Dead candidates leading two US elections TWO election candidates in the US state of Washington are winning their races - despite the fact that they are both dead. In the Seattle suburb of Des Moines, John Rosentangle won 71% of the vote over other candidates in the King County Water District 54. The 63-year-old died in August. On the Washington coast in Aberdeen, John Erak is leading Alan Richrod with 53% of the vote in a city council race. Erak, 81, was a former state representative who died in June shortly after announcing he was running to retain his seat on the city council. His current lead is only 12 votes, and the results aren't final. Both men died after the filing period closed and their names could not be removed from ballots.