SEATTLE, Feb. 7 (UPI) -- Washington Republicans were rethinking their strategy Monday after a Chelan County judge said he lacked the authority to order a new gubernatorial election.
Chelan County Superior Court Judge John Bridges, who is hearing the GOP's request to have the 2004 gubernatorial election results thrown out, ruled state law does not permit him to order a new election. Republicans contend illegal voting and other irregularities threw the race to Democrat Christine Gregoire.
Bridges rejected the Democrats' bid to get the case tossed out, agreeing with Republicans that a 1977 state law delegated authority over elections contests to the courts. But Bridges' ruling on the new election, the GOP's key request, was the day's most significant.
Republicans say illegal voting by felons, ballots cast in the names of dead voters and other elections irregularities discovered during a hand recount of the November ballots tipped the election to Gregoire.
The initial ballot count indicated Rossi, a former state legislator, led by 261 votes. The mandated machine recount cut Rossi's lead to 42-votes before a hand recount of the roughly 2.9 million ballots gave Gregoire a 129-vote edge.
