A conservative state Senate Democrat survived a bitter primary challenge on Tuesday, fighting off a high-priced campaign that aimed to shore up the Democrats' slim majority by booting him from the caucus.

With about 60 percent of the expected vote counted, Sen. Tim Sheldon, D-Potlatch, bested Kyle Taylor Lucas by a margin of 57 percent to 43 percent.

State and local Democratic Party officials helped lead an effort to oust Sheldon, who has infuriated the party faithful and their supporters with his Republican leanings.

But Sheldon said voters in his blue-collar 35th District — parts of Mason, Grays Harbor, Thurston and Kitsap counties — apparently feel good about his brand of representation.

"I think the Democrats better check their strategy before they hit November, because it can backfire," Sheldon said. "Negative campaigning apparently backfired big time in the 35th District."

Lucas' reaction was more tentative on Tuesday night. The former state Indian affairs official said she had conceded defeat to her supporters, but later decided to hold out hope for another day as ballots continued to be counted.

Lucas' effort was well-financed by unions and a liberal Washington, D.C.-based group. But Sheldon had a large war chest of his own, and counted on a long incumbency to see him through the bitter race.

Lucas and third-party groups spent more than $260,000 on efforts to dethrone Sheldon, with the incumbent and his supporters burning through about $200,000 of their own.

The stakes were high partly because of the Democrats' 26-23 Senate majority, which can quickly dissipate when conservatives such as Sheldon cross the aisle.

In the suburbs northeast of Seattle, Rep. Al O'Brien, D-Mountlake Terrace, easily defeated state ferry worker Terry Buholm by a margin of 80 percent to 20 percent.

Rep. Maureen Walsh, R-College Place, topped engineering consultant Patrick Guettner in the 16th District, which includes Walla Walla and Pasco. Walsh's winning tally was nearly 70 percent, with more than half of the anticipated votes counted.

Three more GOP House primaries also were settled. Two of them were in heavily Republican Eastern Washington, where a primary win is tantamount to an outright election.

In the 13th District, Moses Lake businesswoman Judy Warnick defeated former Kittitas County Commissioner Max Golladay, 64 percent to 36 percent. About 65 percent of the anticipated vote had been processed in that race.

Naches Mayor Charles Ross was the winner in a five-way GOP fight to replace retired Rep. Jim Clements, R-Selah. Ross' roughly 37 percent margin was enough to win, with 84 percent of the expected votes in. He will face Democrat Ron Bonlender of Yakima, a businessman and City Council member.

In the Tacoma area, former McChord Air Force Base vice wing commander Bob Lawrence beat attorney and businessman Jim Oliver for the GOP state House nomination in the 28th District. Lawrence will face Rep. Tami Green, D-Lakewood, in November.

Attorney and gay rights advocate Jamie Pedersen was leading five other Democrats in the 43rd District, which includes the liberal Seattle neighborhoods of Capitol Hill, Fremont and other areas.

Jim Street, a former King County Superior Court judge and City Council president, was polling in second place with about 22 percent of the vote.

The winner will face only token Republican opposition in November, but the wide field means any victory speech could be delayed while the absentee votes are counted.

In the Gig Harbor area, Republican Senate caucus favorite and sex-crime activist Jim Hines was challenging former legislator Lois McMahan for the right to seek retired Sen. Bob Oke's state Senate seat.

The two were battling late Tuesday. With about 62 percent of the expected ballots in, Hines was leading by a margin of about 53 percent to 47 percent.

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