”

Wyman replaces Sam Reed, a fellow Republican who is retiring after 12 years. Republicans have held the position for 48 years; Victor Meyers was the last Democrat to hold the office in 1964.

Also over the weekend: Supporters of charter schools declared a “clear victory” for Initiative 1240, which allows up to 40 charter schools to open in Washington over the next five years. The initiative is leading by more than 44,000 votes as of Monday evening, and the AP has called the race.

The race between Republican state Sen. Don Benton and Democratic Rep. Tim Probst remains a virtual tie — Probst is ahead by only 16 votes with more ballots outstanding. The outcome of the race will likely determine if Democrats can hold onto control of the state Senate, as Jordan Schrader of The News Tribune outlines in this story.

Republican Rob McKenna conceded the race for governor on Friday night, making Democrat Jay Inslee the next governor-elect of Washington state.

McKenna thanked his supporters in a video, acknowledging that it was a “very disappointing result.” McKenna said what he does next is “up in the air,” but he plans to stay involved in his community and working for education reform.

Here’s the full video McKenna released to his supporters:

Shortly after McKenna’s announcement, Inslee delivered a victory speech in Seattle. Inslee said he received a call from McKenna in which he “very graciously congratulated me.”

“I’m going to get up every single morning the next four years doing everything I possibly can to help improve the economy and people’s lives in this state,” Inslee said.

NWCN has video of Inslee’s speech:

Happy Friday! While waiting for the latest batch of updated election results, here’s a round-up of election-related stories in the news:

Same-sex marriage: Now that voters have approved Referendum 74, the state Department of Health and counties are working to change the language on marriage licenses and certificates to be gender-neutral. Officials are expecting a rush of couples on Dec. 6 — the first day the law goes into effect — as well as an extra boost in traffic from people wanting to get married on Dec. 12, or 12-12-12. Rachel La Corte of the AP has more on what’s ahead.

1st District: Republican John Koster conceded today to Democrat Suzan DelBene in the 1st Congressional District race, blaming a lack of party support for the loss. State GOP chairman Kirby Wilbur shot back in this story in the Seattle Times, saying Koster simply ran a “horrible” campaign.

Marijuana: The Seattle Police Department put out an entertaining Q&A about what people can expect now that voters have passed I-502, making marijuana legal. Among the burning questions it answers: Can I smoke pot at a magic show? What happens if I get pulled over with “Super Skunk” in my trunk? And will cops be allowed to smoke marijuana?

Speaking of legalized marijuana, the state Liquor Control Board is getting flooded with calls from entrepreneurs who want to be first in line to open retail marijuana stores, The News Tribune reports. TVW will have more on this topic next week when the board’s deputy director, Rick Garza, appears as a guest on “The Impact.”

James Watkins

Troy Kelley

James Watkins, the Republican candidate for state auditor, conceded the race to Democratic state Rep. Troy Kelley on Friday morning, capping a bitterly contested campaign for the office.

Kelley is leading with 52 percent of the vote.

Watkins said in a statement that “it does not appear that I will prevail” in the race. “It is my sincere hope that Troy Kelley has a successful term and capably fills the vacuum left by Brian Sonntag,” Watkins said.

As of the last ballot count at 9 a.m. Friday morning, Democrat Jay Inslee was still ahead in the race for governor by about 54,000 votes.

About 2.5 million ballots have been counted, but at least 600,000 remain outstanding.

Rob McKenna‘s campaign manager, Randy Pepple, released a YouTube video explaining to supporters that they expect late ballots to break for McKenna.

In the close race for secretary of state, Republican Kim Wyman was holding onto her lead over Democrat Kathleen Drew by about 32,500 votes.

The charter school measure was also still ahead by a slim margin.

In the extremely close race for the 17th District state Senate seat, Republican Don Benton was ahead by 62 votes over Democratic challenger Tim Probst.

The latest batch of updated election results show Democrat Jay Inslee holding onto a slight lead over Republican Rob McKenna in the race for governor, 51-49 percent.

Inslee was ahead by about 48,500 votes as of 10 p.m. on Wednesday evening. An estimated 1 million ballots remain outstanding, with updated numbers expected to trickle in over the next few days.

In other close races, Republican Kim Wyman is leading in the race for Secretary of State by about 25,000 votes over Democrat Kathleen Drew.

Of the ballot measures, the Initiative 1240, the charter school initiative, was winning by a close margin of 51-49 percent.

The same-sex marriage measure, Referendum 74, also maintained its lead with 52 percent, and supporters have already declared victory.

In close state legislative races, Republican Sen. Don Benton of Vancouver was 102 votes behind Democrat Rep. Tim Probst.

Democratic Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, who chairs the Senate Transportation Committee, appears to be losing to Republican Rep. Barbara Bailey by about 3,000 votes, or 53-47 percent.

Reagan Dunn

Republican Regan Dunn conceded Thursday to Democrat Bob Ferguson in the race for Attorney General, sending out a statement saying that he believes Washington will be “well-served” by Ferguson.

“I will miss Bob’s service on the King County Council and look forward to working with him as he heads to Olympia,” Dunn said.

Democratic Lt. Gov. Brad Owen has won re-election. Republican challenger Bill Finkbeiner conceded, telling the Seattle Times he has a “lot of respect for Brad.”

Democrat Suzan DelBene won the 1st Congressional District race, and Secretary of State Sam Reed sent a letter Wednesday clearing the way for Delbene to serve out the remainder of Inslee’s term in the old 1^st Congressional District. DelBene will be sworn in by the U.S. House for session that begins on Tuesday.

The state appears to have passed the marijuana legalization initiative, but it may be a year before the new law is implemented. The state Liquor Control Board, which is tasked with regulating the industry, released a statement and a fact sheet on Wednesday on the issue. Among the highlights:

• I-502 goes into effect 30 days after the general election. However, the board has until Dec. 1, 2013 to establish rules, and it expects it will “take the full year” to get a framework in place.
• The board will create an application process similar to a liquor license. Marijuana producers, processors and retailers will have to pay a $250 application fee, and a $1,000 yearly renewal fee.
• It’ll cost an estimated $12 for a gram of marijuana, according to the Office of Financial Management (medical marijuana dispensaries charge between $10-15 a gram).
• The liquor control board and OFM will decide how many retail marijuana stores will be allowed to open, taking into account “population, security and safety.”
• The board will get “clarification” from the federal Dept. of Justice in the coming weeks, as well as coordinate with the Washington State Patrol, Dept. of Health and Dept. of Agriculture.

Early voting results show I-502 easily passing with 55 percent of the vote.

The campaign supporting same-sex marriage declared victory today, saying that it’s “impossible for opponents to overcome” early voting results that show Referendum 74 ahead 52-48 percent.

Washington United for Marriage campaign manager Zack Silk called it a “clear win” in a statement.

“We have run the numbers every which way, and we can now confidently say that we have won. This is an historic day for Washington, an historic day for our country and, most of all, for families across the state who have dreamed of this day and the wedding celebrations to come,” Silk said.

Others also seem certain of the law’s passage. King County Executive Dow Constantine announced today he plans to “personally issue the first marriage license to a same-sex couple in King County” on Dec. 6, the day the law goes into effect. The King County Recorder’s Office will be open extended hours that day to accommodate same-sex couples, he said.

Preserve Marriage Washington, the campaign opposed to same-sex marriage, posted a statement on its website saying the race was too close to call. It maintains that Washington could still reject same-sex marriage.

“We understand the math is challenging, but there remains a path to victory for us,” said Preserve Marriage chairman Joseph Backholm.

More election results are expected this afternoon, with more complete tallies not likely available until the end of the week.

The AP posted a photo gallery of hundreds of gay marriage supporters reveling in the streets of Seattle after last night’s election results.

Update: Because of technical glitches, King County is not expected to release new results until 6:30 p.m.

More election numbers are expected Wednesday starting at 4 p.m., when 19 counties will update their results.

The numbers will be updated here at the Secretary of State‘s website.

Democrat Jay Inslee had a tight lead over Republican Rob McKenna after Tuesday night’s initial results, 51-49 percent.

Inslee, who is ahead by about 50,000 votes, told reporters at a press conference this morning that he’s starting to assemble a transition team for his new administration.

McKenna’s campaign told supporters the election is too close to call, and they are encouraging volunteers to sign up for “ballot rehab” efforts.

We’ll have updates here on the blog after today’s release of numbers. You can also watch tonight’s edition of “The Impact” at 7 & 10 p.m. for the latest results.

It looks like Washington may have to wait a few more days to find out who will be the state’s next governor.

Democrat Jay Inslee was leading Tuesday night 51.3 percent over Republican Rob McKenna with 48.7 percent with about 1.9 million ballots tallied.

McKenna told supporters at the Republican headquarters in Bellevue to be patient. McKenna said “it’ll be worth the wait” to see all the ballots tallied.

Inslee told supporters at the Democratic headquarters in Seattle that “we have elected a forward-looking governor” and he “intends to be that governor.”

Another race that remains neck-and-neck is Secretary of State. Republican Kim Wyman and Democrat Kathleen Drew have been trading leads all night. At the last count, Wyman was slightly ahead with 50.4 percent to 49.6 for Drew.

Of the ballot measures, marijuana legalization and two-thirds tax supermajority were both ahead by big margins of more than 10 percentage points.

But the charter schools initiative remained extremely close, 51. 2 percent “yes” to 48.8 percent “no.”

The same-sex marriage referendum was also close, but winning at 52-48 percent.

In the race for governor, Democrat Jay Inslee has a slight lead at 52 percent to 48 percent for Republican Rob McKenna.

Democratic Lt. Gov Brad Owen is ahead of Republican challenger Bill Finkbeiner, 53-47 percent.

Secretary of State is very close — Democrat Kathleen Drew is barely ahead at 50.4 percent to 49.6 percent for Republican Kim Wyman.

In the race for Attorney General, Democrat Bob Ferguson is leading over Republican Reagan Dunn, 53-47.

For state auditor, Democrat Troy Kelley is ahead 52.8 percent to 47.1 percent for Republican James Watkins.

Incumbent Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark appears to be staying in office – he’s ahead 58 percent over challenger Clint Didier at 42 percent.

For Supreme Court Position 9, Sheryl Gordon McCloud has 55 percent over Richard Sanders at 45 percent.

Early voting results show that Washington’s marijuana legalization measure I-502 is leading with 56 to 44 percent.

Same-sex marriage referendum 74 is ahead with 52-47 percent.

Initiative 1185, which requires a two-thirds supermajority vote of the Legislature to raise taxes, has big lead with 64 to 36 percent.

Charter schools I-1240 is very close — 51 percent “yes” to 49 percent “no.”