WALLA WALLA - Can­didates John Turner and Richard Greenwood led their respective primary races for Walla Walla County Sheriff and Coroner after an initial and unofficial vote count Tuesday night. At the count, only 751 of the 11,829 cast ballots had not been processed. In the county's two most contested races, Turner led with 5,934 votes followed by Bill White, who came in second with 3,543. The two men will go on to the general election. Greenwood led the Coroner's race with 3,548 votes, while Virginia Romine came in second with 2,396.

In Columbia County, where all contested races had only two candidates who automatically go on to the general election, the pre­liminary results show incum­bent County Commission­er Chuck Reeves ahead of challenger Charles Amerein about 70 percent against 30 percent of the vote.

Current Sheriff Walt Hes­sler captured 66 percent of the vote against Mark Frank­lin's

34 percent. Incumbent County Prosecutor/Coroner Rea Culwell had 48 percent of the votes, compared to challenger Randy Lewis' 52 percent.

The results for Columbia County were posted with only 150 of the 1,593 cast ballots still to count.

In statewide results, Dem­ocratic Senator Patty Murray led challenger Republican Dino Rossi 46 percent com­pared to Rossi's 34 percent. Clint Didier came in third with 12 percent.

Representative Cathy Mc­Morris Rodgers will face off against Democrat Daryl Romeyn.