Loren Culp files lawsuit over election process

REPUBLIC — Gubernatorial candidate Loren Culp filed a lawsuit Thursday in King County Superior Court against Secretary of State Kim Wyman seeking an audit of ballots in six Western Washington counties.

The lawsuit alleges election officials failed to verify that the ballots they counted in the Nov. 3 general election were cast legally. He’s seeking an audit of votes in King, Clark, Thurston, Pierce, Kitsap, and Skagit counties.

Incumbent Gov. Jay Inslee, D-Bainbridge Island, won those six counties and five others. Challenger Culp, R-Republic, won 27 of 39 counties statewide.

Inslee received 2,294,243 votes statewide; Culp received 1,749,066; a difference of 545,177 votes. In King County, Inslee’s margin of victory was 583,352 votes.

The only Eastern Washington county to back the incumbent governor is Whitman County, where election tallies show Inslee with a 750-vote win. Inslee received 10,806 votes to Culp’s 10,056.

Poll watchers have questioned the process here, noting they were not allowed to effectively monitor the signature-verification process, were placed in a separate room and denied the opportunity to effectively observe the entire process in accordance with state law.

County Auditor Sandy Jamison has said there were no irregularities in the process here, and that poll watchers were afforded the opportunity to monitor as well as ask question about procedures. However, she has acknowledged instituting distance requirements due to the coronavirus.