Incumbent Mike Miller and challenger Aaron Heide are locked in a tight race for Commissioner Position No. 4 on the Valley Medical Center Public Hospital District 1 board.<\/p>\n
As of Friday evening, Heide had 20,592 votes (52.15 percent) and Miller had 18,786 (47.57 percent). King County election officials will continue to release results at 4:30 p.m. each weekday until final results are posted on Nov. 24.<\/p>\n
Located in Renton, Valley Medical Center’s service area includes the cities of Kent, Renton, two-thirds of Tukwila, and portions of Auburn, Black Diamond, Covington, Federal Way, Maple Valley, Newcastle and South Seattle.<\/p>\n
“I was a little disappointed,” Miller said in a phone interview Wednesday of the Tuesday returns. “My guess is there are still about 15,000 votes to be counted.”<\/p>\n
It could be as late as next week before the margin of votes between Miller and Heide is enough to determine a winner.<\/p>\n
“I’m still confident I can get this turned around,” said Miller, of Kent. “Twelve years ago I trailed by 1,000 votes on election night and later won by 53-47 percent.”<\/p>\n
Miller, a senior vice president of Valley Bank in Kent, has served on the Valley Medical Center board since 1996.<\/p>\n
Heide did not return phone messages Wednesday for comments about the election.<\/p>\n
Heide, of Kent, is a neurologist at Washington’s Center for Health & Wellness in Renton and former head of Valley Medical Center\u2019s Stroke Center. This is his first run for an elected office.<\/p>\n
“I will check the (county election) Web site daily,” Miller said. “I am cautiously optimistic that I can get this turned around by next week.”<\/p>\n
Miller raised $67,000 for the race, according to the latest Public Disclosure Commission reports. Heide raised $11,000.<\/p>\n
During the campaign, Heide questioned the amount of money raised by Miller for a position that pays just a small stipend to board members for attending meetings. Heide said he has an issue with that kind of sum, for a position with little in the way of financial returns.<\/p>\n
Heide also works a neurologist and a stroke specialist at Auburn Regional Medical Center. Miller argued during the campaign that Heide’s work with the Auburn hospital as a potential conflict of interest.<\/p>\n
Heide denied there was a conflict.<\/p>\n
Heide pursued voters who wanted a new face on the board.<\/p>\n
“If people want a change, they’ll get a change,” Heide said. “If they like how things are, they’ll vote for my opponent.”<\/p>\n
The winning candidate will serve a six-year term on the five-member board that governs Public Hospital District No. 1.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Public Hospital District 1 Results<\/p>\n
Commissioner Position No. 4<\/p>\n
Mike Miller 18,786 votes (47.57 percent)<\/p>\n
Aaron Heide 20,592 votes (52.15 percent)<\/p>\n
Write-in 111 votes (0.28 percent)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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