It’s been a week since Election Day, but two local challengers are still battling it out in a fight that could last another week – possibly longer.
The race for Lane County Commissioner of the North Eugene seat pitted the county’s longest-serving commissioner, Bobby Green, against political newcomer Rob Handy. As of Monday evening, Handy led Green by about 200 votes, a lead that shrank from Friday’s final count of 246 votes. Handy’s lead has been up and down, but always existent. He led by 266 votes on election night, but that margin shrank to 79 votes Wednesday night. Handy’s lead grew once again on Thursday to 236 votes.
The Green camp may be down, but it’s not out. The long-time incumbent refuses to throw in the towel and is instead waiting for the final bell.
“Commissioner Green wants to wait until every vote gets counted,” said Mike Clark, Green’s campaign communications director.
When that happens, however, is anybody’s guess.
Lane County Elections Supervisor Roxann Marshall said the office has until Nov. 24 to count 100 percent of the ballots, and it may take that long to find out who will win the position. As of Monday evening, 84 percent of the vote had been counted.
“We’d like to say we’ll have (the votes) all counted by Friday, but if not, then we’ll have to work on Saturday. We may not even be done by then,” Marshall said.
Lane County Elections officials may be working later than Nov. 24, however, as there could be a recount. State election rules call for an automatic recount if the margin of victory is within one-fifth of 1 percent, or a .002 difference.